Last day/night in Maui - and 2nd Luau!

After a slow start for our sleepy heads........ it was a gorgeous day, and the kids had a fabulous time at the beach and in the waves.

Then it was time for some sand castle building with dad - a mermaid.....and a toilet!

After another fun day at the beach, we decided to check out the Luau at the hotel down the road. It was possiblly better than the first one - check out some pics and videos.

This percussionist was fantastic...

Livvy and Thomas even got involved in Keiki (kids) Hula, was was really cute!!

The Grand Luau!

Yesterday after the visit to the Ocean Center, we decided we would be super organised and book in to the Grand Luau for the evening. Generally people line up from 3.30pm for the traditional luau that kicks off at 5pm. It is a drinks, dinner and show package, so we got cleaned up from the beach much earlier than usual and got involved.

It was a really lovely night and a gorgeous setting with the sun going down in between dinner and the show. Some pics and clips below.

Then the show began.....

........and then the Larcombe's version!

Exploring Maui - Day 3

Just before returning our hire car at lunchtime, we zoomed over to the Maui Ocean Center to check out the famed green turtles and hammerhead sharks. It was kind of cool, but we are very spoiled for Aquariums in Sydney and naturally had high expectations. Better than a poke in the eye - just!

Exploring Maui - Day 2 Surf Spots

Ho'okiipa

After Ioa Valley we piled the kids in the car again, and promised them the drive wouldn't be as long as the day before, and set off to see some of the famous surf spots. First up was Ho'okiipa Surf Park.

This is a spectacular beach and very popular with the windsurfers. There are some golden rules to follow in Maui: surfers have the beach to themselves until 11am, and then it is handed over to the windsurfers. However, there is also the "10 man rule" where if there are more than 10 surfers still on the break, they can stay - this rule is unique to Ho'okiipa, and as you might be able to see from the video, the surfers and windsurfers were managing to play together nicely.

Peahi (Jaws)

While this famous break wasn't working on the day we went, around 10 times a year it boasts one of the biggest "ride-able" waves in the world. Apparently, you need a jet-ski going up around 50km/hr to get you onto these waves, and then you need to outrun it to survive - not for the faint-hearted! 

It's private property (pineapple farm) right to the shore, but Trent has made a quick video anyway.

Below is a picture off the net of what you can expect to see!

"Big Beach" Makena National Park

We drove back across the island and went south beyond our hotel to one of the few beaches in this area that hasn't been "engineered" by one of the hotels. It was beautiful and a lovely time to get there as it was the end of the day and most people had hiked back to the car park and gone home.

It was considered "high surf" when we got there and too dangerous for me and the kids, but for those adrenalin junkies (like Trent) this is just where the fun begins! Check out these videos.

And some great pics of the kids - and Trent.

Exploring Maui - Day 2

Ioa Valley

We were recommended to check out the Iao Valley as the mountain spot where the locals go to swim. It is actually a spectacular spot on the tourist map and we appreciated the freshness of the mountian air and flowing river.

Livvy and Thomas we're clearly blown away by the view ("dad, it's boring here").

All the signs say not to swim, but we were told that as long as it hadn't rained in the last few days, there was no risk of a water surge. The locals were swimming with their children, so Trent though he'd jump in a throw the arm over.

It was a little too cold for Thomas who appeared to be frozen for a few minutes post-swim! Liv, Luke and I cleverly skipped the swim.

Feeding the wild baby chickens was fun for all.

Exploring Maui - Day 1

After hiring a car for 2 days, we've managed to see lots of this beautiful island.

Sugar Can Train

First off was a drive up the Western coast. We saw lots of lovely beach spots, before reaching the Sugar Cane Train. This train is reminiscent of the Pioneer Sugar Mill which only closed down last September, after 139 years of production in Lahaina, Maui. The train has been in operation since 1969, and was a very cruisey journey through golf courses etc, with the conductor serenading us with his ukelele and
super smooth hawaiian voice.

As you can see from the video, Trent and I possibly enjoyed it more than the kids - although Luke gets pretty pumped about anything automotive!

Drive: North Shore

After this, we hopped back in the car and headed for the very rugged drive through along the north shore. Whilst this was interesting, and often hair-raising drive for mum and dad - the kids again were not so enthused!