Today we drove 90 miles counter-clockwise around the island. We went east over the windward mountain range to the north west coast of the island,which is the more rainy side.
Then we headed north along the coast and stopped at the Polynesian Cultural Center. After that we headed west along the famous North Shore which in the winter is alive with huge surfing (20-40 feet tall) waves generated by swells from the winter storms in the Gulf of Alaska. And then south thru the western plain back to Ko Olina.
This is a beach on the Windward coast that was across the street from out lunch spot:
These next 3 photos were taken at the Polynesian Cultural Center near the BYU-Hawaii campus on the northern tip of the island. They have demonstrations of dances and skills from seven different Polynesian islands- Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, and the Marquesas. These photos are from the "Pageant of the Long Canoes"
These place is rather touristy but it is interesting and, after all, we are tourists.
On the North Shore the beaches were quiet but beautiful.
Sunset Beach:
And Waimea Bay:
