Our first full day in Sydney, we walked to a nearby Cafe for Avocado toast, chicken salad lunch at a new deli,  and later down thru Hyde Park to the Circular Quay.

Hyde Park and Botanical garden

and Circular Quay, The Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge.  it was delightful, sunny and a nice breeze,  until a rain cell passed thru,  but luckily we had stopped for a drink and a snack

our plan was a flight from Honolulu at 10:40…. which ended up leaving at about 3:40!  The plane had a mechanical issue!

We enjoyed the benefits of business class,  the lounge on Hawaii,  and the stretch out room on the plane,  but it was an long day,  arriving on Sydney at 11 PM Tuesday! 

Our epic adventure has begun!

We just missed the great volcanic eruption.   We visited Friday but the eruption was Sunday!  We did get to visit our friend Henry in the hospital and we glad to hear that he was released to recuperate at home Tuesday!

Our friends Jen and Steve McClosky visited for sunset and brought us a great dinner

Aloha and A Hui Hou, Kona!

We started our day to the Volcanoes National Park with a stop at the Pu’unalulu  Black Sand Beach to visit the turtles. 

There was a local net fisherman patiently watching for the fish….. I wasn’t patient enough to wait for him to cast that net,  however!

Our ultimate goal,  the National Park

The most recent explosive episode of volcano has rained down tephra, a mixture of lava and gasses that was blown into the air.  it covered the ground like feather-weight gravel and chuncks.

We visited the Thurston Lava Tube along the String of Craters Road

The lava and vegetation were very interesting!

We went all the way to the cliffs of the ocean edge of Kilauea to see the Holei sea arch

A great day but a long drive!  Fun to share with Mark and Bodhi

The weather is spectacular!  so we swam a bit, walked on the lava rocks to see a treasure,  one is the 15 monk seals around the big island,  and then did a great whale watch

our whale watch was a great success!  we saw many blows, a mother and calf,  and a splendid breach.  Nice gentleman caught the photo of the day and shared with us!  Thank you. Dale

A dead Sperm whale beached just north of Kona.   There are many sharks feeding off it as well as fisherman catching the scavengers

We enjoy seeing the cruise ships that come to see the Big Island while we are there.   there have been several!  Today was a special 1, The Queen Mary 2 sailing from San Francisco to Sydney!  I’d only we could jump on her for the next leg of our journey but we wouldn’t arrive in Sydney in time to catch our Viking ship to Bali!  We will just wait and fly there next week!

Earlier 2 ships had to firm away because is the high surf.  Kailua-Kona is a tender port and big waves male it difficult for the tenders to dock.   Right now,  this is the only tender port in Hawaii, since ships do not stop in Lahaina.

We have company from home! My son and grandson Bodhi joined us today.   They spent 4 days on Oahu first.  Bodhi didn’t know where they were going until the airport! 

They stayed in Honolulu and visited the North Shore big waves,  and hike the Diamond Head Crater!

Our first day on the Big Island!

Some years ago,  a hotel near our resort was destroyed by a hurricane but the only part that remains is a saltwater pool,  fed by waves.  Since we have had huge waves for the last 3 of 4 days,  it was at capacity!  the kids often stand on the pool edge closest to the ocean and wait for the waves to wash them into the pool.   Today,  the waves were still too powerful,  so the kids just played in the water.  

It is a beautiful place for sunset,  even when the sun is shrouded in clouds

Royal Sea Cliff maintains beautiful gardens.   On a short walk around we saw all these