Friday 21st July
We awake to another day, the clouds have again stretched down from their mountain homes almost to the sea. Hurricane Fernando has burnt itself out in the pacific creating a remnant low pressure system that is moving towards the islands affecting our weather some what. Worse days are ahead in Honolulu but should be brief. Troy, Heather and family leave today for home, Kylie, Peter & family leave for a few days in Honolulu before they too leave for home. Jim & Kate also leave to go back to their island home on Oahu. The party is breaking up, but what a party! so great to catch-up with all of Amanda’s family and have our own here to experience this wonderful event and location. We are so thankful to have such a wonderful far flung family that when together it’s as if we have never been apart. Matthew has already arrived back in Sydney before heading home to Adelaide. Sandi has also driven back to her home in Hana, while Kaua and Tania await the birth of their child Kingston due around the end of July at Kahului hospital. Gary and Tracey too have returned to their Big Island Hawaiian home.
After breakfast we relax for awhile, Amanda forever the laundry mistress keeps those machines buzzing around. It’s not until around midday that we hear from Jim, Susan & Gaby, they are on their way to enjoy the beach and pool facilities here at Honua Kai for the last time as they leave for home tomorrow. Troy, Heather and family having checked out of their hotel are also heading our way so that the kids can enjoy a last swim in our hotels pool, that has a swim through cave and a large waterslide.
Jimmy, Susan & Gaby arrive first, Jimmy & Susan head for the beach leaving Gaby with us. The clouds to our north are threatening rain with rainbows appearing fleetingly. Gaby and Calista have hit it off, now firm friends they want to spend their remaining time together. Troy & Heather arrive next and head off to the pool with all but Calista. Calista and Gaby take up positions on the couch to watch on their phones the musical Hamilton, singing along in harmony to each song as they play out on their tiny screens. Great fun to listen to them enjoying themselves, if a little noisy but they are teenagers! In truth they both have great singing voices.
We have a lunch of wraps from the lobby market up in our room before Troy and Heather ready themselves for their trip to the airport. They are a little sad to be leaving Cadence loves Hawaii and doesn’t want to leave, while ten year old Aubrey expresses her feelings perfectly “she is sad to leave but excited to be going home to see her friends again” the older kids can use their phones to communicate with their friends but Aubrey is just a little too young at this point in time.
Amanda and I will drive to the airport separately, with the families excess luggage, although their vehicle is big, the available luggage space is limited.
We load up the luggage, Calista and Gaby with us the rest of the children with Troy and Heather. Their is a funny moment when Justin is asked to decide which vehicle he wants to travel in, he looks at the fully loaded rental car with the young ones, Abbey, Aubrey & Cadence, you can almost see is decision making process, “oh no this could be the ride from hell” then he looks at our car, much smaller with two teenage girls, singing away in the back seat. What a decision, he looks this way and that, thinking “do I really have to do this” mum hurries him up, make a decision Justin. Justin hurriedly decides on our car and settles in but is not going to sit between these two but next to Calista where he then mentally blocks out the scratchy harmonics and looses himself in the solace of his phones offerings.
We head off to the airport, the girls singing non stop all the way, but it’s a quick easy drive and we are there in 35 minutes. Unload and walk to the terminal where we meet Troy, Heather and the younger girls. We say our goodbyes for now, I remind them of more fun to come when grandma and grandpa come to stay. Not sure if that impresses the kids or depresses them. They all then proceed through security and their awaiting flight to Philadelphia via Dallas.
Although we enjoyed light traffic out of Lahaina we did notice that the traffic in the incoming direction was heavy. We had hoped that it would clear but now readying ourselves to leave the airport by bringing up our directions home from the phones navigation system the information provided tells us we have a ninety minute journey ahead of us. The road is clear until the Lahaina turnoff and we are back on the Honoapiilani highway, then the traffic crawls to a halt. Slowly, very slowly we inch towards our destination. Gaby in the back, now silent as she is plugged into her device with no singing partner, it’s a quiet but long journey home.
Finally we arrive at our destination in time to shower and ready ourselves for dinner. Tonight we are meeting Jim and Susan at Pacific’O on Front street.
Pacific’O Restaurant is another of Lahaina’s beachfront dining experiences, their mantra being a new standard for Farm-to-Table cuisine on Maui. Boasting a 24 year history Pacific’O on the Beach offers recipes inspired by local ingredients and the “best-view-in-town” for your lunch or dinner.
“We support local farmers and own O’o Farm which supplies us daily with fresh organic produce. Fresh fish delivered daily” their website proudly announces.
We take a taxi into Lahaina arriving a little ahead of time, the restaurant is situated in a small outdoor shopping complex with an Art Gallery, Jewellers
and restaurants. The restaurants are right on the ocean front with beautiful sea views, catamarans and other small craft bob up and down in the grey green water.
Sitting in the Harbour is an unusual vessel, not passenger, not cargo we will see if we can find out all about it. Jim and Susan are waiting for us as we arrive at Pacific’O. The restaurant is all blond wood and white linen tablecloths, windows are open to take in the Harbour views. We take our seats and order a cocktail each a Mai Tai for her and a Piña Colada for me. Then settle in and revue the menu finally deciding to share a House salad of Blue cheese, smoked bacon, heirloom carrots, in a soy citrus vinaigrette and for main course I have Ti leaf Fish, wrapped in a Ti leaf is a completely unpronounceable fish that I am assured is excellent covered in a spicy lemongrass Thai marinade and served with an orange beurre blanc sauce with sautéed O’o farm green beans, beech mushrooms, cherry tomato, and hapa rice. Amanda has The vegetarian dish, of crispy rice gnocchi, heirloom tomatoes, O’o Farm fresh pesto, percorino cheese and kukui nuts. For something different than our usual chardonnay or Pinot Gris we chose a 2014 Truchard, Roussanne from Carneros Napa Valley, California to accompany the meal.
While we are waiting for our meals we ask after the mysterious ship in the Harbour, Amanda has guessed right it is a research vessel, we didn’t know that it is owned by Berkely University, California, apparently the bear on the ships funnel says it all. Must be a pretty cashed up university to run a ship like this one I suggest, I am assured by my Californian friends at the table that it is.
The meal is excellent definitely in the top two of our visit. After dinner we walk south along Front street in the balmy nighttime air, to the main tourist area to buy a gelato at Ono’s Gelato bar, the flavours are many and varied, many too rich for me. I decide on Kona coffee macadamia nut and Amanda the chocolate macadamia, all delicious. Jim Susan and Gaby head off back to their hotel while we stop for a while in the street to devour our purchases then we walk to Fleetwood’s and call our cabby to take us back to Honua Kai and our beds.
Last day on Maui tomorrow lots to do before we depart.