Zipping here, zipping there...

Our last grand adventure was on Thursday, when we went zip lining with Princeville Ranch Adventures. This is a working ranch, with cows and everything. They farm sustainably and supply grass finished beef to North Shore markets and cafes. It would seem to be a brilliant combination of revenue sources.

The tour we did took over four hours, had nine zip lines, lunch, and some time in a swimming hole. The tours are limited to twelve people.

The gear is intimidating.

After we geared up, we took a wild drive in an old Austrian army vehicle to the beginning of the lines.

My heart was in my throat.

Figuratively. 

Not literally.

The first line was less than 400 feet, but I was petrified. After the guide finished explaining all the do's and don'ts, he asked who was still scared.
I, in my ignorance, said "Me."
And I was up first.
Ack!

It took a few seconds to make that leap off the platform, but the pressure of all those people waiting behind me was a good motivator.

I clung so tightly to the strap that my wrists were traumatised by the time I reached the second platform.

I may have screamed, just a little.

Jeff had no such qualms.

Just having the time of his life.

Again.

Things got a little easier as the day went on, but I never quite lost the trepidation of that leap into nothingness.

At one point, we had to cross this bridge, which I think they made scary on purpose.

It was harder than it looks, and the drop beneath was maybe a hundred feet.

I was clipped on with my carabiner, but, honestly, who wants to dangle in space from a mere carabiner?

And why does Blogger think that "carabiner" is not a word?

The lines got progressively longer and higher off the ground.

The gear was heavy and awkward, especially the carabiners, which dangled uncomfortably in front of our thighs and, I swear, left bruises. 

Our slightly crazy guides, who made sure that they earned every last penny of their gratuity.

This was a little worrying.

After a break for a delicious lunch and some refreshing swimming by a small waterfall (what else), it was time for the Big Casino.

King Kong.

1,200 feet long and starting 26 feet off the ground.

Let me tell you, it was no small feat just getting up that ramp.

You can barely even see the other platform.

And, to make things even trickier (and more scary), this was the place they took photos of you and your partner holding hands as you left the platform, so you had to jump off together (no girding of the loins on this one!) and hold hands and smile. And then pay a small fortune for the photo at the office, which may have been the scariest part, come to think of it.

I do not look as relaxed as I would have liked.

And that is because I WASN'T!

It was a fun, hot, and tiring day, and I would have enjoyed probably an hour less.

And Jeff would have liked more.

Sound familiar?

And, back at the office, there were actual MONEY TREES for the gratuities. 

No subtlety there. 

I think it encouraged generosity competition among the participants.

I will zip line again some day. 

As soon as I lose the bruises on my legs from this one.

What makes a husband happy

In the same spirit of "we'll never be here again so we might as well do it large", I booked the seven-hour boat tour with Holo-Holo Charters. It left from Port Allen in the south and traveled all the way up to the Napali Coast, with an hour of snorkeling at Niihau Island on the way.

We left just after sunrise, having awoken at 4:30. I had Bethany call us just to make sure we woke up on time, although we had been running on Oregon time ever since we arrived.

First stop: Niihau Island, also known as the Forbidden Island. It has an interesting history. Some of it is told on this marker from the Pihea Trail.

The rest of it was heard in snippets from various guides we encountered and is thus suspect as to authenticity.
The island was purchased from the Kingdom of Hawaii by Elizabeth Sinclair in 1864 for $10,000. It ended a long story of migration for the Sinclair family, starting in their native Scotland, then moving to New Zealand and Canada before landing in Hawaii. Her descendants, the Robinson family, still own the island.
I have been unable to substantiate most of the tales that were told by guides, so I won't repeat them here. But this much is true. The island inhabitants mostly speak Hawaiian. They have no running water and no central power system. No paved roads, telephones, or cars. Most food is brought in from Kaua'i and is canned. A shell lei from Niihau, for which it can take years to collect the shells and then construct, sells for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Entrance to the island has been forbidden by the Robinsons since 1915, in order to preserve the way of life of the islanders.
It is a strange place indeed. You can take a half-day helicopter tour of the island for a mere $385, including snorkeling. Go here and here if you want to read more about the island.
We should have done it.

We, ourselves, spent an hour snorkeling on a coral reef on the island. The Robinsons allow boat tours to approach the reef as long as they are not intrusive. 

Snorkeling.

I never knew how much I wanted to do it, until I did. It was one of the best hours of my life. I was a little petrified (although not as much as when I leaped into thin air on the first zip line of the next day), but was immediately enthralled by the myriads of varieties of colourful fish that swam just beneath me on the reef.  I got a little teary, it was so beautiful and I loved it so much. I swam and swam and didn't want to get out. Jeff stayed in close proximity, not trusting me to stay out of trouble. 

I was the last one out of the water.

And I can't wait to do it again.

Did you know you can get prescription masks? It was like a little miracle.

Too bad I didn't have an underwater camera. I could have inundated you with fishy pictures.

Here we are, in front of the keyhole. 

I think that is what it's called.

I am always windblown and/or sweaty in these holiday photos.

We booked it up the coast to get some close-up time with the Napali Coast. I confess, I felt a little nauseous, but managed to breathe deeply and did not disgrace myself.

Jeff, on the other hand, was in his element. One of the biggest surprises of the day was how much my husband loves being on a boat. I'm not talking cruise ship type of boat here, but a smaller one that is more at the mercy of the sea. When we were going very fast and noisily and everyone was sitting down and holding on tight, Jeff was standing next to the rail, holding on with one hand, his face to the spray that was being kicked up by our passage, getting soaked to the skin, and with a most beautific smile on his face. How I wished that I had my camera handy, but it was on the other side of the boat and I couldn't move for fear of losing my continental breakfast. The image is burned into my mind forever. 

He is a true Coastie at heart.

Here we are, back at the Napali Coast, only at sea level this time.

As I mentioned before, many of these beaches are only accessible by boat. Hippies live on some of them, illegally, and the locals hate it. The captain said that sometimes there are nudists. I took this close-up just to check, but I'm pretty sure they all have clothes.

To put that last photo in perspective, here is an un-zoomed photo. The captain said the dune on the beach is over 100 feet high. You can barely (ha ha, get it?) see the people as wee specks on the beach.

 I think he said the coastal cliffs here are the second-highest in the world.

Lots of caves, waterfalls, scenes used in movies, blah blah blah.

And Jeff's joy did not diminish as the day went on.

Especially since he had access to unlimited pop.

The tour was a tad longer than I would have liked, but Jeff would have taken a few more hours, so I guess it evened out.

Casualty of the day: Jeff's favourite Coastguard hat, complete with Antarctica pin. He had been sitting down, minding his own business, when he noticed a wasp on a part of his personage that was kind of embarrassing to swat. The boat was moving very fast, meaning lots of strong wind, so I told him to stand up and I would brush it off with a towel. Well, he stood up and that wind whipped the hat right off his head. It didn't stand a chance.

Neither did the wasp.

Whirly-bird tour

Did I mention that this is THE most expensive holiday per diem that we have even taken? 

As we were making plans during the weekend, we decided to throw caution to the wind and just do anything we felt inclined to do. So, on Tuesday we took a helicopter tour of the island. There are many places you can't see from a car or on foot, and we don't plan to ever return to Kaua'i, so I swallowed my frugality and booked it. We went with Jack Harter Helicopters, as they were recommended by, you know, The Book, and they have a slightly longer "one-hour" tour than the other companies.

Um, yeah, trying to climb into a helicopter with the blades whipping up a storm while wearing a dress: not my finest moment.

Golf courses abound on the island, although we didn't often see people on them.

The heli was enclosed and air-conditioned and we had Bose noise-canceling headphones and an intercom with which we could talk to the pilot, so it was pretty cushy. Jeff and I were in the back, but we had a decent view of everything. You don't get much of a choice where you sit, as they balance the bird using the weights of the passengers. And they weigh you, so you don't get to cheat.

So. Many. Waterfalls.
It almost got tedious.
I'm kidding.

We got to see Waimea Canyon from the air, which was interesting after being in it the day before.

This is the road we drove.

Going up to the Napali Coast.
We didn't fly over the swamp, which was disappointing for me.

The incomparable Napali Coast.

The island is almost completely surrounded by coral reefs. In fact, most beaches are not much good for swimming, but are good for snorkeling as long as the currents aren't too strong.

This is a famous waterfall from some movie. 

I don't remember which one.

Don't judge me. There have been so many movies shot on Kaua'i by waterfalls and beaches that you would lose track of them too.

Into the crater of Mount Wai'ale'ale (which means "rippling water") itself.
So cool.
Its 3,000 foot walls are nearly vertical. The mountain gets over 400 inches of rain a year, with a record of 683 inches in 1982. All of those lines in the walls become waterfalls after a heavy rain.

Wailua Falls, which was used in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.

And back to Lihue airport.

This was the only tour where the guide (aka pilot) did not ask for a gratuity. And still, I overheard a woman asking at the office where she could leave a tip for the pilot.

It's a racket, my friends, a true racket.

Wailua Falls was just off the highway on the way home, so we took the little detour for a closer look.

Lots of signs at the edge of the cliffs, saying "Danger, do not attempt to climb down the cliff", which people obviously ignored frequently. There was also a sign limiting parking to twenty minutes and forbidding vending. Which was being solidly ignored by some local with jewelry displayed in the bed of his pickup truck.

Nice.

Beware the red dirt of Kaua'i.
It will sully your nice clean white socks.
Just ask Jeff!

We were glad that we took the helicopter tour, but I can't say that it was my favourite part of the week. Jeff seems to like the motorized tours more than I do. The scenery was spectacular though, and there is a certain heart-stopping excitement that can't be beat when the machine swoops over a ridge and into a canyon, with cliffs towering overhead and around. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for me.