Day 8; Friday - THIS IS THE MOMENT OF SWEET ALOHA!

So we got to the Brisbane airport last Friday and while we were waiting to check in...I remembered...that I forgot my temple recommend...!!!  Without it I wouldn't be able to go to the Temple in Laie...and I was not pleased with myself as I remembered to reminded Shaun to get his a few days earlier :(

My first call when we arrived was to the Temple to see how I could still go as it was definitely one of our to do's...They told me they could speak to my Bishop in Australia and arrange a temporary recommend...it was the best news I'd heard since we landed...I FB'd my friend Neta and asked to her please ask her Husband, my Bishop to call the Laie Temple which she did and he did with the promise of Hawaiian Macadamia chocolates and today was our temple day... xox

Back to see Jase who was busy working out in this beach front back yard...he and his wife hooked us up for PCC (Polynesian Cultural Centre) Thank you so much guys!! xoxox
How cool is PCC?  The best in Hawaii!!! Check out our pics...

This is my 3rd visit to PCC and I finally get to go on a canoe ride!!

C'mon peeps!  I can't be the only camera crazy tourist in the boat can I?

Shaun has been hanging out to find a waterfall all holiday...
Finally found one... at PCC!

I didn't think we would actually see anyone we knew here but as soon as we entered the New Zealand village there was Shannon...she is good friends with both of our sisters... Dort & Debs...Shaun recognized her straight away and how lucky is she to be living in Hawaii with her husband and family and working part time here at the PCC using Kapa haka as a living...I like the sound of that!

Shannon introducing herself and her tribal whakairo

This was the best little kapa haka show we've seen in a long time!

Shannon and her bro in law on the left and a
Witehira/Wihongi cuz on the right

Chur Aotearoa! Hei kona!!

And with our stomachs rumbling and a text msg from Jase telling us it was time to head to the Luau we were gone-ski...off to the Luau, we get a lei as we go into the dinner and show...Oh Boy! This is part of the reason we've both put on the kilos while we're here...but its holidays and I'm not counting!! lol!!

Mean dinner...Island styles...

...and the show is about to begin! 

This was a very cool dinner show! But check out this little dude
and his fire dancing skills!

Then comes that part in the show where they ask if anyone is celebrating a birthday this month...they ask all the birthday peeps to stand while we sing Happy Birthday to them...Shaun won't stand up but he also won't get away with the next question...Who is celebrating their anniversary???  We are invited to go on stage with a whole heap of other couples and the MC sings the Hawaiian wedding song while we all dance....naaaawww xoxox

The MC told us a few interesting stories, one about how hula was banned for 50 years because the Hauli (White man) thought it was too rude. How the steel guitar was discovered by a boy in Laie and how the Shaka was invented by a man, also from Laie, who lost his 3 middle fingers in a sugar mill accident and while surfing waved his remaining little finger and thumb to tourists watching on the beach who waved back in the same way...Shaka!

Boo ya...its the SHAKA!

What an awesome day we had today...but wait theres more...off to the night show 'HA-The breath of life'

No photos during the show please...but afterwards is fine...lol!

Shaun said the secret to a mean show...add water and fire!
Ha - the meanest show around!

We met up with this lovely lady by chance after the show...Laina..from Avondale ward in Auckland
she married our Stake Presidents son from Hebersham..what a small world aye? She's another legend
living, studying & working in Paradise!!

Pomarie Laie...Thank you and goodnight x

And after this the one hour drive back to Honolulu...this is the best holiday ever...the only thing missing are our kids and if we could bring the baby sitter too that would be double sweet...! lol!

Day 7; Thursday - AND SO WE DID!

Today we decided would be our first day up North.  Yesterday Haunani told us about go phones at Walmart so we decided we would go and check that out first...and what do you know a cute little smart phone for just under $20! But we had to get credit at the not so cute price of $45...however it did give us our GPS back and a means of contact while on the road to our family in Hawaii and in Australia.  The very helpful guy at Walmart opened it up and registered it and everything we needed done to get it operational...so big ups to him and Aunty Walmart.  Next it was back on the rd and Northward bound.

Big ups to my chauffeur for the week...only once did you get in
on the wrong side of the car...lol!! xox

The Chinamans hat...I remember Aunty Mate talking about this
a long time ago and every time I see it I think of her :)

Even on a cloudy day the Hawaiian backdrop is amazing.

We stopped to visit Jason & Kekai...Shaun and Jason grew up together and if anyone has the stories on Shaun its Jase... You really get more of an insight into your spouses childhood and teenage years when they have a friend as good as this...I'm glad they are still good friends today and that we were able to spend a tiny bit of time with them.  They are also somewhat of the celebrities and very worthy role models in Laie; both graduating with their Masters at Brigham Young University this year while having and raising 3 beautiful bubs...good on them we say and hope they don't mind me stealing this cute pic to share on my blog...

Congratulations Guys! Job well done!

A nice visit with them both catching up on life and envying their small studio apartment with beach frontage...waaat??? The life!

Next we're off to Papa ole's for the best dang Hawaiian BBQ on the island! When I look at these photos now I wish we had done a plate each but one between the 2 of us really was sufficient...

With extra mac salad please!

Next we went to the BYU bookstore for a look, last time we were here we picked up a few BYU T-shirts and things for 25% off no discounts this time but found a few cute tie pins for the boys and other bits n pieces.  We also found this hanging on the noticeboard...we just finished visiting with one of the cuties...

Next we thought we would just drive north some more, find Teds bakery (referral from Cole) find a beach to swim at and just do what ever we felt like....and so we did!

We were told earlier in the week that Haunanis hula class or Halau was on Thursday and I was very keen to go...we knew we would be late because we were still in Laie (an hour away) half an hour before class was to start so we made our way back down to Waimanalo swiftly but carefully and got there in pretty good timing... Haunani was up dancing, Aunty was dancing a bit too...this little princess was laxing out and her sister was keenly watching on...

I felt privileged to be able to get up and join in, though I was nowhere near as graceful I'm super happy that we made it for the time we did.  I was introduced to the class by the Kumu hula (hula teacher) as a Kumu in my own culture and later on invited back to do small workshops with her and the ladies which I am absolutely ok with!
The Native Hawaiians love Maori and Maori culture...all over the island we were told how cool our "accents" were....but because Maori has successfully revitalized our language & culture it is something Maori is greatly admired for in Hawaii...especially as they strive to do the same.

I told them I would bring my whanau back and we will do workshops
where ever they want us to do them!