Today we are renting a couple of Kayaks to take out into Kailua Bay. We get ourselves to the Kayak rental store just before 9am and rent a double and a single kayak.
Before we are allowed out on the water we have to watch a 10 minute safety video which basically tells us how to wear our life vests and where we can take the kayaks. There are three islands out in the bay and you are allowed to land on two of them, they are all bird sanctuaries with strict rules as to where you can go, the third being so strict you cannot even take your kayak onto the beach.
At first we paddle up the river to the lake, it is about a 30 minute paddle to get us there, the lake is private however so when you reach it you turn back and head back towards the beach. On the way back I see a Barracuda that must have been more than 3 feet long resting on the bottom of the river just over from where a family were fishing, as if teasing them with his presence.
Back at the beach we have a chat with a kayak instructor who is waiting with his kayaks on the sand for a party of 40 to be bussed in, he tells us the best way to get out to the island as there is about a 15 knot head wind today, getting out will be a task, getting back should be a breeze.
Whilst at the beach we find a sea horse swimming around in the channel, though he does not seem very happy, he keeps on beaching himself as he tries to head back to the sea. I decide to give him a hand and catch him in my hand then transport him past the surf into the sea. He seems very happy with that and swims off out to sea on his release.
He is quite right, the paddle out to the closest island is about 20 minutes of reasonably hard work, though well worth it. Flat island is volcanic in origin and this is evident in all the rocks you see on the island. Near the shore of the island the rocks are full of holes, some leading directly to the sea below. Many of these holes are inhabited by crabs, some impressively large. We walk all the way around flat island, though by the time we get back to the kayaks realise we do not have enough time to head on to Mokulua, the larger of the islands. From Flat Island that would be a good 30 minute paddle, then an hour back to Kailua beach and our rental only has an hour to go. We had decided on a half day rental as we figured for us novice paddlers that would be quite enough and we were probably right as our arms really ached this evening.
We got back to Kailua beach in good time and had our only drama of the session when Lisa and Baggage’s kayak capsized in the surf and Baggage got trapped beneath it, shaking her up a bit.
As a reward for all our hard work we headed for Island Snow Hawaii to get one of their renowned shave ice cups. The choice of flavours is extensive, I opt for root beer and coconut with a cherry flavoured topping, the shave ice is also on top of ice cream, the combination makes for the best shave ice in Hawaii, as discovered by President Obama on a recent trip here. Neither Lisa nor Charlotte opt for the ice cream on the bottom, nor the topping, but both also enjoy their shave ice also.
Back to the house after the shave ice and we spend a few hours in out of the sun, we even manage a bit of packing.
Later on we head out again, tonight we are having a McDonalds take-out on the beach as the sun goes down. The trade winds have really kicked in now and the beach is pleasantly cool as we sit and eat our supper, not a bad way to end a day. Before we head back to the house we let Baggage have a play with our bucket and net at the mouth of the river, she catches nothing, though she does manage to save a puffer fish who is stranded in a small and draining pool. Lisa manages to catch a crab, there are a number running around near the shore-line.
Back at the house we attempt to get Baggage to bed in good time, she has her sleep over tomorrow night at the sea life park and we do not want her to be tired for that.
I start on the Kaua’i Golden Ale, the last of the Hawaiian brewed beers I will try, this one is a lager with a hint of citrus, much more a hint than in the case of the passion fruit wheat beer, and again very refreshing.
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