Aloha!
"Hau'oli Makahiki Hou" means Happy New Year in Hawaiian and is

pronounced "how-oh-lee" "mah-kah-hee-kee" "ho". 

We celebrated the arrival of 2014 in Hawaii with the second-to last New Year's celebration in the world (just before the American Samoa and Midway Island) with fireworks and a concert at Poipu Beach Park.

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Aloha from Great Vacation Retreats!
Eddie Would Go!  
Eddie Aikau was the first official lifeguard at Waimea Bay, on Oahu's North Shore, and at the same time developed a reputation as one of the best big wave riders in the world. Partnering with his younger brother/lifeguard Clyde, the pair never lost a life on their watch. Eddie surfed every major swell to come through the North Shore from 1967 to 1978.  In 1978, Aikau was among a handful selected to join the cultural expedition of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a, which set sail from Magic Island, Oahu, bound for Tahiti. Hokule'a soon encountered treacherous seas outside the Hawaiian Islands and the canoe capsized. After a wild night adrift, Aikau set off on his paddleboard on March 17 in search of help for his stranded crew members. He was never seen again. The ensuing search for Aikau was the largest air-sea search in Hawaii history.
"EDDIE WOULD GO"
(Eddie ho'omau!)
Says Clyde: 
"Eddie Would Go to me doesn't necessarily mean involvement with only the ocean. I believe Eddie Would Go if nobody else would go. Eddie Would Go where people wouldn't go. Eddie Would Go and help people in the water when he didn't even know them. Eddie Would Go on the biggest waves that would pull through Waimea Bay when most people wouldn't go. I think the phrase Eddie Would Go is really a phrase that would ultimately say that one would put themselves out there for the betterment of others. That could relate to anybody - a person from Waikiki, a tourist, or some extreme surfer. Just helping out somebody else is what Eddie Would Go is about."
Read more at Quiksilverlive.com
The Bay will Call the Day! 

 

The first "Eddie"  held at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore was won by Eddie Aikau's younger brother, Clyde Aikau. The tournament has only been held eight times, due to a precondition that open-ocean swells reach a minimum of 20 feet. In Hawaii, wave height is traditionally measured from behind the wave, so wave faces for the contest can actually exceed 30-40 feet. The most recent tournament was in December 2009, when waves in the bay reached 30 to 50 feet (15 m) high.The contest only invites 28 big-wave riders to participate in two rounds of competition. The event does not allow the use of jet skis to tow surfers into the waves. 

 We are hoping Waimea Bay will Call the Day and deliver a HUGE SWELL before February 28th...... so we can once again witness the most prestigious big wave surf competition in the world!

Opening Ceremony -- Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau 2013-14
Play VIDEO of the Opening Ceremony - 
Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau 2013 -14

 

Kauai - Voted Number 1 Anniversary Destination by USA TODAY

Readers of 10Best and USA TODAY cast their votes over a four-week period and the results are in. The winners in the 'Best Anniversary Trip' contest category for 10Best Readers' Choice are as follows:

  1. Kauai, Hawaii
  2. Sedona, AZ
  3. Santorini, Greece
  4. Montreal, Quebec
  5. Amalfi Coast, Italy
  6. Venice, Italy
  7. Telluride, Colorado
  8. Paris, France
  9. Charleston, South Carolina
  10. St. Lucia
Kauai is for Families Too!

KAUAI, HAWAII - Family vacations can take many forms, but the basic ingredient is simple: fun.

With its three navigable rivers, more than 50 miles of white-sand beaches, and mile-long list of adventures, Kauai is as much the island of family fun as it is the island of gardens. Vacationing families will gain a lifetime of new memories in the mountains and beaches of the Garden Isle. Family activities and outings are seemingly numberless, from swimming and canoe riding to hikes along the shoreline, kayak or riverboat rides, or exploring a botanical garden. Many restaurants offer the mini-sized "keiki menu" for children, and the lü'au, with its hula, fire-knife dancing, and island-style fare in exotic settings, never fails to mesmerize.

ZIP, DIP, AND BE HIP 

You can build an entire family scrapbook on ziplining. The ultimate thrill for families, it's a unique way to see the island: from the air, flying like a bird, looking down at bamboo forests, streams and waterfalls, listening to birdsong and feeling the wind and sun on your face....

Read more of this informative article by George Thomas

 

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Mahalo!


 Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
The Hawaiian Archipelago includes the uninhabited islands that extend about 1000 miles northwest of Kaua`i. They are a Federal Wildlife Refuge administered by the US. Fish and Wildlife Service. 
The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is the single largest conservation area under the U.S. flag, and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. It encompasses 139,797 square miles of the Pacific Ocean (362,073 square kilometers) 

The extensive coral reefs are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Many of the islands and shallow water environments are important habitats for rare species such as the threatened green turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. On less than six square miles of land over 14 million seabirds representing 22 species breed and nest. Land areas also provide a home for four species of bird found nowhere else in the world, including the world's most endangered duck, the Laysan duck. 

 

 Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal

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