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When I was flying over the Pacific and watching the sun rise over the clouds, I 'penned' the following on my iPod:
"Growing up in the barren highveld - in the 'countryside' near Johannesburg - in the 70's and 80's was probably the furtherest you could get to the lush green palm trees, waterfalls and turquoise seas of Hawaii.
Saturday nights were Magum PI nights and it was a chance to enter this other world so far removed from mine. An island paradise where you could have a best mate who was black (bearing in mind that in Apartheid S Africa you could be arrested for such a crime) and the said best friend was an ace pilot - of the coolest red helicopter that could take them anywhere where the next pressing case had to take them. At that time in my life it symbolised everything exotic and magical that I felt my life lacked."
I know it sounds a bit lyrical now, but I hadn't slept, it was a full plane and the sunset did completely blow me away. The bare facts are true though. I reckon if you had to juxtapose two contrasting landscapes for the purposes of experimentation, the South African 'Highveld' and the Islands of Hawaii would probably fall on either end.
I LOVED being in Hawaii. Although I felt rather lonely after all the friends I made in New Zealand, the landscape blew me away. Once you're off Oahu, the countryside is so rural and rugged. I loved feeling like I was the only person in the world looking out at the sea - this happened often - particularly on the Big Island and especially at the Place of Refuge on the South East.
To anyone planning a visit there, allow as much time as possible. I could have done with a few more days. Next time I'll definitely take a friend though. A woman travelling on her own with a funny accent was treated with distance by the locals :)
they needed to go! Might as well have been another planet! And here I am 20 odd years later on my way to Hawaii. Wow!
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