Dame Reggaeton rolled back through town again last month, selected shots from Dame Reggaeton here.
This week for The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot we have a beats maker with a name that conjures up the same woeful heartbreak as “single balloon floating away” and “lone infant sock”, The Kite String Tangle <\3! Collect yourself and read about him in this week's issue of The Music #004.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane
For most, the main reason to head over to the East coast aka the Windward shore is the Kualoa Ranch movie site tour, which is a famous location for movies such as Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates. While some of the off road activities are appealing, its essentially just rain forest and grass with a few pieces of memorabilia, a far cry from a working production set some may be hoping for. There are however, plenty of other things to see and do, along with kilometers of beaches fair less busy than those on the west coast.
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Nuuanu Pali lookout
On the way to the east coast via the winding forest roads of the cross country Pali Highway, take a quick stop at the Nuuanu Pali lookout. This will help you understand why they call it the Windward shore, windward being a severe understatement! Even on an otherwise quite warm day of mid to high 20s weather it was quite cold thanks to the wind chill factor dropping temps easily by 10-15C! Needless to say, a jacket is a must, ideally a softshell will give you the most comfort and protection.
The view however is worth a short bit of discomfort overlooking the valleys towards Kaneohe and the ocean.
There is no cost for entry but there is also no free parking for tourists (locals just need to show proof of residency). The $3 fee apparently has only come about in the last couple years, its a bit of a greedyy since there’s no facilities or anything else justifying the cost for a short 15-30min visit but worth it none the less.
If you have time to kill there is a hiking path leading down from the lookout point or to make a day of it, head to near by Manoa Falls. Just be warned that the falls aren’t really falls any more after a landslide a couple years back but terrain may have once again changed since this was written.
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Byodo-in Temple
The Byodo-in Temple is a little north of Kaneohe nestled in lush rolling foothills. It is a commemorative replica of the same temple in Japan and features Japanese gardens, bridge and koi pond with literally thousands of koi carp. The place also lays its claims to fame with appearances in Hawaii 5-0 and Lost.
The grounds aren’t overly big so you wont need more than an hour of slow strolling to cover it.
Entrance fee is $3 for adults but at least here you know that money is going to the maintenance of the grounds and not pocket lining!
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Windward mall
Image courtesy of Oahu Paradise Homes
Windward mall
On the way down to Sealife park the only major shopping stop is the Windward mall. While quite sizable, there is little variation in the stores and probably for the most part can be skipped over if you already hit the big centers on the west coast. One store however that made the stop more than worthy was Sears. Normally it falls into the “killing time” category for us with its Myer/David Jones assortment of stock but this particular store was more like an outlet version with almost everything on sale or at clearance prices. Brands and content read more like parts of a Karmaloop catalogue with Dickies, Southpole, Zoo York, Levis, Lee, Carhartt and a bunch of business attire basics undoubtedly from their incorporated chain, KMart. A great stop for the ladies as well with heavily discounted underwear and swimwear.
Oh, I lied when I said there was no reason to stop.. they have a Wetzel’s Pretzels 😉
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Sea Life Park
Sea Life Park made the list for two main reasons, swimming with the dolphins and the Chief’s Luau.
The almost obligatory claim to fame is 50 First Dates – seriously that movie is like a walking billboard for Tourism Hawaii! There were no penguins in Hawaiian shirts but the dolphin we swam with was in the movie! Real down to earth guy too, you wouldn’t pick it from the obnoxious character he plays on screen 😉
– Dolphin swimming
Want to mingle with celebrities? Well you know you gotta drop some coin to let them know how you roll! Luckily costs are available on their website and you don’t need to leave a Benjamin for the “help”. Take your swim wear, cos, you know, you’ll be swimming (more like wading and fighting the powerful currents stirred up from the dophin’s wake). There are a couple change room areas, there’s even one in the briefing area so you don’t have to arrive in your swim gear. The staff along with a short video will explain everything pretty clearly and there’s really not much else to it.
Travel tip: A note to those with piercings, you will be asked to remove them so if you have a face full of metal you may want to get a start on that before hand. Girls, if you have something like a belly button ring, wearing a one piece may help you avoid having to remove it, but they are very strict and rightly so to protect ocean friends.
Photo tip: since you cant take anything into the pool, let alone a camera, photos are taken by staff and sold at the usual exuberant theme park prices. The shots look like they’re taken on full auto, with no colour correction which leaves you looking a nice shade of sea sick green! So its best to get someone in your group that isn’t swimming to snap some shots for you (or maybe sweet talk a stranger into emailing some to you). Spectators are free to move around outside of the barrier so a good angle wont be too hard to find.
The rest of the park houses the usual aquatic life from small tanked fish and sea life to large compounds with seals and penguins.
If you purchased one of the value combo deals which includes the Chief’s Luau, its just a short walk from the gift shop. Those hip shaking good times are up next!
As always, if you have any questions about our adventures or where to buy something, just hit us up on the Soulbridge Media facebook page.
Hawaii 2012 part #1 – Arrival
Hawaii 2012 part #2 – Waikiki
Hawaii 2012 part #3 – Honolulu shopping – Part A
Hawaii 2012 part #4 – The Big Island – Volcano tour
Hawaii 2012 part #5 – Shopping Honolulu – part B
Hawaii 2012 part #6 – Tattoo Honolulu / Boardshorts: A Perfect Fit art exhibits
Hawaii 2012 part #7 – Pearl City area
Hawaii 2012 part #8 – Swap meets and Made in Hawaii festival
Hawaii 2012 part #9 – Cook offs and Car shows
Hawaii 2012 part #10 – North shore
Hawaii 2012 part #11 – Windward shore and Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #12 – Chief’s Luau at Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #13 – South shore – Diamondhead crater, Hanauma bay
Rising roots superstar and all round nice guy, Bobby Alu, brings his uke’ and island vibes to our The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot this week.
Read about him in this week’s issue of The Music #003.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane
We have polarising opposites this week with Darkc3ll bringing the number of the dark beast in for The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section cover shoot and then we go all the way to the other end of the scale for Clare Bowditch @ The Hifi with her special brand of acoustic folk mixed with a spot of stand up! More photos from her gig below.
Check them both out in this week’s issue of The Music #002.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read current and back issues online @ The Music magazine – Brisbane
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Clare Bowditch @ The Hifi
Home to any number of clichés, movies, tv shows and the stereotypical surfer lifestyle is Hawaii’s North shore with rolling waves on one side and lush rainforests on the other.
Getting there
Its not particularly a long drive with an average car run taking under an hour but it really depends on the traffic which can go from “Sunday drive” to “LA peak hour” depending on the time of day/year.
There’s a couple different routes you can take which are about the same travel time.
The H2 to route 803 is the gps choice, you could try the 99 on the way back but you may get stuck with some local traffic on the smaller roads. Take the 750 if you’re up for the scenic route.
Travel tip: If you’re venturing up during the cooler months when the surfing comps are on, be prepared for ultimate chaos and getting no where fast..slowly!
North Shore Locale
Haleiwa – Is the major town in the area which you’ll see coming over the mountain range. Its pretty much a blip on the map but hosts more than enough amenities for tourists and locals alike with food, souvenir and surf stores dominating the landscape. This however isn’t the only stop for services, there are plenty of other places and road side vendors along the coast line.
Waimea
Bay – One of the most popular beaches in the area which means parking can sometimes be a pain during the day. Later in the afternoon sees the crowds die off
Falls Park – Is the national park home to gardens, hiking paths and even craft demos. Cost is $24 and opening/closing times vary from day to day so check the website
Valley – If you’re lucky enough to catch a sunset with some drama, this is the place to be. Sadly not the case for us!
Pupukea beach, Sunset beach, Turtle bay beach, Laniakea beach and Sharks Cove are all roughly linked together and continue up the coast line so there’s plenty to choose from when you are looking for a spot to beach, relax or swim/surf. Plenty of rock pools crop up at low tide as well which will help with interesting photos (if you have the sky to match).
Travel tip: Don’t let the scheduled daily afternoon sun showers deter you, they clear as quickly as they come, just keep a brolly handy or be within dashing distance to your car if you’ve set up a picnic.
As always, if you have any questions about our adventures or where to buy something, just hit us up on the Soulbridge Media facebook page.
Hawaii 2012 part #1 – Arrival
Hawaii 2012 part #2 – Waikiki
Hawaii 2012 part #3 – Honolulu shopping – Part A
Hawaii 2012 part #4 – The Big Island – Volcano tour
Hawaii 2012 part #5 – Shopping Honolulu – part B
Hawaii 2012 part #6 – Tattoo Honolulu / Boardshorts: A Perfect Fit art exhibits
Hawaii 2012 part #7 – Pearl City area
Hawaii 2012 part #8 – Swap meets and Made in Hawaii festival
Hawaii 2012 part #9 – Cook offs and Car shows
Hawaii 2012 part #10 – North shore
Hawaii 2012 part #11 – Windward shore and Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #12 – Chief’s Luau at Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #13 – South shore – Diamondhead crater, Hanauma bay
With celebrations well underway around the world for Casio G Shock’s 30th anniversary, we thought we’d have our own little shindig and share our love of the chunky wonders with 30 Days of G Shockin* over on our Soulbridge Media facebook page. We’ll knock up a variety of photos with colour blocking and various other items from sneakers to clothes to toys and more so check back regularly. If you haven’t liked the page yet, get over there and clicky clicky!
Happy dirty thirty you tough bastards!
* – give or take and as time permits 😉
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The Trouble with Templeton christen the very first issue of The Music Magazine’s (Brisbane) – “The Guide” section from our cover shoot this week.
We also caught Adalita of Aussie rock band Magic Dirt doing her solo thing, her sound may have mellowed but she seriously hasn’t aged at all and is still quite the fox! More photos from her gig below.
Check them both out in the inaugral issue of The Music this week issue #01 and just in case you’re having a little bit of withdrawl from Time Off, they kept the back over as a Time Off memorial, issue #1640.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read current and back issues online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
Adalita @ Black Bear Lodge
Change is comin’….
Sounds of Blackness said it best, even with all the talkboxing, “Hold on, change is comin, don’t worry about a thing”. We’ve got some big changes in the works including a complete revamped of the site! We even finally got around to knocking up a new logo for the occassion 😀 Keep your peepers peeled, exciting times ahead!
Our coincidental timing had once again rewarded us with two events we didn’t know about but now would feel empty (metaphorically and physically) if we hadn’t of gone! A traditional cook off and an American hotrod car show!
Up in Smoke Cook Off
Travel tip: DO NOT go to one on a full belly, better yet, skip breakfast altogether. And if you don’t like meat, don’t fret, all is not lost….but you might wanna take a bag of rabbit food just in case 😉
So what’s a cook off? From a participants point of view, it’s a chance to show case your culinary skills and dazzle the general public and your competitors with your secret recipes and generations of passed down knowledge in a forum not too unlike a good ol fashioned “tailgating” commonly seen at American ball game (foot, base, basket etc) carparks around the country.
From a spectators view it’s a chance to sample any and all of these products without judgement, in fact it’s the opposite, since it’s a competition and you get to vote for your favourite, participants tend to be very friendly calling out to you to try “the best” and score your vote.
Due to the outdoor barbie nature of the Up in Smoke Cook off, cooking tends to lend itself to two 3 types of cooking, grilled, fried and spit roasted. If you’re asking for anything else then you probably should turn in your Man Card and walk away now, otherwise grab a toothpick or a custom cocktail skewer and dive on in!
With so many competitors on show and so much food available there really is no need to rush, they’ll all get their turn 😉 We’re hardly the “foodie” types, usually opting for value or quantity over quality but after just a handful of stalls we really began to notice the subtle differences between them, just keep an eye out for the spicy/chilli flavours if you cant handle the heat! 45min in and a couple rounds later our choice was unanimous, we both settle on #14 21”?? a bbq’d pork with a sweetish bbq saucing and light smoked flavour. The richness of the pork flavour with a hint of bacon from the crispier bits were the perfect balance, outstanding in its subtly. See what I mean? Instant connoisseur :p
Bellies teetering on “I don’t want eat pork every again” (till the follow day it turns out) we placed our votes and waddled over to the car show.
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Nobody Cares Car Show
Entering into its 3rd year the Nobody Cares Car Show (quite possibly the best name ever for a car show right!?) hosted more than just a couple cars of a certain type. The majority were hotrods and vintage variants but there were also newer drag racing cars, custom street and even the ever present mini monster trucks which seem to be a trend amongst the locals. Take a hilux, put a 4 foot lift kit and big ass tyres and you’re reading to high five big rig drivers!
There were even a couple motorbikes competing with the high gloss and chrome but essentially looking a bit out of place.
Live entertainment was also on hand with local rockabilly and bluegrass style bands playing tunes to help you digest that belly full of regret.
Even if you’re not too interested in the cars, between the food sampling and live entertainment its still easy to spend a couple hours there.
Complete No Body Cares Car Show gallery here
Next up, we head to the North shore for endless summer clichés 😉
As always, if you have any questions about our adventures or where to buy something, just hit us up on facebook.
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Bonus section – Hawaii High Rollin’ and Big Wheelin’
Some on the run snaps of the local (not so) mini monsters.
Hawaii 2012 part #1 – Arrival
Hawaii 2012 part #2 – Waikiki
Hawaii 2012 part #3 – Honolulu shopping – Part A
Hawaii 2012 part #4 – The Big Island – Volcano tour
Hawaii 2012 part #5 – Shopping Honolulu – part B
Hawaii 2012 part #6 – Tattoo Honolulu / Boardshorts: A Perfect Fit art exhibits
Hawaii 2012 part #7 – Pearl City area
Hawaii 2012 part #8 – Swap meets and Made in Hawaii festival
Hawaii 2012 part #9 – Cook offs and Car shows
Hawaii 2012 part #10 – North shore
Hawaii 2012 part #11 – Windward shore and Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #12 – Chief’s Luau at Sealife Park
Hawaii 2012 part #13 – South shore – Diamondhead crater, Hanauma bay
