Oahu on the horizon

Here's a retrospective look at our Hawaiian holiday in 2005. The moment we walked into our hotel room in Honolulu we knew we were in for an awesome experience. I'd booked us into an ocean-view room at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel on Waikiki Beach. The hotel upgraded us to an oceanfront room in its heritage wing. Every morning, we were greeted by an "in your face" view of breaking surf and golden sands upon opening the room's plantation shutters. The photo I've posted here really doesn't do it justice.

The Moana Surfrider is an impressive complex.  The original building opened in 1901. It features an ornate white collonade colonial-style facade, plus two accommodation wings that extend towards to beach. Each wing wraps around a central courtyard dominated by a gnarled old banyan tree. Patrons of the courtyard bars and restaurants are seated in wicker chairs and enjoy shaded dining all day long. One of the hotel's wings ends literally on the edge of the sand just metres from the high tide mark.  Our room was in this wing.

We based ourselves on Waikiki Beach for three days and four nights. Our first day was spent soaking up the beachside atmosphere, exploring the local markets, and shopping for trinkets. We then hired a car and set about exploring the island of Oahu. This included a leisurely circuit of the island one day, followed by a day exploring historical Pearl Harbour.

Of course, we're in Hawaii, so we couldn't resist the temptation to hire a convertible. It proved another highlight of our time on Oahu, especially once we left the traffic in Downtown Honolulu behind us and hit the open road. We started our road trip around the island by turning off the cross-island Pali Highway to soak in the view from the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout.  The lookout offers sweeping views across Honolulu, Diamond Head, and the mountains that dissect the island.

From here it was on to Kailua and Lanikai Beach to admire its quirky conical island. This side of Oahu is the real Hawaii. Small, sleepy villages, dot the coastline, separated by lush green fields and plantations. We made several stops to take in the desolate coastal views, inevitably framed by ubiquitous palm fronds.

We also stopped to take a few iconic photos in front of Kukuihoolua Island at Laie Point. This small rocky outcrop is dominated by a rock arch in the middle island. It took us a while to park the convertible at just the right angle for a perfect image of us framed by the island itself.

Our next stop was the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline surf break at Pupukea. This is undoubtedly the most famous beach in all of Hawaii. The Pipeline is known for huge waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp and cavernous reef, forming large, hollow, thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride whenever conditions are right. We later learned that there are actually three reefs located in progressively deeper water farther out to sea. Each is activated according to the increasing size of approaching ocean swells.

We completed our circuit by driving back across the North Shore along Kamehameha Highway. This route takes you past endless acres of pineapple plantations. You can take tours of these plantations.  However, with their plantation road trains, the entire experience looked rather kitsch, so we gave it a miss. 

It's hard to believe this vacation happened more than 18 years ago. Our international flights were booked using some Air New Zealand frequent flyer points. This resulted in us transiting via Auckland where we stopped for a few days with my family before flying to Hawaii. We landed in Honolulu on the evening of 5 April 2005. Ten action-packed days followed before departing again for Sydney on 15 April. However, despite the passing years, so many of our experiences, including our stunning hotel room in Honolulu, are as vivid as ever.

Follow this link to join us on our day trip to Pearl Harbour, and then read on as we fly south for a close encounter with an active volcano on the Big Island.

Tropical power and might

I first visited Hawaii in October 1996. At the time I enjoyed a brief stopover while returning from my brother’s wedding in Europe. However, I never made it to Pearl Harbour. As a result, I was determined to set the record straight when Garry and I returned to Hawaii in 2005.

Pearl Harbour is home to the United States Pacific Fleet. Since 1941, it’s been synonymous with the Imperial Japanese Navy’s surprise attack on December 7 that precipitated the United States' entry into the Second World War. The attack killed 2,403 Americans and wounded another 1,178. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground including the battleship, USS Arizona.

More than 80 years later Pearl Harbour remains an active naval base. However, these days it’s also a major tourist attraction. Garry and I spent half a day exploring its numerous museums and memorials. The most renowned of these is undoubtedly the Arizona Memorial.

This memorial, accessible only by boat, straddles the sunken hull of the battleship. It was opened in 1961 and currently attracts more than two million visitors annually. I was fascinated to learn that the hull continues to leak oil, which leaves visible iridescent streaks on the water’s surface.

On shore, a surprising array of military hardware is on display. This includes a restored Second World War submarine, the USS Bowfin, which forms part of the Pacific Fleet’s submarine museum. We spent almost an hour exploring the submarine and the museum’s exhibits. We also spent time wandering through the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center which features exhibits about the USS Arizona and the USA’s involvement in the Second World War.

 

We then made our way to the Battleship Missouri Memorial. It was on the teak decks of USS Missouri, that WWII finally came to an end. Here on 2 September 1945, the Japanese formally signed documents of surrender in a brief ceremony. The signing table’s location is carefully commemorated by a brass plaque embedded into the deck. We got to explore almost every nook and cranny of this massive ship including the bridge, the sailor’s quarters (where I tried out the bunks), and its three, incredibly intimidating, triple gun turrets.

Once we’d had our fill of American naval history, we drove up to Punchbowl Crater, an ancient volcanic dome. It’s natural amphitheater has been beautifully landscaped into an expansive military cemetery. However, the views from its rim of downtown Honolulu were a highlight for us. We also stopped briefly to wander the grounds of the Iolani Palace and admire its colonial facade. This opulent palace was the 19th-century home of Hawaii’s last monarchs.

The first monarch of the Hawaiian nation, King Kamehameha, is proudly immortalized in bronze just outside the palace gates. Interestingly, we discovered that it’s actually the second statue created for display. The original was lost at sea when the ship delivering it from Europe sank in a storm near Cape Horn.

 

Our day at Pearl Harbour marked our final day in Honolulu. The following morning, we caught a flight to Hilo. Follow this link to learn more about our time on the Big Island.

The Jurassic Coast

I've previously posted about our time on Hawaii's Big Island in April 2005. Our hike out to the lava fields of the Kilauea volcano was certainly memorable.  However, this experience was subsequently matched by an equally awe-inspiring helicopter flight over Kauai. We flew in from the Big Island shortly after 1:00pm on Wednesday 13 April, checked into our hotel, and then returned to the airport for a 4:00pm aerial tour of the island.

The 50-minute flight proved a perfect introduction to the oldest, and most dramatic, of Hawaii’s main islands. Kauai looks nothing like the classic Oahu beach scenes so often synonymous with most people's image of Hawaii. Our scenic flight took us over the rain-soaked Mt. Waialeale, the plunging ravines of Waimea Canyon and the breathtaking emerald spires of the rugged Na Pali Coast. The scenery was, at times, beyond words. 

The Na Pali Coast was a genuine highlight. It’s anecdotally known as the Jurassic Coast after appearing in Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur movie. This desolate coast is almost inaccessible. There are no roads in the area and the only coastal hiking track, the Kalalau Trail, extends just 11 miles along the northwestern coast to a small remote beach at Kalalau. In essence, more than two-thirds of the Na Pali Coast is only accessible by sea or helicopter. 

I'm glad we decided to fly. The view from the air was truly magnificent. Our pilot flew over the rim of the dry and barren Waimea Canyon and into an untamed tropical landscape of soaring sea cliffs dissected by deep, and lush, green valleys. Our route took us along the coast below the cloud line before turning into a spectacular mist-shrouded valley framed by near-vertical rock walls.

The verdant landscape reflects the area’s incredibly high rainfall. More than 450 inches falls annually making it the world’s second-wettest place. Our helicopter flight included a leisurely pass over the dramatically splayed Hanakāpīʻai Falls which cascade almost 100 metres into the valley below. Our tour then finished with a circuit over the agricultural slopes of the northern Princeville region before returning along Kauai's jungle-clad eastern valleys.

While on Kauai, we hired a car and spent several days exploring every corner of the island. Our first excursion saw us venture into the Waimea Canyon State Park. A narrow, winding road follows the western rim of this dramatic canyon up to its northernmost reaches. 

The road eventually ends at the Puu o Kila Lookout, almost 1200 metres above sea level. Here you’re teased with a brief glimpse of the wild Na Pali coast. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, the area was obscured by a rising mist.  However, this still created a spectacular sight of its own.

On our second day, we ventured north to Princeville and onto the end of the road at Hā'ena State Park. I decided to hike the first couple of kilometres of the Kalaulau Trail that winds its way along the Na Pali coast. Garry chose to hang out at the beach while I ventured into the wild. After about 45 minutes of hiking, I was finally rewarded with a truly stunning cliff-edge view of the rugged coastline we’d previously seen from the air.

During our journey north we made a few detours along the way to check out the iconic Kilawea Lighthouse and the gossamer cascades of the Opaeka’a Falls. We also stopped to sample a cold Otai on the Hanalei Bay Dolphin Centre’s umbrella-shaded lawn. This is a popular Polynesian fruit drink made from a blend of water, coconut milk, and any variety of pulped tropical fruit such as coconut, watermelon, mango, and pineapple, although it’s almost always watermelon.

Kauai is certainly blessed with plenty of falls. Perhaps its most famous is the twin cascade of Wailua Falls. This scenic spot is known the world over thanks to its appearance in the opening credits of the 1970s TV show, Fantasy Island. The Wailua Falls are accessible by road so we stopped for a photo while driving to Waimea Canyon. 

I've also opened this post with an image of the Hanakoa Falls on the Na Pali Coast. This ribbon of water, dropping more than 300 metres, is accessible only via the Kalalau Trail with a special permit. Why the permit? Apparently, this particular section of the trail isn't for the faint-hearted.

Our final day in Kauai also marked the end of our Hawaiian vacation. On Friday, 15 April, after visiting the north coast, we dropped our rental car at the airport and caught an evening flight back to Honolulu. Shortly before midnight, we boarded an overnight flight back to Sydney. Although thanks to the international dateline, we missed Saturday entirely, landing at about 10:30am on Sunday morning.

I had to include this final image simply for its historical value. It’s all too easy to forget that in the pre-wifi and early internet days, we never ventured far without a trusty guidebook. Back then, the go-to book for the savvy traveller was always the Lonely Planet guide. We used it to plan almost every excursion, uncover quirky road trip detours and score a decent meal. Two decades later we still have shelves of Lonely Planet guides gathering dust in our home library. How times have changed. 

Tahiti by Paul Gauguin

Garry and I were reminiscing recently with friends. They’d just returned from their first cruise, a voyage to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. Their anecdotes brought back memories of our first cruise in July 2004. At the time, Garry’s cousin, a travel agent, offered us a discounted, last-minute porthole stateroom cruising Tahiti on the Paul Gauguin. On a whim, we decided to book it. 

A few weeks later, we flew out for Papeete. Our flight arrived late so we booked ourselves into the Hilton Hotel for an overnight stay. The following day we woke to perfect tropical weather. A pattern that persisted for our entire time in Tahiti. After a complimentary breakfast, we retired to a couple of sun loungers for a lazy morning by the hotel pool.

Later that afternoon we checked out and made our way onboard the Paul Gauguin. This is a relatively small and intimate cruise ship. It carries a maximum of 330 guests, who are attended to by a total of 209 crew. Despite its compact size, the boat boasts three superb restaurants including a fine-dining venue called L’etoile.

For the next seven days, we cruised through some of the South Pacific’s most picturesque islands. Our first night on board saw us set sail for Raiatea and Tahaa. We woke the following morning to be greeted by stunning views of a lush, mountainous island enclosed by an equally stunning lagoon. The largely unspoiled shoreline was dotted with small villages and fringed by palm trees. 

Raiatea and Tahaa share the same fringing reef. The captain took advantage of this unique phenomenon. We sailed through a narrow reef break in Raiatea and traced a route along Raiatea's northwestern coast before crossing over to Tahaa. It’s hard to describe the breathtaking beauty of such an expansive lagoon. 

For example, as we sailed along Tahaa's west coast, a photogenic red-roof protestant church in Tiva sailed into view. This simple structure, surrounded by a low brick wall, sits right on the water's edge. Its dazzling white facade stands in stark contrast to the tropical wilderness that surrounds it. Interestingly, Tahaa is Tahiti's largest producer of vanilla pods. It's responsible for more than 80% of the nation's annual production of this fragrant spice. 

After a morning of lagoon cruising we dropped anchor at Motu Mahana, an idyllic white sand island on Tahaa’s western fringe reef. The crew set up a private playground for us to enjoy. This includes a floating cocktail bar, deck chairs set along the tide line so that we could dangle our feet in the water, and a sumptuous BBQ lunch.

I made good use of the complementary snorkelling gear and swam out to explore the coral. Sadly, the colourful underwater seascape I’ve previously enjoyed off Port Douglas was nowhere to been seen. Instead, largely barren rock and dead, broken coral covered the lagoon floor. Although, much to my surprise, the dilapidated reef was still teeming with life including schools of adorable little Zebra fish.

However, the real highlight of our cruise came on 21 July. This was the morning we glided into the truly spectacular Bora Bora lagoon. Our first glimpse of its iridescent surface, framed by the iconic Mount Otemanu, was simply breathtaking. It’s easy to see why the French impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin, fell in love with this island.

Our boat spent two nights moored in the Bora Bora lagoon. Garry and I took advantage of the extended stop and booked two memorable excursions. The first was an outing into a remote corner of the lagoon to feed wild manta rays. To this day, we still talk about the unique experience of being relentlessly “humped” by a school of hungry rays.

Our guide led us into the water where we stood waist-deep and hand-fed dozens of extremely friendly rays. These hungry creatures swarmed us, riding up our backs and thighs, often without warning, as they fought to get to the food on offer. In the distance, timid reef sharks continually circled but never ventured close enough to make us panic.

Our second excursion saw us spend an afternoon circumnavigating Bora Bora on ski jets. Our tour guide took us on an exhilarating ride around the dazzling aquamarine lagoon that encircles the island. Our excursion included a brief stop on the island’s far side. Here we beached our jet skis, quenched our thirst with freshly shucked coconut water and, watched local artisans at work.

For the final two days of our cruise we sailed to Moorea, Tahiti’s second largest island. The boat then anchored overnight in Cook’s Bay. We spent most of our time onboard lazing by the pool. We’d booked three nights at the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort immediately after our cruise, so we saw limited value in exploring the island while still onboard the Paul Gauguin.

After docking back in Papeete, Garry and I caught a morning ferry back to Moorea and checked into the Hilton. I’d booked us an overwater lagoon bure. The room featured a private balcony with stairs that stepped directly into the lagoon. The lounge floor also featured a glass panel that let us observe fish swimming below.

While in Moorea we hired a couple of Vespa scooters and spent a day encircling the island. Our circuit included a detour to enjoy views of Opunohu Valley from Belvedere Lookout, a stop to explore the decaying stone Ahu platforms at Marae Titiroa and a photographic stop at the island’s iconic Eglisede la Sainte Famille Church.

The church is an attraction I recalled from my first visit to Moorea back in 1999. This white, twin-spired chapel, built in 1897, has long been a popular subject for painters and photographers the world over. However, while it celebrates the joy of Christ, other locations on the island like Marae Titiroa, bear witness to Christianity’s darker history. 

The marae was once the island’s centre of worship. However, early missionaries removed the idols that stood along its stone ahu platform and threw them into the sea. The site was subsequently abandoned as the native population was converted to Christianity. Today very little is known about these ancient sites or the rituals they promoted.

A quick shoutout for the classic tourist photo we took from Moorea's Toatea Lookout.  This hilltop location delivers a stunning idyllic view across the island's eastern lagoon, framed by a string of picturesque overwater bungalows at the Sofitel Kiaora Resort. This is the image you can see above.

Our final night in Tahiti was spent at the Intercontinental Hotel near Papeete’s international airport. It was here we witnessed one of the island’s most extraordinary sights. The hotel is perfectly located for a truly spectacular sunset. As the sun sets behind neighbouring Moorea Island, its dying rays flare through Moorea's peaks and set the sky alight with dramatic shadows framed by golden streaks. Early the following morning we flew home with Air Tahiti Nui.

The image above of the Paul Gauguin was taken from a ferry we caught back to Moorea after disembarking on 25 July.  The boat docked shortly after 7:00am. This meant we got to enjoy another full day on Moorea once we'd checked into our hotel.  We stayed an additional two nights, three days, on Moorea. I'm not sure about the grey smudges?  If memory serves me well it's smoke haze blowing towards us from the ferry's funnel.