Hawaii Article (great photos) from Australia

Flash forward 25 years, and I’m in an open-door helicopter doing figure eights over Manawaiopuna Falls on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The wind’s in my hair and adrenaline is pumping, thanks to the whole having-no-doors-between-me-and-certain-death factor, and as I process the dream-coming-true moment, the scenery becomes more spectacular as we enter Waimea Canyon.

The “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” is 16km long and almost 1km deep. As I look out at the contrast between lush greenery and red earth through deep gorges sprinkled with waterfalls, I realise my jaw really has dropped when I feel my cheeks flapping in the air from the rotor blades.

While you can drive to a Waimea Canyon lookout, most of Kauai, including the towering sea cliffs of the Napali coastline, is inaccessible by car. Hiking is another way to see the Napali coast, if you like tackling terrain that has been described as extremely difficult, even for experienced hikers.

With a chance to see most of the island in an hour, it’s little wonder the helicopter option is so popular it can book out months in advance. As Jack Harter Helicopters general manager Casey Riemer explains, they focus on areas you can’t get to any other way.

“That’s the beauty of flying on Kauai. You’re going to go around corners, see things you’ve never seen before and never thought you’d see.”

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ISLAND AIRFARES

Like most Australians who travel to Hawaii, in the past I had only made it as far as the island of Oahu. Honolulu and the North Shore had more than enough for me on those first visits, but then I wanted to see more.

The addition of extra inter-island routes on Hawaiian Airlines has made island hopping easier than ever with no need to backtrack through Honolulu, and when it can only cost a few hundred dollars more to do four islands rather than one, it won’t break the bank to keep on going.

In a little over a week I visited Maui, the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu, and while my time on each may have been relatively short I’ve now tasted them all and know where I want to spend my next Hawaiian holiday.

Flights between islands are short hops of 25-50 minutes, and at Kona I find myself in an open-air international airport for the first time, swaying along to the sounds of live musicians and smiling at hula dancers on a small stage in the sunshine.

CHASING WATERFALLS

Two-and-a-half times taller than Niagara Falls, the 135m Akaka Falls is the highlight of Akaka Falls State Park, where a gentle stroll through a rainforest with wild orchids and giant ferns includes a second, albeit harder to see, waterfall called Kahuna.

As the falls are only about half an hour’s scenic drive north of Hilo, I visit them in the morning before returning for some poke and shaved ice – or ice shave as they call it on the Big Island, at Hilo Farmers’ Market.

Having flown into Hilo on the east coast with a ticket to fly out of Kona on the west coast, a cross-island road trip was on the cards, and I chose the Saddle Road across the middle of the island. Perhaps not surprising as it is one of the rainiest cities in the world, my windscreen wipers are on as I leave Hilo, but when the clouds give way to blue skies I pull over, take the hardtop off my Jeep to feel the sun on my skin as I drive through what looks like an alien landscape.

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The Saddle Road cuts its way through black lava fields and passes between the tallest mountain in the world when measured from sea floor to summit, Mauna Kea, and the second tallest mountain on the island, Mauna Loa.

Considering it takes 1½-2 hours to drive across, I was surprised to find there are no service stations, cafes, or anywhere else to get fuel, a snack or a drink along the way.

While Hilo tends towards the rainy and misty, over at Kona it’s almost always sunny and dry, making the west coast’s soft white beaches a hit with sunbathers and snorkellers. But it’s after the sun goes down that the real snorkel magic happens for me.

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RAY DAYS

As we float on the surface holding onto a surfboard with lights underneath, the lights attract the plankton and the plankton attract the manta rays.

When the first manta ray glides underneath us I feel like my wildlife wish has already been granted, but it turns out it’s only the opening act.

Another ray approaches, looks up, and then swims directly for us. I’m looking straight down its huge mouth and seeing its gills from the inside out, then just before it makes contact, it pulls itself into a graceful barrel roll and I see every black spot on its belly passing before me.

There’s not enough time to pinch myself before the roll brings the manta ray back towards us, and with each roll it gets closer and closer until I’m trying to somehow levitate out of the water to avoid accidentally touching it.

While there are half a dozen or so boats sharing the night manta ray experience at Keauhou Bay, our Eka Canoe Adventures group is the only one getting out of the water and into a Hawaiian sailing canoe, and I can’t help but think of the Disney movie Moana as I look down from the canoe at the ghostly shapes of manta rays below.

There are more unusual snorkelling moments to be had on Maui, where the partially submerged volcanic crater, Molokini, is one of the most popular snorkelling and diving spots. Here the water is crystal-clear and while there aren’t as many fish as I’ve seen in other great snorkel spots, I am treated to the sight of a huge octopus changing colours on the rocks below before we sail back to the island.

SUNSET ON SHOW

Maui is famous for its sunsets and at Ka’anapali on the island’s west coast, I find a table on the terrace at the Mauka Makai restaurant at Westin Nanea Ocean Villas to watch the show. In other corners of the resort, families and friends are firing up barbecues to cook their dinner for the night, and I smile when I see one barbecue plate is completely covered with pineapple.

As the Tiki torches around the pool come to life, bartender David Horseman rolls a cocktail cart up to my table and creates his twist on an old Prohibition classic called the Aviator.

Here it is called the Lele, which means to fly in Hawaiian, and involves tequila, crème de violet, cherry liqueur, crushed ice and bubbles, served in a Tiki mug. It’s playful and fun, and I’m invited to keep the Tiki mug as a souvenir.

Before flying back to Sydney I decide to spend my last night in Honolulu. After being on the other islands with all of their space and their slower pace, at first it feels strange to be in a city in Hawaii again, but I’m soon making the most of hitting Honolulu’s shops and restaurants.

As I sit at Halekulani’s House Without A Key restaurant and watch the sunset over Mai Tais, I look out at Diamond Head. It feels like saying hi to an old friend, a friend I know all the better after meeting the rest of the family.

The author was a guest of Hawaiian Airlines and Hawaii Tourism Oceania.

ESCAPE ROUTE

GETTING THERE

Hawaiian Airlines flies to Honolulu daily from Sydney and three times a week from Brisbane, to be increased to four weekly flights between December 10, 2018 and January 8 2019. The airline’s inter-island services link Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island (the Big Island), Lanai and Molokai.

hawaiianairlines.com.au, ph 1300 661 339

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

Kauai — Take an open (or closed) door helicopter with Jack Harter Helicopters, helicopters-kauai.com, ph +1 808 245 3774

Hawaii Island — Night snorkel with manta rays with Eka Canoe Adventures, ekacanoeadventures.com, ph +1 808 756 3335

Maui — Snorkel at Molokini with Sail Trilogy, sailtrilogy.com, ph +1 888 225 6284

https://www.escape.com.au/world/north-america/new-hawaii-flights-makes-island-hopping-even-easier/news-story/e305ffea7424bf8eb87c2e50b754b12c