Island Hopping in Hawaii (Oahu)
Feature by Lizzie Guilfoyle
SITUATED in the north Pacific, 2,000 miles from the nearest land mass, the Hawaiian Islands are the remotest islands on Earth. But that isn’t their only distinction.
They also boast (if that’s the right word) the wettest place on the planet. Surprising but true, for the area encompassing the extinct volcano Waialeale which rises to a height of 5,240 feet in the centre of Kauai, has an average annual rainfall of 471 inches. And rain it most certainly did when I flew into the crater during an unforgettable helicopter tour of the island.
But that isn’t all. Hawaii, or the Big Island as it’s known locally (to avoid confusion with the state name) is home to the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, and some might also say the world’s highest mountain. I’m referring, of course, to Mauna Loa that if measured from its origin deep in the Pacific Ocean would certainly put Everest in the shade.
That apart, the very name Hawaii conjures images of an earthly paradise – of golden palm fringed beaches, turquoise seas and balmy breezes; not forgetting, of course, the seductive hula performed by dusky grass-skirted maidens. And it is all those things, although the beach could just as easily be black with lava sand and home to basking green turtles; and balmy breezes be replaced by bracing trade winds that almost sweep you off your feet.
What is certain is that these islands, situated over a hotspot in the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Plate is sliding north-west at a rate of four inches (10cm) a year, although similar in so many ways, are uniquely different.
OAHU
FOR me, island hopping in Hawaii began appropriately on Oahu, “the gathering place”, and a hotel little more than a stone’s throw from world famous Waikiki Beach – two and a half miles of golden sand lapped by the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The Waikiki area is, however, often and perhaps unjustly maligned for its commercialism, including what has been described as ‘garish high rise architecture’, but it’s certainly no worse and probably a good deal better than many European resorts. But whatever, it was primarily my base for more indepth exploration of the island; the beach just a temporary distraction.
And so to my first port of call – Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, a visit I found deeply moving.
It was, of course, Japan’s surprise attack on the American Fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941, that brought the United States into the Second World War. During that infamous attack, all eight vessels on ‘Battleship Row’ were devastated by the specially designed bombs, among them the USS Arizona which blew up, killing 1,177 of the 1,400 crew members on board. The memorial to those who died spans the wreck which still lies on the seabed.
In a cinema at the Visitor’s Centre, a documentary film outlined the events that led to the attack, after which a small motor vessel carried me, along with the designated number of tourists, across the harbour to the memorial itself. Marker buoys were an indication of the ship’s great size, while above the water, forlorn and ghostly in the silence of respect, a rusting gun turret was an all too real reminder of the absurdities of war.
On the way back to the Visitor’s Centre, I felt strangely subdued. Moreover, whenever I faced a certain way, I found myself looking into the eyes of an elderly Asian gentleman whose expression reflected my mood. Eventually, I could stand it no longer and instead of looking away, I smiled. My reward – an answering smile; the sort that’s akin to the sun coming out from behind a cloud. It dispelled my fears and filled me with hope.
Completely different and on the opposite side of the island, is the Polynesian Cultural Centre run by the Mormons of Brigham Young at the University of Hawaii. Here you can tour the’ villages’ of Polynesia, a vast triangular area of the Pacific bounded by New Zealand, Easter Island and Hawaii.
One highlight of the visit was the dangerous but highly entertaining Samoan fire dance performed by the same young man who delighted audiences by breaking open a coconut as easily as you or I would crack open an egg, and kindling fire using only a flint and some coconut fibre. There was also the ice-cream – a scooped out pineapple filled with the diced fruit and an enormous scoop of strawberry ice-cream. What can I say – except delicious!
With limited time at my disposal, I opted for a guided tour of the island and was rewarded with scenes that might have come straight out of a movie – as indeed some did. Hanauma Bay, for instance, saw Elvis in action in Blue Hawaii while secluded Halona Cove was the backdrop for Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr’s famous ‘beach scene’ in From Here to Eternity.
Also of note and just off the northeast coast, is the pointed islet aptly named Chinaman’s Hat; while the north shore is home to some of the best surfing areas in the world. Although waves here can reach a height of 35 feet, my visit unfortunately coincided with a period of “flat calm”.
Away from the coast, the view from the Pali Lookout – at the top of a sheer 1,000 foot cliff in the Koolau Mountains – is simply amazing and far greener than you might imagine. But it was over this cliff that Kamehameha drove his enemies in his 1795 conquest of Oahu – not so pleasant! Here too, you can experience first hand the power of the trade wind as it blows through the gap in the mountain ridge.
Finally, Waimea Falls Park, a lush botanical garden, is well worth a visit, not least for the 55 foot high Waimea Falls where you can watch professional divers plunge from the very top into the rock pool below. Fans of Lost will no doubt recognize this particular spot as the scene of a startling discovery made by Kate and Sawyer.
There is, of course, much more to Oahu. Suffice to say that it’s all you’d expect from a tiny piece of paradise on Earth.