january-2010

RETAIL THERAPY
HAWAII
up for in fresh, fl avoursome fare at
budget-friendly prices. Shrimp is pulled
fresh out of ponds backing the vans’
prime positions along the main highway.
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck is one of the
strip’s original vans while Fumi’s Kahuku
Shrimp makes a mean chilli and garlic shrimp
plate with rice.
6
Scout for world-class
surfers on the North Shore
Cruising the North Shore is like entering a
scene from ’60s surf classic Endless Summer.
Photogenic surf and reef breaks Waimea,
Sunset Beach and Pipeline have graced
every major surfi ng magazine and inspired
most world surf champions. Their famous
20m-plus swells lie dormant in the summer
when the strip is dominated by small crowds
of sightseers and ice-cream vans. But come
winter, November to February, the North
Shore awakens. Professional surfers, media
and legions of spectators fl ock to watch
the planet’s best riders face Hawaii’s most
fearsome walls of water.
7
Feed enormous gold fi sh
at the tranquil Byodo-in
Buddhist temple
Byodo-in offers visitors to Oahu welcome
respite. Built entirely without nails, it’s a scale
replica of a temple built in Uji, Japan, more
than 900 years ago. Centrestage is a 6m
Buddha, thought to be the biggest carved
Buddha in the world. Guests use a soft
wooden log, called a shu-moku, to strike a
3-tonne bronze bell before entering the
temple. Byodo is surrounded by lush
gardens and ponds full of gigantic gold fi sh.
8
Snorkel with green
sea turtles
Metres from the roadside on the North Shore
is the unmarked Laniakea Beach, home to
some of Hawaii’s endangered green sea
turtles. These ancient creatures, named
honu in Hawaiian, love basking on the sand
to warm their bodies. There’s no guarantee
48 JANUARY 2010
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: The
grounds of Byodo-in are regularly
used for weddings; jump on the
trolley bus for a city tour on the
cheap; hands off the sea turtles
BYODO-IN IS BUILT
ENTIRELY WITHOUT
NAILS, IT’S A SCALE
REPLICA OF A
TEMPLE BUILT IN
UJI, JAPAN
of a sighting, but locals claim you can get upclose
and personal with a turtle in the shallow
waters if not on the sand. Bring a snorkel
and mask for better viewing, but remember:
humans must not touch the turtles.
9
Catch an open-sided
Waikiki trolley bus
This bus is an excellent way to get your
bearings on arrival for about US$10 a day.
Trolley Bus has four colour-coded routes:
Historic Honolulu Sightseeing Tour (red), the
Scenic Honolulu Sightseeing Tour (blue), Ala
Moana/Waikiki Shopping Shuttle (pink) and
the Local Honolulu Shopping Shuttle (yellow).
Stopping at Honolulu’s most popular tourist
attractions and offering a commentary, the
trolleys allow patrons to visit more in less time
by jumping on and off at pre-defi ned stops.
10
Visit Hanauma Bay,
a protected marine area
and underwater park
In the crater of an ancient volcano lies this
pristine snorkelling and scuba diving gem.
After watching a short fi lm about the area’s
native creatures and the importance of
responsible marine behaviour, guests are free
to swim with the bay’s protected fi sh atop its
colourful coral playground, some of which is
more than 7,000 years old. Coconut trees and
Hanauma’s clean sandy beach complete this
postcard-perfect scene.
Jetstar flies to Honolulu from Sydney with
JetSaver Light fares from AU$469 one way.
Book online at Jetstar.com.
With a Jetstar MasterCard, you get one
of the best rates around with a super low
10.99% pa on everyday purchases.
Photos: Caroline James