WESTJET FLYFREE CONTEST: Driving Hawaii

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/09/2011 (5211 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The adage that it’s the journey, not the destination, that’s important isn’t always true. In some cases, the road you travel and the final stop are equally spectacular.

That’s certainly the case on any of the Hawaiian islands, where getting in a car and take a long and winding drive is often the last thing on the traveller’s mind. Why would you head out on the road when you could be burrowing into the warm sand on a beach with a mai tai in hand, gliding along still waters in a kayak or paddle-boarding the afternoon away?

But each of the spectacular aloha islands has distinctive laid-back charms that include slow and scenic drives, so set out by car or motorcycle and enjoy the fact you’re on island time.
 
Hairpins on the way to Hana

Twisty, narrow and some say harrowing, Maui’s Road to Hana — all 80 kilometres, 54 skinny bridges and 600 turns — is ranked by many as one of the top drives in the world. It’s meant to be taken at a glacial pace, though many people try to do it in one day. Don’t. That defeats the whole purpose. Abandon your usual Type-A driver habits and roll to the rhythm of your own timetable.

Before you leave Paia, the beginning of the Road to Hana, grab a pre-packed lunch and enjoy your last loo stop for a while at Anthony’s Coffee (anthonyscoffee.com). From there, set your odometer to tick off the marker miles.

Along the way, stop frequently to gape at the wispy waterfalls falling from what seems like the heavens, or take an easy hike and a picnic lunch along the Waikamo hiking trail that leads to the Garden of Eden, where you’ll overlook endless canopies of eucalyptus trees. Stop at a roadside stand for shaved ice or a plate lunch of barbecue pork and macaroni salad.

Then spend the night in the quirky little town of Hana. There’s a range of guest houses, hotels and, of course, the famous Hana Maui Hotel. It’s a good idea to book ahead, or you may find yourself driving back in the dark.

There’s more on the Road to Hana at mauiinformationguide.com

Chill on Oahu’s windward side

Waikiki is the vacation epicentre of Hawaii’s most populous island, where the iconic Diamond Head forms the backdrop to Waikiki Beach’s bustling vibe. Enjoyable as it is, that non-stop lively atmosphere may have you pining for some time alone at remote beaches or more introspective pursuits at a Buddhist temple.

From Waikiki, head to Honolulu, and get on one of two highways — Pali or Likelike — which lead northeast to Oahu’s windward (eastern) shore. You’ll veer onto the Kamehameha Highway in the shadow of the Koolau Range.

There are several must-see spots along this lush and mountainous stretch, which has been featured many times in TV shows and movies. The first is Kaneohe Bay. You won’t find sandy beaches here, but it’s a first-rate spot for kayaking. It features five tiny islands, including one called Coconut Island, used in the opening and closing scenes of the 1960s TV comedy Gilligan’s Island.

Fans of Lost will want to check out Byodo-In Temple (byodo-in.com) just a few kilometres inland at the foot of the Koolau Mountains. Highlights of this serene non-denominational temple, which was featured in an episode of the TV series, are a pond teeming with koi fish, Japanese gardens, wandering wild peacocks, a bronze Buddha statue (supposedly the largest sculpture of its kind outside Japan), a waterfall and a meditation room. Built in 1968, it commemorates the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants 100 years before.

All that peace and quiet may have you ready for a frolic in the ocean. Lanikai (“heavenly sea” in Hawaiian) Beach is touted as one of the state’s most prized beaches.

Kauai — star of the show

Though Oahu’s windward side has enjoyed its fair share of celluloid celebrity, Kauai is the undoubted scene-stealer of the Hawaiian islands. This mountainous island has had millennia to get ready for its close-ups; it’s the oldest — at six million years — of the major islands. Its dramatic geographic features include Waimea Canyon, called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and Mount Waialeale, its second highest peak (1,569 metres) and one of the rainiest places on earth.

Add to that its other lushly scenic coast, Na Pali, spanning the northwest side, and it’s no wonder the island has had a role in more than 50 films.

The first was 1934’s White Heat, and subsequent titles include Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Avatar, the Jurassic Park series, Lord of the Flies (1999), Raiders of the Lost Ark, King Kong and Blue Hawaii.

You can enjoy a campy day of movie-trivia fun on the Polynesian Adventure Tours bus, kitted out with large screens showing the movies for the 15 locations you’ll see. Kauai-secrets.com tells you how to scout out the movie locations on your own, and perhaps discover an awesome beach or two along the way. More info at hawaiimovietour.com and www.kauai-hawaii.com
 
The Big Island: Hawaii’s birthplace

The Big Island (actually named Hawaii but called the Big Island to avoid confusion) is the largest and perhaps the most geographically diverse. It has prime geography for a multi-day road trek of epic proportions. In one day, you could see flowing red molten lava spilling into the ocean, a working cattle ranch, rainforest and the highest mountain on the islands, Mauna Kea.

It is considered the most Hawaiian of the islands because this is where Kamehameha established his kingdom of Hawaii.

National Geographic puts the Big Island on its list of Drives of a Lifetime. Rent a car at Kona airport and head south from there in a loop. On the list of must-dos are a couple of cultural landmarks: the first Christian church built by the American missionaries and Ahuena Heiau, where Kamehameha prayed at his personal temple in the early 1800s. Kona coffee is grown at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm, in the highlands above the ocean.

For a complete itinerary, see travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips

— Postmedia News

DID YOU KNOW?

The Hawaiian Islands are the projecting tops of the tallest mountain range in the world, measured from the ocean floor.

The scene where a T-rex dinosaur comes out of the bushes in Jurassic Park and eats the gallimimus was shot on the island of Oahu at Kualoa Ranch. This was the only outdoor scene not filmed on Kauai, due to Hurricane Iniki, according to imdb.com

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that continually grows larger, thanks to volcanic activity.

Undersea volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago formed the islands of Hawaii.

Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee.

— Source: 50states.com

Enter to win free travel

This fall, you can win one of six $10,000 travel prizes from WestJet and WestJet vacations. To win, find the Fly Free game board in the newspaper each week from now until Oct. 28, and then collect daily game pieces from the paper. More information is at winnipegfreepress.com/flyfree

Week one: Hawaii
Week two: Jamaica
Week three: Caribbean
Week four: Cancun and Cozumel
Week five: Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan
Week six: Florida