Hawai'i: Catch the wave

Surfers surf some large waves on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Photo / 123RF

Oahu's big waves and warm waters are a magnet to all types and sizes of mammals, finds Paul Davies.

It's difficult to avoid the island of Oahu when you visit Hawaii. Being the home of Honolulu and its international airport, you have to at least stretch your legs before transiting to your final destination - often Maui or another less populated island in the Hawaiian chain. However sometimes when people want to get away they go too far, spending too much time and money trying to get further and further away from the stresses of everyday life. With Oahu, you've got it all - that Pacific getaway vibe with all the trappings of a modern American city.

From the descent into Honolulu airport you can see just how coveted this volcanic island is. Huge US Airforce airplanes line up at Hickham Airfield, right next to the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbour. A visit to the memorial site of that fateful day in December 1941 helps you understand Hawaii's geographical importance as a gateway between east and west. Curiously guided by Jamie Lee Curtis on an audio tour, I could see the context of the attack laid bare - detailed descriptions of 1930s geopolitics live alongside displays telling of the persecution of Hawaiians of Japanese ancestry. Large groups of Japanese tourists meander through Uncle Sam's mea culpa of sorts, with the story explained by an enthusiastic translator. A short boat ride away is the Arizona Memorial - a haunting tribute that floats above the resting place of more than 1000 sailors killed aboard the sunken battleship, USS Arizona. Out of respect, the ship has been left completely "as is", in an almost "tapu" situation that silenced even the most boisterous tourist. Droplets of fuel trapped in the tanks swam to the surface to create tiny oil slicks - said to be the tears of the fallen. A tour of the USS Bowfin lifted the at-times sombre experience. After being ushered aside on the World War II submarine to make way for a 97-year-old veteran who had worked on the air conditioning of that very vessel, I was invited to join his official tour. Joe Corsiglia recounted with clarity the gravel on the road erupting in front of him as the machine-gun fire from a Japanese fighter approached. He instinctively dove into a nearby ditch and lived to tell the tale more than 70 years later.

Not quite as bloody but just as significant, the Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu is the only royal palace in the United States. It was the residence of the Queen before Hawaii was annexed in 1898. The nearby market has fresh food and crafts and it is worth checking out one of America's oldest Chinatowns on the same stroll.

Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Photo / Supplied

For serious shopping, Ala Moana mall is the place to go. If you're going to come all this way, you might as well save a few dollars on a pair of shoes, or three (guilty). But of course you don't go to Hawaii to shop and the sooner you get to Waikiki, the sooner you can shift down a gear. It's the birthplace of surfing, surrounded by beautiful hotels, quality restaurants and iconic bars - this is a place to enjoy. Outrigger, Hyatt, Sheraton, Trump - Waikiki is stacked with all the big names but tucked behind the chains is a chic 1960s white building, popularly known as The Modern. It has a bar, restaurant and nightclub that are among the best in Hawaii and hosts prestigious events such as the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. It has outstanding design, friendly and relaxed staff and it's the best place to go for an all-encompassing grown ups retreat.

Being offered poolside cocktails at a stunning seaside hotel doesn't encourage much exploring, but a solution allowing me to sightsee while embracing the holiday spirit and use as little energy as possible presented itself: a Segway tour. It's as ridiculous as it sounds but it's the best way to cover a vast area quickly and allows you to get up nice and close. Leaning and turning your way around a busy boulevard while trying to avoid excitable Japanese tourists does require training but it's pretty much like riding a bike - once you figure it out, you're sweet. Past statues of surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku and revered King Kamehameha, I followed a convoy of helmeted Segwists feeling more like a visitor from another galaxy than the south Pacific. The best thing about Segways is they go uphill, so we leaned our way up to Diamond Head where we watched surfers roll in. Moloka'i, Lanai and Maui huddled in the distance.

Although close to one million people inhabit Oahu, there is still enough space to be able to get away from the city and get into the ocean. An hour's drive from Honolulu is the famous North Shore, home of big-wave surfing and the location for competitions containing all manner of water sports. Anything from paddleboards to outrigger canoes could be seen bursting through the sea. I kept it simple and swam at Waimea just long enough to build an appetite for a plate of garlic shrimp from just down the road. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck serve up tasty seafood but be warned, during big wave season this place would be heaving.

Tourists and locals in Waikiki beach market in Honolulu. Photo / 123RF

Not bothered by the big waves are the other mammals that gather here. Dolphins and whales frequent these warm waters, and let's not forget the turtles. I got a closer look with Wildside Tours, just a short drive from the city on the leeward side of the island. From here, it was just a short cruise around the corner before we spotted our first pod of spinner dolphins. Again in procession, our group waddled down the steps into the clear blue ocean while I darted around manically taking photos. "You'll miss the dolphins," I was told, so I slapped on some sunscreen and readied myself before being sternly told that sunscreen kills the coral. I quickly rinsed it off again and jumped in. I could see my own pod of tourists moving further away when something caught my eye. Fancy that, it was a spinner dolphin with its baby. I did as I'd been told and attempted to swim in the direction they were going (if Auckland has taught me anything it's how to is merge like a zip). I saw the mother glance at me, giving what I took to be a smile of approval. I swam with them for a minute or two until something else caught their interest and they darted off. Chuffed, I surfaced for air, only to find my own human pod were now following me. An excited voice blurted "Turtle!" and I swung around to see a sea turtle bobbing up and down. It was a moment that took me back to Ian Mune's 1980s film The Silent One. I swam with this chap too, until he decided to dive. I contemplated following him into the depths, but remembering the boy in the movie turning into a turtle, I decided I was not yet done with this human vessel and so I returned to my pod.

Oahu is known as "The Gathering Place" and wherever you go on this beautiful island, there are gatherings of all kinds that will gladly welcome you. Hawaiians are among the friendliest people in the world. As one young local wahine pointed out: "We just aloha everybody." Aloha's combined meaning of "hello" and "love" makes it a special saying, showing similarities to home that drives a warm familiarity through everything you do. Whether its cooling down poolside in Waikiki, learning the fascinating history of the north Pacific or swimming with turtles in the crystal clear ocean, there's plenty of aloha for everybody.

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Hawaiian Airlines flies from Auckland to Honolulu.

For more information: Visit DiscoverAmerica.com

The writer travelled courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines.