Maui

The final leg of the trip of a lifetime! We fly to Oʻahu, which is a six-hour hop from Vancouver. Flying Air Canada—never again! We get better seats going to Perth. Plus, there are only ten Business Class passengers, and they ran out of one meal option. First world problems, I know, but you have to warn people so they don't waste their money flying Air Canada.

We arrive before I know it. Due to our late arrival, we’re staying a night in Waikiki before transferring to Maui. Waikiki, on the island of Oʻahu, is like the rockstar of Hawaiian beaches—famous, bustling, and always in the spotlight! Once a playground for Hawaiian royalty, it’s now a sun-soaked paradise where surfboards outnumber selfies (well, almost). You’ve got stunning views of Diamond Head in one direction and turquoise waters in the other, making it nearly impossible to take a bad photo. The beach itself is lined with swanky resorts, lively bars, and delicious shave ice stands, where you can indulge your inner child with a mountain of colourful sugary goodness. It’s a place where flip-flops are formal wear, and if you’re not wearing a lei, you’re definitely not doing Waikiki right!

It is hot, quite a shock coming from the land of polar bears and anabatic winds! But we brave the heat and humidity and go for a walk along Waikiki Beach. It’s Saturday morning, and the atmosphere is fabulous. I expected it to be full of touristy tat, but not at all! There’s a breast cancer fun run, with big tents and live music at one end, people swimming, surfing, and snorkelling—just vibrant activity. The smell of coconut suntan oil, the laughter of small children having a great time, and the cool soul music being played for the fun run—it was hopping!

We walk to the end of a jetty and watch a turtle swimming and playing in the waves. The water is crystal clear and a beautiful turquoise colour. We stroll, take a photo, and then stroll some more, snapping another photo. It’s a fab way to waste a morning. There are heaps of birds and lots of chickens, all sorts of shapes, colours, and sizes.

Then it’s time to head to the airport and catch our flight to Maui. We’re tired of flying by now and just want to be there. We smile, wipe the sweat off our brows, and jump into an air-conditioned cab. Off we go! Check-in is a breeze; everything seems very casual. We board the plane, which is nice but has the smallest tray tables I’ve ever seen! It’s only a short 45-minute flight, so I suppose you don’t need much room. The flight is uneventful but absolutely beautiful. We fly with Molokaʻi to the left, right outside my window seat, and Lānaʻi to the right.

How blue is that water?  We are staying where the blue dot is, just south of Kihei on the Island of Maui.  A bit of a geography lesson.

Molokaʻi: Often called the "Friendly Isle," Molokaʻi feels like stepping back in time, with a slower pace and deep-rooted Hawaiian culture. The island is home to stunning sea cliffs, historic sites, and Hawaii's longest fringing reef. It’s less touristy than its neighbours, offering an authentic and unspoiled Hawaiian experience.  

Lānaʻi: Known as the "Pineapple Isle" due to its history as a pineapple plantation, Lānaʻi is now an exclusive retreat with luxury resorts and rugged landscapes. The island’s remote beaches, such as Hulopo‘e Bay, offer quiet escapes, while the otherworldly rock formations at Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) provide an off-the-beaten-path adventure.

Kahoʻolawe: The smallest of the main islands, Kahoʻolawe is uninhabited and was historically used for military training. Today, it's undergoing restoration efforts to heal the land and bring back native flora and fauna. Access is restricted, typically limited to volunteers and cultural practitioners.  I love the fact that the smallest of the main islands has the longest name.

Kauaʻi: Nicknamed the "Garden Isle," Kauaʻi is a lush, verdant wonderland with dramatic cliffs, deep valleys, and cascading waterfalls. It’s known for the breathtaking Nā Pali Coast, the massive Waimea Canyon (often called the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"), and tranquil Hanalei Bay. Kauaʻi is less developed than some other islands, making it ideal for nature lovers seeking a peaceful escape.  Jurassic Park was filmed here and John and I visited this Island about 25 years ago.

Oʻahu: Where we have been, home of Waikiki Beach and home of the famous Banzai Pipeline. The capital city of Honolulu is a bustling hub with historic sites like Pearl Harbour, shopping in Waikīkī, and iconic beaches. Surfing culture is huge here, especially on the North Shore, which hosts some of the world’s most famous surf competitions.

Hawaiʻi Island (The Big Island): True to its nickname, the Big Island is the largest and most geographically diverse. It's home to active volcanoes like Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, black sand beaches, lush rainforests, and snow-capped mountains. You can go from tropical jungle to barren lava fields in a matter of hours, making it an adventurer’s dream.  John and I also visited this Island 25 years ago and left feeling very impressed with Hawaii.

Maui: Known as the "Valley Isle," Maui is famous for its world-class beaches, scenic drives like the Road to Hāna, and the majestic Haleakalā volcano. It’s a haven for whale-watching during winter months and draws visitors with luxury resorts, lush valleys, and quaint towns like Lahaina.  Lahaina was the town badly affected by the Maui bush fires last year. The island's mix of upscale relaxation and natural beauty makes it a favourite.

We pick up our luggage and hire car, then drive about 40 minutes to our home for the next seven days. We are both very excited about having laundry facilities, unpacking our bags, staying in the same place for more than a couple of nights, and enjoying some home-cooked food. The villa is lovely and overlooks the second fairway of the Wailea Blue Golf Course.

A perfect spot for sundowner cocktails—lucky for us, we have a mixologist in the house! We pop out to the supermarket for some supplies. It’s a big Safeway with plenty of lovely fresh fruit and veggies—but no pineapples! We buy enough for about five meals, nothing fancy like steak or seafood. I grab a hair dye kit, and we also pick up a $25 bottle of tequila. The bill comes to USD 406. We were absolutely shocked—how do people manage to live here? It’s actually cheaper to eat out than to cook in... Ridiculous.

We have a great night's sleep—first night with no coughing. I sleep through, but John is up at 4 a.m. Today we’re having our first game of golf in several months, so we dust off the cobwebs, put on our golf clothes (which seem to have shrunk a bit!), and off we go. We’ve been watching people play all morning while having breakfast and coffee from our balcony, and we’re quite excited.

We step outside, and the back of the villa is in full sun—boy oh boy, is it hot. We need the exercise but notice that everyone is playing in carts—so we decide to cart too! Thank goodness, because there’s no way we could walk the course; the distances from green to tee are quite long, and it’s hot when you’ve just come from Polar Bear weather.

The course is in immaculate condition, and I play off the white tees, with a generous handicap of 6, while John is off 20. John stripes one off the tee (for those who don’t know, his driver is not usually his friend). He couldn't miss with that club—it was very nice to watch. I, on the other hand, ached all over; I was stiff as anything, and everything felt like an effort. Still, I managed a respectable 32 points with my massive handicap.

It is so pretty where ever you look.  We are exhausted, crank the aircon up and flop onto the sofa. Pesto Pasta tonight, we watch a bit of telly before dinner and it is not event 7pm and we both are falling asleep in front of the telly.  We slap ourselves about a bit and wake up, and enjoy our lovely expensive meal.

We are up early to play the Kapalua Plantation course, which is about an hours drive and the crown jewel, renowned for hosting the PGA Tour's annual Sentry Tournament of Champions. It’s famous for its breathtaking ocean views, wide fairways, and dramatic elevation changes. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the course is challenging yet rewarding, with trade winds adding an extra element to the game.  

The drive is spectacular, you drive right along the shoreline and through Lahaina, the town that burned down (it seemed to be doing okay - lots of empty plots where shops and houses needed to be rebuilt) then onto Kapalua.  Absolutely stunning.

Trade winds - you say - when we arrive it is blowing a gale.  What have we got ourselves into.  We are teamed up with a guy called Dennis who is on honeymoon from Texas, his wife is in his golf cart with him.  Then we have Scott and Kieran from Fresne in California.  Scott is playing as Kieran has only been playing golf for a year and the course maybe a bit difficult for her. Ha ha everytime I hit a ball she was "Wow", "Amazing", "Unbelievable", "How long have you been playing"?

After the first hole John says to me, I don't think her name is Kieran, that is a boys name.  I said, no she definitely said Kieran!  He says, I think she said Karen in an American accent "Kieran".  At least it was only one hole I called her Kieran for.  The wind is howling and the elevation changes are unbelievable, they are so steep the golf carts cannot go there - so you have to walk up and then back down again.  This is how I am feeling after the first hole.  It is amazing when you think that we are playing off the resort tees, the equivalents of the whites back home and in carts - the pros walk this and play off the tiger tees - it is a long hard course for them. Please think about that the next time you watch it on the telly.  After a short par run, John nicknamed himself the King of Kapalua - sadly the weight of the crown did affect his swing some holes later.  We both did extremely well in the conditions.  I was playing off 6 and playing well, had 17 points on front nine and a miserable 10 on the back.  John off 18 even with his King of Kapalua run managed a wholesome 23.  And I am not joking to say that we played well.

One hole, John had a 15-meter chip onto the green. He read the slope well and played right of the pin. The ball tracked nicely, gathering speed as it passed the hole, back down off the green, and off down the fairway. He now has a 50-meter chip coming back.  One of our playing partners had a putt which he tapped gently and landed 50m down the fairway as well.  Very cruel.

Oh my goodness, we were totally windswept. We thought we were tired the day before, but now we are TIRED! You do feel a little better once you're out of the wind and have had a few drinks. It was like being back at Avondale—John received his meal about 15 minutes before I had to ask where mine was. It’s the little things that remind you of home!

I have to say, golf is pricey in Hawaii, but the service and experience are second to none. Absolutely loved Kapalua. Now that I’ve finished, I’m going to enjoy watching it on the telly and respecting how well the pros manage to go under par on that course.

Back home for another fine dining experience and a good night's sleep. We have a 9:10 am tee time at the Wailea Emerald Course, which is at the resort where we're staying. It’s about a 10-minute drive away, and as I said earlier, they do golf well here—everything is so easy. We headed to the range to hit a few balls, and you drive to the range in a separate buggy that has no roof or windscreen—too hot, so back to the shade!

Today we were teamed up with a bloke named Barry from San Diego and his wife, Nicholee. Only Barry was playing, and he was only doing nine holes. Still, it was nice meeting people from all over. Barry recognised our Aussie accents and in general chit-chat, it turned out that he was the bad boy who talked Dawn Fraser into stealing the Olympic Flag in the movie Dawn.  They are both retired Zen teachers.

The course is so pretty. I mean, the previous two courses were pretty—like me—but this course was Elle Macpherson pretty. Wow! Everywhere you looked, there was another photo opportunity. It’s a resort-style course with lush green fairways and rough, all lined with ʻAʻā Lava. Note what I did there, Suzie (a private Scrabble joke). See the pictures below.

After golf and lunch, we took a little drive to explore other parts of the island that we hadn’t seen. It’s actually quite difficult to get to the beaches, as most are only accessible through the resorts. Still, we found a place near the mansions. The beaches are made of lava rock, but there’s a lot of privacy. We couldn’t see in because they have very high walls and gates—these people clearly don’t want to be seen.

We then passed a fruit stall, and they had pineapples. I asked John to stop and turn around, which he did, so I went to buy a pineapple. The lady asked me to try an 'apple banana'—it was a banana that was supposed to taste like apple, but it didn’t. She then asked if I wanted the pineapple peeled and chopped, so I said yes. We tasted a piece—it was delicious—and then we went to pay. She said it was $20. Well, John nearly choked on his own spit. I mean, USD 20 for a pineapple—that’s ludicrous! But we couldn’t walk away because she’d already chopped it up, put it in a bag, and we’d eaten a piece. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

The problem was, we didn’t have $20 cash—only $15. They accepted that. When we got back in the car, John said, 'I have to lie down for a sec—$20 for a pineapple!' Lesson learned: always ask for the price first! Now we have an expensive pineapple to go with our pricey groceries.

Today we are playing the Gold Course at Wailea, this is their best course.  My handicap is 8, it was only 6 at Kapalua - oh boy we are in for another hard round.  It is same temperature as yesterday but somehow feels a lot hotter.  We have no friends today, which will make it a slow round.  Lots of time to rehydrate and stay in the shade.  The course is very pretty and very long.  I was playing okay, even with my 8 shots the course was so long.  I think the shortest club I hit into a par 4 was my 140m carry 9 wood.  Most I had to lay up with my 5 wood.  Brutal!  No wind and very pretty.

Another round on the Wailiea Gold course, and we both played much better—though it’s still very long. Another beautiful day, and we coped with the heat a bit better—maybe we’re acclimatising. We were in stitches during the round because of the four-ball in front of us, who did seem to dither around the greens. One of their golf carts drove into the 'no-go zone' (for the non-golfers, this locks your cart, and you have to reverse until you’re back on the fairway for it to unlock so you can go forward).

He fiddled for a bit, as the cart obviously wouldn’t go forward. Then he reversed a bit, which worked (as it should), and tried going forward again, but nothing. He tried a bit more reversing, which worked, then tried to go forward—still nothing. We thought he’d reversed far enough, but he kept trying, to no avail. By this point, we were already laughing—this had taken all of five minutes, and the other three players were on the green putting out, wondering what on earth was going on.

Then he decided that his cart would only work in reverse, so he drove the hole backwards—off the fairway, onto the cart path, and up about another 80 metres to the green, where his fellow golfer, who had already putted out, continued reversing the cart up the path. Oh boy, I haven’t belly-laughed like that in ages. See for yourself; there’s a photo of him reversing below! Not many photos from today, though—I tried to take some different ones. We did see quite a few mongooses out on the course.

After an evening of binging on the new season of Lincoln Lawyer, we were up and away on a road trip along one of the world's greatest drives—the Road to Hana. It stretches for about 103 km (64 miles) from the town of Kahului to the small, isolated town of Hana on the eastern coast of the island. The road winds through dense rainforests, along rugged coastlines, and past cascading waterfalls, with over 600 curves and 50 narrow bridges adding to its adventurous charm. The average speed limit is 25 mph, which poses a major challenge for 'John Stirling Moss' Thompson.

The views are spectacular, and the drive is challenging as you navigate sharp bends into dark shadows, yielding to oncoming traffic when you can’t see a bloody thing. There were a few moments when I thought I might not get to finish the blog—but John did well, I didn’t get car sick, and we made it home safe and sound.

There are many stops along the way. Sometimes you miss them, and sometimes you find them only to see the car parks are full, and unless you're prepared to put two wheels on the edge of a precipice, you give it a miss. Our first stop was a viewpoint at Kealakai Beach, a famous surfing and windsurfing spot. As you can see from the photos, there were hundreds of surfers in the morning. By the afternoon, when we returned, you couldn't see a surfer in sight—they had all been replaced by windsurfers.

The road is winding and there are lots of single lane sections, usually on a sharp corner, where you have to give way to oncoming traffic.  Quite tricky!  The scenerey is almost rainforest, very dense tropical jungle.

Then we stopped at the Painted Forest, a grove of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. We had never heard of these trees before, but they were definitely worth the stop. It’s as if someone has poured several tins of paint down their trunks—they are truly magnificent. The rainbow effect occurs as the bark sheds in patches throughout the year, revealing a bright green layer underneath. As this layer matures, it changes colour to dark green, then blue, purple, orange, and maroon. The result is a strikingly vibrant trunk that appears to have been painted in streaks of different colours.

There are many waterfalls along the road with no where to stop, lots of canyons and ocean shoreline views. I am stilling marvelling at the rainbow eucalypts - they were amazing.

Then we reach Hana, which is the end of the road to Hana, sorry for stating the obvious.  The place is in total gridlock as it is the start of a Hawaiian Festival where all the town folk go on floats, fire trucks, police vehicles, mini mokes and horses in the street and throw sweets at the people watching, playing music and honking their horns. 

Lunch, and then we headed home. Now we pack and begin our journey back. What a wonderful trip, and what a great 60th celebration! Thanks to John for organising, and to Mum, Jen, Neil, Suzie, and Aunty Fi for joining me. My heart is full. After 16 hotels, homes, and apartments—that’s 16 different pillows and 16 different mattresses—we're excited to return to our little place in Sydney, where the coffee machine makes coffee just the way we like it!

Thank you for sharing our journey with us.  Mahalo and Aloha.