A LIFELONG LOVE
FOR BLUE HAWAII By Dallas Sherringham I have had a lifelong love of Hawaii ever since I watched Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii in a dusty old cinema in Western NSW, Australa.. Staring up at the flickering blues and greens, turquoise lagoons and dramatic cliffs and ragged jagged mountains, I was transfixed: a captive to this amazing landscape, so different from where I grew up! One day I would go that place, In the dark I swore a silent oath, not realising just how true that dream would dome true. I had a glimpse of Hawaii on a flight to San Francisco. We flew down through the mountains and landed after crossing Pearl Harbor with its forlorn fleet . We were locked in a room for four hours, called a transit lounge. So, I didn't get to see Hawaii that time. t was another 18 years before I finally made it to Hawaii. It was night by the time we had cleared customs in Honolulu and climbed on the Hawaiian Airlines flight to Kauai. It took just 26 minutes to make the trip and they barely had time to toss a tiny fruit juice in a packet at us. I gather they had to serve a "refreshment." By the time we got to the Coconut Beach Resort, the restaurant was shut and there was no room service. We drove into town and everything was shut apart from the 'All nighter'. Hawaii was very different in those days. It wasn't the sophisticated destination it is now on the outer islands. Next day when I woke up and opened the drapes, the view across the lagoon was breathtaking. This was the Hawaii I remembered from that movie almost 30 years before. Next afternoon I went for a drink and dinner beside the sacred pool where the last wedding scene of the movie was shot. You know the scene: Elvis sings the Hawaiian Wedding Song while drifting down a large pool. And I met two rather mature ladies who remembered Elvis staying at the resort After dinner he would play the piano and hold a sing-along. Hooked on Hawaii I was hooked on Hawaii and when they started building the big resorts I flew there every year met some wonderful people and went to amazing places on every island. Even had my photo taken (above) all dressed up for a Tropical Night under the stars. If you are planning to go, my recommendation is to spend a few days at Waikiki and then fly to Kauai, Maui and the Big Island 3 or four nights in each destination. Hire a car on each island. Allow an extra day for each flight transfer between islands. I will be featuring each of the islands this year, so keep checking. And I recommend flying with Hawaiian Airlines. See story |
Classic Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background
Statue of surfing legend The Duke
Honolulu skyline
Dont miss Kauai, Maui, Molokai and The Big Island reviews and stories this year in MATURE TRAVELLER!!
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