I have always dreamed of going to French Polynesia, so after many months of planning, the details were finally in place: Hawaii, Tasmania, mainland Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, and finally Bora Bora.
1st stop: Honolulu. Having never been to Hawaii, I did not know what to expect. The Honolulu traffic and parking was awful (glad I did not rent a car), sticker shock prices for almost everything; but the weather is nothing short of great, and the scenery and beaches are lovely. Day#1: Wanting to see the island and not wanting to drive, I joined Hawaii Outdoor Guides (http://hawaiioutdoorguides.com/) for their small group (8 people) Complete Island Tour. I got to see the entire island with stops throughout and was fortunate to get up close to a Monk Seal sunning on the beach… This tour is the only way to relax and enjoy the island without having to deal with traffic and parking. Also, great guide and commentary throughout. Day #2: Took bus #23 to the last stop Sea Life Park, got off, crossed the highway and was on the lovely deserted Makapuu Beach,
grabbed a bite at the local food truck there and enjoyed the view. Due to the hot sun, my wife and I decided to forgo the walk to Makapuu Lighthouse; however, from this point, there is much to take in. The hike to the lighthouse will be about 40 minutes, and the first ¼ mile is along the highway. Day #3: Strolled the famous Waikiki Beach, tried a little surfing and then decided to pay for an over-water view of the island; we hopped on the Na Hoku II catamaran (https://nahoku2.com/) located on Waikiki Beach. This outfit takes passengers out to sea to view Honolulu and Diamond Head from the water. We spent about an hour and a half sailing, got to see whales, and the skipper stopped the catamaran so everyone could jump into the ocean.. This is a definite excursion that people should take.
Day #4: Boarded our flight to Launceston, Tasmania.