From snorkelling to museums, another BDO

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We got up early in eager anticipation of a trip to Hanauma (pronounced ha-now-Ma) Bay and the promised best snorkelling in O'ahu.
Our roomies next door decided to monopolise the shared bathroom from 6-30am to 7-30am so we eventually got into the shower and downstairs (4flights) for cereal and banana around 8am.

We were told to walk up the street to catch TheBus #22, because if you get it closer to the our stop near the zoo it would be full and this was the best piece of advice we had all day.We boarded it way up Kalakaua Ave up past the Moana Surfrider, in the direction heading towards the zoo, and managed to snare the last two seats. By the Waikiki Aquarium stop we had loaded about 60 plus people on the double bus, we were so full, people standing close side by side for the entire trip to the bay. $2-50 per person is a cheap way to access this very popular spot.

Arriving at the bay we queued to get through the ticket booth. As this is a national park there is an entry fee of $7-50 per person. Then we queued again to see the compulsory 15 minute video which spoke about the history of the making of the bay, the fish and coral life and how it was a nature park and the protocols involved. The information area has a really well out together display about sea life, corals, how the bay was formed, plus the usual tourist shop and snack bar. And then we walked down the big hill, you can get a ride for $2- each way if you don't like or can't do the walk. There is hire snorkel gear, 2 blocks of toilets and change rooms and fresh water showers as well as water bubblers in the beach area down the hill, plus shade in parts.

If you have ever snorkelled or dived on living reefs such as The Great Barrier Reef in Qld you will be sorely disappointed in this bay. Conservation has come to this area only 15-20 years ago and each day 3000-4000 people visit the bay. Of course you have to expect damage, we snorkelled over mostly lost of bashed up dead coral, very few patches of live coral at all. There was heaps of colourful fish life, we saw at least 10 different species some quite large, and many in only 30 cms of water. There were very small amounts of living coral, but mainly rock and limited sand. Forget scuba and forget fins, a snorkel and mask is sufficient.

TheBus has the timetable at the bus stop, basically every hour, so we lined up again for the 12-57pm and rode the hour back into town. Because the bus offers transfers which have a 3 hour window to use another ride, we thought why not use it to go and visit the Bishop Museum. This place barely rates a mention in the brochures and blurbs but rates high in Trip Advisor, and the locals mentioned it as a great place to go and spend three hours or so. Take the #2 Thebus on Kuhio heading north, 3/4 hour ride with a $17- entry fee to the museum. This bus takes you through the main historic area of Honolulu then china town and the very lower working class areas, past huge housing commission blocks, and you wonder if you are heading in the right direction. Get off the stop at the cemetery intersection right up on the hill area. They will announce the stop for Bishop Museum. Then cross the road and head one block away from the cemetery down hill and follow the sign.

What a massive awesome place, this should be an absolute must do for anyone visiting O'ahu.There are 4 main buildings to visit; a planetarium, an old stone building which is the main museum, a science centre and a memorial hall. The main building has three floors of the history of Hawaii from creation, flora, fauna, arrival of people to the modern day. Lots of interactive and hands on for the kids, loads of restrooms, cafe and a gift shop.Adjoining the Hawaiian display is three floors of The Pacific display with all the islands in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia featured again with history of migration, flora and fauna. Beautiful wood staircases, lovely cases of displays. Lots of information given. Go across the ground to the science centre which is about wind, rain, and volcanoes, again very interactive and loads to do and see.

This place was named Bishop museum after Charles and Berniece Bishop who founded it in the late 1880's. Charles was from New York but became a local and fell in love with Princess Berniece a direct descendant of King Kamehaneha V. They travelled extensively, had no children and left this legacy for Hawaii. Our 2 hours could not do it justice today, we almost had to run around it, loved it after the disappointment of Hanauma Bay.

Bus ride back was easy and we stopped of at Seaside Bar and Grill which is a budget diner on Kuhio Ave one block off the Main Street of Kalakaua. Take $30 off the bill for these places not on the main strip, no less service, sure it may look a little less flash but the food was excellent. They have a 1 2 3 offer; 1 main $14-95, 2 mains$ 16-95 and 3 $19-95. You can choose out of 5, and your meal includes garlic toast, salad, potatoes and corn cob.Plus 3 choices of cocktails for $5. And happy hour beers for $4-50 each and happy hour goes all night!Johnny was our waiter, friendly chap, New York Chinese born, Cantonese speaking, married to a Japanese and lived in Hawaii for 20 years.

Tonight the TV blocked out all programs and announced a flash flood warning for Honolulu. Think we are safe here but up in the hihills where it has been raining off and on all day I would imagine they may have to be aware of this.

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