Horsing and Jeeping around Hawaii
The swaying palms, the sun-kissed shores, the countless restaurants and bars – Waikiki’s got it all. Why even bother exploring Oahu, the island on which it’s located, when there’s so much fun to be had at the world’s most famous beach destination?
The answer is simple – you can be a tourist or you can be a traveller. I try to be the latter. And that’s why, after a couple of days of beachside bliss in Waikiki, I’m heading to Oahu’s legendary North Shore to go horse riding. Never mind the fact that my previous memory of this activity was of being on a family holiday in country Queensland and feeling scared when my horse started cantering. Today’s experience is extremely sedate – a 45-minute leisurely trail ride along the beaches of the North Shore.
And I’m travelling there in style – in a shiny red Jeep Wrangler with black leather seats and the all-important GPS. As much as I love Waikiki, heading away from the pedestrian-heavy streets and onto the freeway, with greater Oahu suddenly fanning out either side of you, is almost like a holiday within a holiday.
From our starting point, in the south-east of the island, it takes about one and a half hours of driving in a clockwise direction to the top of the island, where our trail ride will take place. But we’ve also allowed time for a much anticipated stop along the way at Haleiwa.
Picture the dusty main street of an old country town, with colourful buildings from a bygone era now housing charming little boutiques and eateries. That’s Haleiwa. It’s the most popular town to visit on the North Shore and is also known for its roadside shrimp trucks. They’re located in a nondescript clearing of dirt and grass near the centre of town.
At Giovanni’s Famous Shrimp I order the most popular item, the shrimp scampi. It’s marinated in olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, lemon and butter, and sauteed in a pan. Minutes later, my hands are a complete mess from greedily dipping the most delicious shrimp I’ve ever had into the spicy yet tangy sauce.
It’s hard to think that I may never come back here again, but I console myself by doing what nearly every visitor to Haleiwa does – buying some shave ice. Sitting on a wooden bench outside San Lorenzo Shave Ice and slurping the multi-coloured slush, I must be inducing some kind of sugar high. But this business of exploring the island is surely more tiring than lazing on the beach in Waikiki, and besides, I need the extra energy for horse riding.
And that’s our next stop. Passing by the famous North Shore beaches, we head on a little further to Turtle Bay Resort, a massive luxury property that offers a plethora of activities to both guests and visitors, including horse riding.
The time has come for me to get back in the saddle. My horse, a beautiful brown creature by the name of Willy, doesn’t look like the kind to go cantering off into the distance without my permission, so I’m relaxed. Our guide is a local girl called Shelby, who couldn’t be more than 20 – although she’s been riding horses since she could walk.
Off we go, clip clopping along trails that run alongside empty white sand beaches, which have that wonderfully rugged and windswept look about them. We duck into pockets of forest and pass a massive banyan tree that’s been used a shooting location for several television shows and films including Lost and Pirates of the Caribbean.
At one bay we see turtles popping their heads up from the water in the distance, while at a rocky point between two beaches we see an old military bunker from World War II. The experience is completely relaxing yet surprisingly exhilarating for what is in essence a leisurely ride.
Our ride over, we exchange one type of horsepower for another, setting off again in the Jeep to continue along the Kamehameha Highway.
Within 10 minutes we’ve made another stop, to check out more roadside eateries. There’s Uncle Woody’s BBQ Corn, from which tantalising smells are emanating, while Yoon’s Korean BBQ operates out of a whimsical looking yellow bus. But I go for the huli huli chicken. In Hawaiian, huli huli means turn turn – chicken halves are cooked on metal grills and turned repeatedly over a charcoal fire.
We take the styrofoam box containing our meal and rejoin the highway, on the lookout for a nice beach where we can enjoy the food with a view. Randomly turning into a town called La’ie, we somehow stumble across a dramatic rocky point that extends out into the ocean. We’ve inadvertently discovered La’ie Point, which appears to be something of a hidden gem.
An old plaque explains the Hawaiian legend of how the five small islands lying offshore came to be. The most prominent is a 30 metre long slice of rock with a gaping hole in the middle. Combined with the wild waves crashing beneath us, it makes for a pretty awe-inspiring experience, as we chow down on our succulent chicken.
At sunset, we find ourselves at one of Hawaii’s most beautiful beaches – Kailua. It’s nice to once again have my feet in the sand, although there’s so much more of the island to discover. Luckily, we’ve got the Jeep for another day. I’m hoping to tick off Pearl Harbour in central Oahu, as well as Pali Lookout, which offers one of the best panoramic views of Oahu. Hanauma Bay, with its amazing snorkelling, also beckons.
But for now, as we cruise along in the shadow of the mighty Ko’olau mountain range, I’m simply happy to be heading back to buzzing Waikiki.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
Latest News
ATIA applauds government’s fast-track passport announcement
Excellent news if you've ever experienced the sheer horror of realising you don't have a functioning passport.
DayAway names Aussie partners for luxury community based membership
Tired of dining with the riff raff? Get yourself a DayAway membership and slip into a life of luxury.
Silversea expands Nova Class with Silver Ray
Be prepared - this article has more silver than your local jewellers!
Tourism Tasmania CEO says a trip to Tassie could cure your Aurora Australis FOMO
With images like these - you're bound to regret being asleep during Australia's version of the northern lights.
Flight searches to Ho Chi Minh City skyrocket by 246% as city strengthens ties to Oz
We aren't endorsing ditching your work to look at flights to Ho Chi Minh but we're also not not endorsing it.
On Location: Rejoice! It’s Your Daily Wrap Of Africa’s Travel Indaba
Spare a moment to think about the cleaner who had to pick up all the confetti after this one kicked off.
Lack of budget spend will hit international visitor recovery, says Australian Tourism Industry Council
We've done the monotonous trawl through budget reports so you don't have to. You can thank us later!
On Location: Expedia CEO assures AI will not replace human roles, announces AI text assistant
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless its announced at a big conference, then it'll probably be reported.
VietJet walks away from Bonza investment, administrators look to maximise chance of survival
VietJet's making big plays in Australia but is drawing the line at buying a defunct airline.
Top four airports return to profit after post-Covid period comes to an end
If you feel like we just haven't spent enough of our lives talking about Covid, then boy is this the article for you!
COMO launches new family-sized farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany
COMO Hotels and Resorts has launched its new farmhouse apartments in the heart of Tuscany, just in time for Australians to escape our wet winter. And it’s also an ideal time for Aussies of Italian ancestry to explore their home country as 2024 has been declared the year of Roots and Heritage Tourism by the […]
Green light, green fuel for Townsville Airport as passenger numbers set to double to 3.7m
All things sounding positive for Townsville, apart from the fact its football team is playing like 10 year olds.
New Caledonia in lockdown and airport closed after violent riots rock Noumea
New Caledonia officials have announced a 6pm-6am curfew, a liquor ban and have closed the country’s main airport after overnight riots in which vehicles were torched and roads blocked in the wake of proposed constitutional reforms. Australian Government website Smartraveller has issued an alert informing visitors to exercise a high degree of caution in metropolitan […]
‘Appalling’: Alliance for Gambling Reform CEO describes gaming rules at sea after P&O death
Gambling reform policy makers are shocked at the news surrounding the passing of a guest onboard last week.
Sydney gets excited for Vivid at the city’s favourite entertainment venues
Get lit! Well maybe not the kiddies, but there is a heap of bright and colourful events on at Vivid Sydney 2024.
Novotel Cabramatta launch reveals the start of new hotel and F&B partnership
Brothers will offer hotels bang for their buck in Sydney's booming southwest.
Roots & Heritage Tourism in 2024 with Italian Tourist Board’s Emanuele Attanasio: Travel Weekly TV
Don't blame us if you're yearning for a carb-filled pasta lunch after watching this week's episode!
Aeronology accepted into Virtuoso network as travel-tech company continues to thrive
Aeronology's the new kid on the block making big waves and lucky for you, we're here to get you up to speed.
Qantas suspends flights to Shanghai due to low demand
Low demand prompts Qantas to drop its Sydney-Shanghai flights like a hot dumpling.
From Castle Hill to Paris, local wellness cosmetics brand makes good in world’s best hotels
The harsh glare of our monitors on the news desk have been relieved somewhat by this local brand done good...
Ponant’s $2500 flight credit reward for polar expeditions booked by ANZ travellers
Tap into your inner explorer an save a couple of $K on flights? The trade-off will be frozen fingers.
Portugal, Spain or Morocco? Here’s how to spend a European summer in 2024
Hit a festival in Spain, enjoy a Portuguese tart or take in the raw beauty of North Africa. This feature has it all!
Vietjet’s summer lucky draw event, plus business flights slashed in half
It's not even winter yet and Vietjet's already talking about summer. We certainly aren't judging them!
ERDI offers a path for hospitality leaders of the future, says hotel group CEO
Teaching the next gen in hospo how to serve drinks, take a restaurant order and hold a conversation - yep we're in!
Marketing costs double for tourism operators as Australia’s global footprint shrinks
Cost of living crisis? Forgeddaboutit! If you run a tourism business, your costs have doubled since Covid.
APT adds fourth ship to Travelmarvel fleet in Europe to meet demand
APT punches above its weight in European river cruising - let's see what its got when it comes to naming conventions.
Getting married? W Melbourne has three new packages perfect for the special day
The 'W' themed lights and settings are optional, we hope!
SKYE Suites gets behind Australian Fashion Week, partners with Shark Beauty
We were hoping to get a start at a fashion week event, but apparently our dress sense wasn't up to scratch...
Roadshow Vietnam focus on Ho Chi Minh City heads to Sydney and Melbourne
It's all happening tomorrow in Parramatta and we're sure you'll be able to find a good bahn mi somewhere.
NCL announces two new Aussie BDMs as cruising goes from strength to strength
Cruising may be getting stronger, but we want to know which new BDM is the strongest. We should arrange an arm wrestle.
Inspiring Vacations announces Josh Grocke to new partnerships role
We're sure the best partnerships come about over a long lunch, something Josh will certainly be looking forward to.
Dondra Ritzenthaler announced as Azamara’s new CEO
Dondra's got big news to celebrate, meanwhile we're celebrating a break in the rain today in Sydney.
TTC’s hosting a masterclass series for Aussie agents unlocking the secrets of its five brands
Become an agent of many hats with TTC's new masterclass series!
Dorsett Melbourne appoints new director of sales Maggie Wong
This top female team at the Dorsett Melbourne aims to take the hotel to new heights - even the lucky eighth floor.
Western Sydney Tourism unveils fresh board ahead of ’26 airport opening
'Connect-Stay-Experience', that's the Western Sydney's tourism taskforce's motto. We sort of prefer 'West Is Best'!
From Olympians to mindset coaches, Helloworld’s OMC conference wraps in style
Say hello to a good time and make sure you're at 2025's edition!