Oahu revisited - beach holiday Hawaiian style

Direct flights on Hawaiian Airlines from Brisbane to Honolulu now make Hawaii a very accessible holiday destination for Queensland families. There is no place quite like Hawaii for the ultimate relaxing holiday experience.

Waikiki Beach viewed from Duke's Bar with Diamond Head in the distance

Waikiki Beach viewed from our balcony at the Circle Hotel

 

Lu'au at Paradise Cove

 

The SWIM bar at Waikiki's Hyatt Regency (very close to the Circle Hotel) hosts live music at happy hour - this is ManoaDNA playing their originals and covers

Alicante, Spain

Alicante is a Mediterranean port city with a beautiful climate and a magnificent beach. It took 24 hours to get to Spain from Brisbane, Australia; we flew Singapore Airlines to Barcelona, stopping in Singapore (3 hours) and Milan (1 hour). After two days in Barcelona we took a 5.5 hour train ride to Alicante. Many sections of the railroad follow the sparkling Mediterranean Sea very closely.


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Exercise after a long flight

International flights to Brisbane get in early in the morning and you cannot check into your city hotel until after lunchtime. Leave your luggage at the hotel and go for a walk or a jog along the Brisbane River walkways. This photo was taken around 6.30am this morning on the floating walkway - the Story Bridge is in the backgound. It's summer time in Brisbane December through to February and the UV rays are extreme from about 7.30am onwards so remember to wear a hat and slap on the sunscreen.

Surviving the long flight

I still call Australia home - Georgia USA is a long way from home but I get to fly home about 2 to 3 times a year. It takes up to 30 hours each way so I know all about jet lag, exhaustion, dehydration, itchy skin, sore back.....and a myriad of other woes. I've always preferred an aisle seat, long before DVT became a household word. Air travel makes me restless. I like to move around as much as possible. I rarely sleep for very long but I do get some rest. I take my lessons from the turtles that visit Mon Repos, Queensland in nesting season. While the laying process is happening the giant turtle goes into a trance. I cope with a long flight by going into a travel trance; I tune out from the noises and movement around me. It helps to have a cotton bandana to tie around my eyes especially when there are movies back to back. Flickering light from airplane movie screens can be a real annoyance when you are trying to rest. A lightweight bandana is an inexpensive travel accessory with 101 uses.