Honolulu

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 233, 14 September 1922, Page 3

Honolulu

DELIGHTFUL WINTER CRUISE. HASTINGS RESIDENT’S HOLIDAY. Mrs. J. A. Miller, of Hastings, who has just returned from a trip to Honolulu, has. by request, written the following vivid impressions, received by her during her holiday tour. Leaving Auckland by the Makura, we started on our journey to Honolulu, an island of which we heard so much and regarding which we expected to be disillusioned. It was a happy crowd aboard, and soon we were all friends, indulging in sports every day and in fox-trotting at night, whilst all the time the sea was so smooth that we would often look over to see if the steamer was moving. THE BEAUTY OF SUVA. A week out we reached Suva early in the morning, and it was a delight to .look at. The mountains were magnificent in their giant outlines and luxurious verdures, one, in the form of a lion, which seemed to guard the town, being particularly striking. The night before we arrived at Suva we saw an unusual phenomenon in the sky. A sailor showed us the setting sun. the moon, and a star of most brilliant radiance, all in a line. It is seen here —the only part of the world in which it can be witnessed. At Suva we hired a taxi and drove around the island. The Fijians are quite a dignified race, with a Very graceful carnage, but the Europeans living there looked quite pale, and so thin. Everyone, however, appeared to be prosperous. Peculiar little bungalows nestle in patches of bananas, but it is very hot. Restarting our voyage, we soon lost the Southern Cross, and were over the equator. \\ e continued our games and when Sunday came round we were astonished when told that it was still Saturday, so on we went with our games. On Sunday we had Divine service, conducted by the captain. LOVELY HONOLULU. Expecting intense heat, we were agreeably surprised to have cool weather and lovely breezes, and after 13 days our long-looked-for Honolulu showed up. We know we are now in the tropics, and surely there cannot be a more sublime scene. The sea is a gorgeous blue, of every blue that one knows, and the first view of Honolulu will always Remain in my memory as a vision, lovely and radiant. Near the docks the Hawaiian boys are numerous, ready to dive for money thrown into the water, but we soon landed, and securing our permits, we seek our hotel, and after being settled we sauntered forth to see the sights. MIXED NATIONALITIES. The first thing that strikes us is the number of Japanese, which makes us wonder it we are in Japan. Then there are thousands in native costumes, and others of all nationalities, the ensemble making a bewildering and most picturesque scene, and the national colour being essentially white, they ali looked spotlessly clean. Then with khaki on all sides, and with yards oi ribbon and medals predominant, oue imagines there is a war in progress. Vve learnt that there was an army or 30,00 U in occupation. \ve met a very nice officer, covered with ribbons, jewellery, and medals, and what pleased me was, in talking ot the war, he said that if he was in another war there were two peoples he would not care to fight against—one was a New Zealander and die other was an Australian. He truly meant it, too. We became good friends, and he showed us many kindnesses. NEW ZEALAND LITTLE KNOWN. 1 enlightened him on New Zealand, and he was astonished when 1 pointed out the proportion of men to our population who went to fight. 1 guess he was impressed, but over it ah was the reeling that “America won the war.” The Honolulu people have a very hazy idea of New Zealand, anil in the shops, when one looks at a beautnul dress, they say, ‘‘That is no good to you in New Zealand.” 1 asked them if they thought we wore mats, and 1 believe they did. They know more about the Australians—and how they screw up their laces when we asked tor tea! “Tea,” they say, “do you mean hot tea?” And when we say “les,” they just shake their heads and cause us to wonder if they think we have come from some zoo. So we buy our packet of tea and cakes, and many a jolly a afternoon tea we have had in our sitting-room, with numbers of Australian and English people, to many ol whom we were very sorry to say good-bye. ARCHH’ECT I BE AND GARDENS. The architecture of Honolulu is bad, but a few ot the later buildings are beautiful. The bunglows (guaranteed to last thirty years) amused us. The trees are luxurious and the Howers gorgeous, whilst the gardens line all the streets, and the people themselves, essentially out-of-door living, go in for wholesome amusements, bathing and surfing principally. Surfing is a great game and it is intensely fascinating to watch a bather on a surf board, standing rigid and dashing forward towards the shore, on the crest of a wave. It is a fine sport, but it requires a good deal oi c ourage and no small amount of skill. Honolulu is a delightful place, every street being lined with superb Royal palms, banana trees, and miles of flaming scarlet and orange poinciana, with others of golden and pink, showers of loose clusters of bells, oleanders, and long stretches of luxuriant hibiscus hedges, of 163 varieties! Roses are few, but dazzling gardens are everywhere ,all with stately avenues of trees and masses of Howers ot every colour, whilst each street is a length of sheer beauty, and one carries away, not an individual impression. but one of a whole lovely garden, overlooking a tropical sea. happy and peaceful. But how could it be otherwise where every feature is a thing to charm, radiating happiness, which has only to be seen to realise its wondrous magic. Whilst 1 looked, entranced with all this beauty, I wished those Hower loving ladies of Hastings could revel in it with me, because it seemed a corner of Paradise dropped into the sea.

COMMERCE AND DIET AND CLOTHES.

The commerce of Honolulu is wonderful. and courtesy and civility is the keynote of city, so that vou find yourself buying when you did not intend to. Everything, however, is very dear. Wages are very high, so is food. We were delighted to know we were eating New Zealand butter (the brand was “Maile”), which was retailed at 56 cents (2/4). All the meat is New Zealand, frozen, of course, but you do get fared of it. Our dairymen would think the place a haven of bliss. Milk is 2.5 cents (1/) a pint. There is no intoxicating liquor, of course, and I couldn’t help laughing at a very swell dinner, although it was rude to do so. The guests got, as a “cocktail,” served in a fragile dish of crystal, a concoction of pineapple, orange, lemon, and papae, to a tablespoon of tomato sauce, whilst the other drinks consisted of oceans of iced water. However. they were a hapjy lot, as jolly as could be. All the same, they say over there that quantities of liquor is being made, with secret plants. The Chinese have numerous stores and the goods are of a very fascinating nature —carved ivories , embroideries, and many quaint and curious articles that we never sea in New Zealand. Honolulu is a place of schools and churches, and the children play around all the time, with no one to interfere, whilst the parks are extravagant in rich col-j ouring, and every day brings its shower of liquid sunshine. One can sit in draaughts and get soaked by a tropical rain, and yet be none the worse for it. The men are catered for lavishly. Their silk shirts are beautifully embroidered, and they wear lots of rings and pins and watches. We laugh at them often, but they laugh back at us, and we have great jokes, but all the same we remember our own boys, and feel more than ever that they are hard to beat. The hotels are run on the “pay-as-you-go” scheme, and one soon gets used to the system. We did miss our newspaper. The news is all American, and only once 1 saw a mention of Lloyd George, ket the Marconi station at Honolulu is one of the best, and 1 counted no fewer than 23 masts, as well as miles of wiring, but we got no news of our own country. THE SIGHTS OF THE CITY. We visited museums, palaces, and many other interesting places, and in this connection a pathetic incident was witnessed. Every day. for years past, a man stands at the entrance to the king’s palace, opposite a stupendous statue of the deposed monarch, lashioned in bronze, and there he waits to welcome his sovereign lord, whom he believes will come back to life and to his royal rights again. The poor loyal creature is. of course, harmless, in one of the palaces, at the entrance hall, hangs a large painting of Queen Victoria and Her Consort. It really felt like a bit of home. She was a personal 1 fiiend of Hawaii's late queen. We were fortunate in getting an invitation to go to “Washington Place,” the late king’s palace, it is a dignified and imposing edifice, both inside and out, and being the only visitors, the Governor’s wife (Mrs. Farrington) showed us all over the building, and told us many interesting tales. Mrs. Farrington is truly a most beautiful and gracious American lady. TRIP TO PALI PAS. The roads are a delight, and constitute a revelation in roadniaking. Travelling by motor is a gladness, as lor hundreds oi miles the roaus are paved, and suddenly, as one traverses the wonderful mountain routes, one is confronted with me most exquisite scenery, at which one stands aghast, lor irom places 900 ieet high one gazes down on valleys where every vestige oi ground is cultivated, even to the mountain slopes, it is an inspiiiug sight to look upon 15,(XX) acres in pineapples grown the wrole year round —as one patch ripens another is nearly ready, in constant succession. It is the same with rice fields, vhe sugar plantations, and the peanut fields. The whole ground is a scoria formation and of a brick-dust colour. RICE, SUGAR, AND PINEAPPLES, Whereas the pineapple needs no watering, the rice fields are always under water, with the most wonderful system of irrigation. It is strange to see the “Water Buffalo,’' with a priniative wooden plough, preparing the ground, and one wonders at our sugar being so cheap when one sees the marvellous machinery of every description, the huge buddings, and the thousands oi workers it absorbs in its making. Iho island, however, makes its millions out of the sugar and pineapple industries, but a great deal of good is done with the money, as Honolulu seems to be all schools, churches, and parks fe kept by private institutions, even Co cottages at the seaside, to accommodate 800 children during vacation. and the railway to carry them free! THE CORAL GARDEN. One sight is rapturous, and that is the “Coral Garden.” One takes a ten-mile drive in a Pierce Arrow autoniobil, along paved roads, and sees all the agricultural country. Half way one stops for lunch, and afterwards steps into a glass-bottomed boat, which proceeds out to sea, where, if one has the imagination, one can see the Jenolan Caves, oi New South Males, turned upside down. Two hundred ieet below the surface one sees coral of every hue and shape, and fish of the most amazing colours. The spectacle baffles description, but one may gather some idea irom what has been said of how lovely and astonishing was the sight presented. On the return journey “The Camp” is visited, looking like a battlefield, with its buildings, transport wagons, tanks, and all the paraphernalia of war. The air service is located in the same vicinity, with its numerous air ’planes circling every day. whilst the harbour has its destroyers and submarines. The place bolds 30.000 men. and it is altogether a formidable looking position. At the seaside, where we had taken up our residence, the surf was only about 20 feet from our front door, and the whole beach is a. tropical garden of exceeding beauty, occupied all day by hundreds of bathers.

A GEM OF THE OCEAN. Honolulu is a place where one expects much, but one feels ppwerless to express its vivid splendour, its redgold sunsets, its brilliant rainbows every night, its glorious mountains, its teeming valleys and rich foliage, as well as the fine artistic sense of her people. It is a gem in a- glorious setting, which surpasses all anticipation, and our th rev weeks’ sojourn passed all too quickly. \Ve were sorry to set sail from what is so justly named “The Paradise of the Pacific.” and its charm will live for ever in our memories, as a gracious garden, brimful of pleasing prospects and clinging recollections.