Summer calm ... Sunset beach.
In search of fresh leads, Amy Cooper turns to a surf-loving TV copper for his lowdown on Hawaii's best.
YOU could argue that the most scenic attractions in the hit show Hawaii Five-0 are the abs of its Australian star, Alex O'Loughlin, who rarely spends an episode without his onscreen character, Steve McGarrett, being rendered suddenly shirtless.
However, even O'Loughlin agrees the detective series' stunning locations have a habit of stealing every scene. "Hawaii is the most important character in the show," he says.
Book 'em, Danno ... Alex O'Loughlin, left, plays Detective Steve McGarrett and Scott Caan plays Detective Danny "Danno" Williams in the TV series Hawaii Five-0.
Just like the 1970s original, the reboot, which screens on Sunday nights on Channel Ten, is filmed entirely on the islands and its cast live there. Both onscreen and off, O'Loughlin and his co-stars are immersed in the location. If you're on Oahu, chances are you'll see them filming or relaxing off-duty in the surf, shops and bars of Honolulu and Waikiki.
O'Loughlin has settled so well he says his base on Oahu "feels just like home" so, in between shootouts and shirt-offs, we ask our home-grown Hawaii fan to share some local knowledge. The result: a tailor-made Hawaii Five-0 island experience, courtesy of Steve McGarrett and friends.
We start in Waikiki, where surfing began. It began for O'Loughlin here, too. Although raised in Sydney, he didn't lift a board until he lived here and he favours the beginner-friendly breaks close to his home on Oahu's south shore, between the eastern end of Waikiki beach and the island's famous landmark, Diamond Head. "I love the surf breaks there," he says. "I learnt to surf at Suicides, Tonggs and Old Man's, so they're my favourites."
If you're new to the sport and keen for a quieter experience than buzzing central Waikiki, these welcoming waves will suit you, too. You can watch from nearby beaches, such as Kaimana beach, or take the hour-long hike up to the Diamond Head crater for a panoramic view of the ocean.
O'Loughlin's next haunt is easy to miss, tucked away on a little retail strip on Monsarrat Avenue at the foot of Diamond Head. At the Diamond Head Cove Health Bar, one of the most authentically Hawaiian enclaves in the islands, everything - from the fresh fish, fruit and vegetables on "Da Cove's" organic menu to the artists, musicians, fishermen and surfers who gather here - is local to the core.
A source of characters, stories and spontaneous music, Da Cove is also one of only two places in the islands to serve real Hawaiian kava, or a'wa. Bowls are served to cheerful crowds on a'wa nights, accompanied by jamming Hawaiian musicians. And another TV star lives here: Pono the Labrador, who played Vincent the dog in that other Hawaii-based series, Lost. Pono can count, tell the time and surf. Maybe O'Loughlin enjoys the competition.
The current foodie obsession is acai, the purple Brazilian berry. At Da Cove, it's served in a bowl frozen with strawberries, banana and granola and is the perfect breakfast fuel for a trip up to Oahu's north shore.
We're heading to the little surf town of Haleiwa for a moveable feast. O'Loughlin has directed us to Macky's Sweet Shrimp Truck, one of a legion of wheeled prawn outlets fed by the abundant aquaculture in the Kahuku area. "Every time I'm on the north shore I eat there," he says. "Their butter garlic shrimp plate is the best."
The shrimp truck scene, unique to Oahu's north shore, has a script worthy of Hawaii Five-0 - competition is explosive and there are tales of extortion and even heists at gunpoint. Many trucks are claimed to be the original and sometimes they just vanish, inexplicably.
We drive north up Oahu's windward side, pausing to admire the island's longest beach, Waimanalo, and Kailua Beach, spacious playgrounds for volleyball, windsurfing and water sports.
Central Haleiwa houses a cluster of shrimp trucks, all brightly painted and with a United Nations of names: Fumi's, Giovanni's, Romy's, Famous.
Macky's stands in splendid isolation just off the road next to the 7-Eleven. As shrimp trucks go, this one's deluxe, with an outdoor sink, a Portaloo and bench seating with tarpaulin roof. We order the butter garlic plate and the pile of juicy, drippy prawns on mounds of white rice with salad and a pineapple wedge is every bit as delicious as O'Loughlin promised. No wonder the man next to us hired a limo all the way from Waikiki to experience the same delicacy.
In Haleiwa, dessert has to be shaved ice from Matsumoto's. The little grocery store pumps out as many as 1000 of the home-made frozen treats a day in more than 50 flavours. The walls are covered in photos of other Hollywood stars who love this place - Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler - so we suspect O'Loughlin would approve.
He's directed us to Sunset beach, a few minutes' drive away and one of the world's most challenging big-wave surf spots.
"I love sitting on the beach and watching the outside surf break and wonder if I'll ever be good enough to ride it," O'Loughlin says wistfully.
Sunset is a beautiful place to just relax, especially in summer, when the waves lose their fury. Four kilometres of white sand and crystal shallows belie the ferocity of the winter swell and you can while away hours without a surfboard. Back in Honolulu, we head into the heart of Hawaii Five-0 country. Downtown is McGarrett's base and the TV show's crew are filming almost daily in the Capitol District, in and around its venerable old official buildings and wide, palm-lined boulevards.
The elegant Ali'iolani Hale building on King Street is a crucial part of Hawaii's history. It opened as the nation's first government building in 1874 and now it houses the Judiciary History Centre, the state Supreme Court - and often O'Loughlin and friends, too. The building and its imposing statue of King Kamehameha provides the exterior for the fictional Honolulu Police Department headquarters (look out for it in the show's opening sequence) and a courtroom annex is used as the governor's office, where McGarrett and sidekick Danno are often hauled in for a dressing down.
Visitors can tour the history centre, pose in the judge's seat in a replica 1913 courtroom and learn about some of the islands' most dramatic trials.
There's Hawaii Five-0 history nearby, too. Neighbouring Iolani Palace was used as the inside and outside of the original series' police headquarters. A guided tour there will also introduce you to the more distant, grand and sometimes sad past of this former home of the Hawaiian royal family.
When it comes to after-work fun, Hawaii Five-0's real Honolulu insider is Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Chin Ho Kelly. His previous role in the series Lost, also filmed on Oahu, means he's the guy who can't get off the island. He's been here for seven years and likes it so much he even bought a stake in a burger joint. For dinner, Kim recommends the ramen noodles at Goma Ichi on Keeaumoku Street and the fresh poke (raw fish salad) at locals' favourite Side Street Inn, on Hopaka Street.
He's also a regular at Honolulu's hip new nightclub, Crazybox, at the recently opened Waikiki Edition hotel. His cast mates frequent the hotel's two pool bars and the chef at the hotel's Morimoto restaurant, Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame, appears in the show.
A day bed by the Edition's Sunrise Pool is a suitably stylish way to end a Hawaii Five-0 encounter and as we sip a frozen coconut mojito, Grace Park, who plays Kono Kalakaua, sashays past.
But there's one final stop. Back by Diamond Head, where we began, there's a pilgrimage place for all Hawaii Five-0 fans. Beside the Kahala Mall stands a bronze bust of Jack Lord, who played the original Steve McGarrett. Lord loved Hawaii so much he stayed in this neighbourhood after the show ended in 1980 until his death in 1998. His ashes were scattered at nearby Kahala Beach.
Lord's McGarrett might not have approved of O'Loughlin's. He wasn't one for shedding his shirt and he preferred suaveness to stunts. But we suspect he would be delighted the modern McGarrett has also fallen under Hawaii's spell.
Trip notes
Getting there
Hawaiian Airlines flies daily non-stop from Sydney to Honolulu until August 2, then flies five times a week. Fares from $1846 return. 1300 669 106, hawaiianairlines.com.au.
Staying there
Waikiki's Hotel Renew has a three-night Hawaii Five-0 package, including rental car and helicopter ride, priced from $1250. +1 808 687 7700, hotelrenew.com.
The Ilikai Hotel, featured in the opening titles of both the original and new shows, has a Hawaii Double Five-0 package of a $50 rate for the first night of a minimum three-night stay. +1 808 949 3811, ilikaihotel.com.
To get abs like O'Loughlin's (and for star spotting), Waikiki Edition has a four-day Surf and Bikini Boot Camp, which includes surf lessons, hikes, yoga and kayaking. +1 808 943 5800, editionhotels.com.
For Steve McGarrett-style water adventures, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach has daily surf clinics and a Canoe for Two package. +1 808 923 0711, outrigger.com.
More information
gohawaii.com.
Aloha, Hollywood
THE islands have long been one of Hollywood's favourite locations. Elvis was a Hawaii devotee. He filmed Blue Hawaii, Paradise, Hawaiian Style and Girls! Girls! Girls! on Oahu and Kauai and was a frequent visitor, both for holidays and live tours. Jurassic Park's canyons and waterfalls were on Kauai, which also stars in South Pacific, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Fantasy Island and Gilligan's Island.
Magnum, P.I. was filmed on Oahu, after the original Hawaii Five-O ended. You can see many of the same Honolulu buildings in both. Lost was filmed on Oahu and starred Hawaii Five-O actor Daniel Dae Kim. Jennifer Aniston filmed her new movie, Just Go with It on Maui with Adam Sandler, who also made 50 First Dates and Punch-Drunk Love on Oahu.
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