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| Pacific Hall, Bishop Museum |
The Bishop Museum takes a little getting-into, it's exhibits require some patient reading before they reveal the details of Polynesian and Hawaiian history. The Pacific Hall charts the migration of Man from Asia to the oceanic islands of the Pacific and the ties that even today bind the people of Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and other remote lands. The Hawaiian Hall focuses on local history: village life, Gods and royalty. Strange to realise that Hawai'i could have so easily been part of the British Empire. Excellent and informative though both Halls are, there is a strange disconnect between the seafaring settlers of 1000BC-1000AD and Hawaiian history from the early 1800's onwards. What happened in between?
The Duke Kahanamoku special exhibition recounts the life of by all accounts a larger than life though unassuming and generous man. The Father of surfing, Duke took board riding from Hawai'i across America to Australia and New Zealand, along the way winning Olympic medals, setting swimming world records and serving as Sheriff of Honolulu for 29 years. No wonder the last week of August is dedicated to a festival celebrating Duke's legacy.
