Hawaii holiday for Australians: islands and flight times

Hawaii holiday for Australians is easier to plan than most people expect: one direct flight from Sydney, one entry form, and six islands to choose from. This guide shows which island suits which kind of trip, how the flights from Sydney and Melbourne work, and what an Australian passport holder needs to do before boarding.

Airline timetables change often, so check the carrier before you book.

Flights from Sydney and Melbourne

Sydney is the easiest starting point. Hawaiian Airlines restarted its non-stop Sydney to Honolulu service in December 2021, after pausing it in March 2020. It planned five flights a week each way on an Airbus A330 with 278 seats. Qantas and Jetstar also flew the route before the pandemic, and Qantas planned to resume it in mid-December 2021.

The published times for the Hawaiian flight at its restart were a 9:40 pm departure from Sydney and a 10:35 am arrival in Honolulu on the same calendar day. Coming home, the flight left Honolulu at 11:50 am and landed in Sydney at about 7:45 pm the next day. Working from those times, the trip out takes about 10 hours and the trip back about 11. The date line is why you gain a day on the way out and lose one on the way home.

Melbourne travellers should check whether a non-stop flight is running on their dates, because schedules moved a lot after 2020. Jetstar brought back its Melbourne to Honolulu flights in December 2012, with two flights a week on an A330-200.

All of these flights land in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. If you want to stay on another island, plan a second flight and leave room for it in your budget and your days.

Sources for this section: Airline Ratings, Hawaiian Airlines restarts Australian flights (24 October 2021); Aviation Week, Route Analysis: Honolulu-Sydney (25 October 2021); Aviation Week, Jetstar to Resume Melbourne-Honolulu Service (1 August 2012).

Which island suits which trip

The official Go Hawaii site says there are six major islands: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and the island of Hawaii. Most first-time visitors pick from four of them. Here is how the official island guides describe each one.

In short, Oahu suits a week where you want food, shops and an easy base. Maui suits a beach-first holiday. Kauai suits walkers and people who like small towns. The Big Island suits anyone who wants to see a young volcanic landscape up close.

Sources for this section: Go Hawaii, the state tourism site, Hawaiian Islands, Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Island of Hawaii pages (archived 26 April 2023).

Oahu and the Big Island in more detail

Oahu is where your flight lands, so it is the natural first stop. Its official guide calls it "the Gathering Place" and describes a mix of city life and relaxed surf towns. One rule is worth knowing early: the Go Hawaii site notes that reservations are now required for out-of-state visitors to climb Leahi (Diamond Head). Book it before you go if the walk is on your list.

The island of Hawaii is a different trip. The guide says it is nearly twice as big as all the other Hawaiian islands combined, and that you can find all but four of the world's climate zones there. That scale means long drives, so a few days in one region works better than a rush across the whole island. The same page carries a link to volcano updates, so check current volcanic activity before you plan park visits.

Sources for this section: Go Hawaii, the state tourism site, Oahu and Island of Hawaii pages (archived 26 April 2023).

Entry rules for Australian passport holders

Australians do not need a visa for a short holiday in Hawaii, but they do need an ESTA. The US State Department says the Visa Waiver Program lets most citizens of taking-part countries visit for tourism or business for 90 days or less without a visa. Australia is on its list of designated countries.

You must hold a valid ESTA before you board a flight to the United States. It is a web-based system run by US Customs and Border Protection. In most cases an ESTA is valid for two years. You need a new one if you get a new passport, change your name or gender, or need to change any of your yes or no answers.

• Apply early. Do it when you book, not at the airport.
• Use the official site. Look for the CBP ESTA address, and check the current fee there.
• Match your passport. The ESTA is tied to the passport you used to apply.

The program has other conditions, so read the State Department page in full before you apply.

Sources for this section: US Department of State, Visa Waiver Program; US Customs and Border Protection, ESTA.

Planning your days

The Sydney flight lands mid-morning, so a light first day on Oahu works well. Winter is also the humpback whale season on Maui, as the Maui guide points out, which matters if you want to see them.

1. Pick one or two islands, not four. Each extra island adds a flight and a hotel change.
2. Check the flight timetable on the airline site before you pay.
3. Apply for your ESTA as soon as the dates are set.
4. Check park and site rules such as Leahi reservations and volcano updates close to your trip.

A week is enough for Oahu alone, or for Oahu plus one neighbour island. Ten days or more gives you room for the Big Island or Kauai at an easier pace.

Sources for this section: Go Hawaii, the state tourism site, Maui and Oahu pages (archived 26 April 2023); Airline Ratings (24 October 2021).

Sources

1. Airline Ratings, Hawaiian Airlines restarts Australian flights: airlineratings.com
2. Aviation Week, Route Analysis: Honolulu-Sydney: aviationweek.com
3. Aviation Week, Jetstar to Resume Melbourne-Honolulu Service: aviationweek.com
4. Go Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands: gohawaii.com
5. Go Hawaii, Oahu: gohawaii.com
6. Go Hawaii, Maui: gohawaii.com
7. Go Hawaii, Kauai: gohawaii.com
8. Go Hawaii, Island of Hawaii: gohawaii.com
9. US Department of State, Visa Waiver Program: travel.state.gov
10. US Customs and Border Protection, ESTA: cbp.gov