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Hawaii’s Back Yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
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Waikiki hunt brings out adventurers
During the 10 years she worked as a preschool teacher, Teresa Monroe planned numerous scavenger hunts for her students, but it took going on one herself to inspire the idea for her Waikiki business.
The Great Ohana Hunt
Place: Waikiki; location determined by the group
Time: Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, varying with group's schedule (other accommodations can be made based on customers' needs). Hunts last between two and 2 1/2 hours.
Requisites: Minimum age is 7, and there is a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 50 people per tour. Larger groups can be accommodated with two weeks' notice.
Cost: $15 to $22 per person depending on the group size and hunt selected, including taxes and a team photo for each participant. Kamaaina pay $15 per person for all hunts.
Call: 398-6444; reserve at least one week in advance
E-mail: monroet@thegreatohanahunt.com
Web site: www.thegreatohanahunt.com
Notes: Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and apply a liberal dose of sunscreen. Bring bottled water and a winning spirit.
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In May 2002 she and her husband, Bob, attended the Florida wedding of good friends. The groom's mother hired a company to run a scavenger hunt for the 30-plus guests who had arrived a few days early, including the Monroes.
"It was centered on local drinking establishments with a dash of history, and it was the most fun we'd had in a long time," Monroe said. "Weeks later, Bob and I were still talking about it."
Shortly thereafter the couple watched an episode of "The Amazing Race," that popular reality TV series in which two-person teams race around the world, overcoming challenges at every destination, to win a million-dollar prize.
"I thought a race/scavenger hunt would be something I could start on Oahu as a business," Monroe said. "Bob and I had so much fun doing it, I was sure others would, too."
After a year of market research, she ran a few test hunts, worked out the kinks and officially launched "The Great Ohana (Family) Hunt" in August 2003.
"It's not just a game or fact-finding walking tour," says Monroe. "It's a fun, interesting, adventurous, affordable and unique way for groups of at least 12 people to experience Waikiki."
COURTESY OF THE GREAT OHANA HUNT
The Great Ohana Hunt takes visitors through Waikiki from Kapiolani Park to Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. Stops shown include King's Village, above.
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GREAT OHANA HUNT staffers meet the group at a predetermined time and place; it could be their hotel, a park, a store or a restaurant. After the group has been divided into teams and maps, pencils and 30 questions have been distributed, the race is on. Participants have two to 2 1/2 hours to find the answers and earn points.
They receive 10 points for each correct answer. Extra questions worth from 10 to 50 points involve finding a special hidden bird or pineapple or making inexpensive optional purchases.
Depending on the hunt, teams can earn between 300 and 450 points. At the end of the activity, points are tallied and prizes are awarded to the winners.
"The object is to get the most points and to have fun, not necessarily answer all of the questions," says Monroe. "However, it's important that teams finish on time as those who return late lose points and risk being disqualified."
Three hunts are available: Adventure, Historical and Junior. On the Adventure Hunt, which Monroe says is "the choice 99 percent of the time," participants must collect specific objects, do a few "touristy" things and answer questions and solve riddles about Hawaiian history and local trivia and pop culture.
An example: Go to the second floor of the "First Lady of Waikiki" with its white pillars and spacious lanai with rocking chairs and look toward the ocean. You'll see something that stands more than 70 feet tall. What is it? (Answer: banyan tree at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider.)
COURTESY OF THE GREAT OHANA HUNT
The Prince Kuhio statue.
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Teams on the Adventure Hunt go up stairs, elevators and escalators to find historic artifacts, explore the sites where Hawaiian royalty once lived and see famous and not-so-famous points of interest.
Historical Hunt participants solve history-related riddles about Waikiki and Hawaii in general.
"It's for folks who want to stick with the facts," says Monroe. "It doesn't include all the wacky elements of the Adventure Hunt."
The Junior Hunt requires kids ages 7 through 13 to answer questions. For instance: King's Village is located on Kaiulani Avenue. In the center of it is an area called Variety Clubs Celebrity Circle. How many sets of hand prints will you find there? (Answer: 19.)
"Participants can run, walk and even use alternate modes of transportation," says Monroe.
"Each team decides how they want to strategize to win the hunt. And they learn things all along the way," she said, adding that kamaaina customers enjoy rediscovering Waikiki.
COURTESY OF THE GREAT OHANA HUNT
The Princess Kaiulani statue.
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HUNTS CAN TAKE participants all over the 2.5-mile sector from Ala Wai Yacht Harbor to Kapiolani Park and the streets between Waikiki Beach and Kalakaua and Kuhio avenues.
"That doesn't mean participants will cover the whole area," says Monroe. "Those are just the boundaries. Basically, if you've hit water you've gone too far."
She says the outing is a great option for family reunions, social gatherings, corporate events, school groups, conventions, birthday parties and team-building activities.
"We've hosted hunts for all kinds of groups, including Girl Scouts, company executives and foreign exchange students. One team of travel agents from Australia was determined to answer every question. Forty dollars later in cab fare, they came in last, had the most fun and provided many laughs with tales about their quest through Waikiki."
Another time, Monroe recalls, a kamaaina team tried to do the Adventure Hunt by car and cell phone.
"We all know what a challenge parking in Waikiki is," she says. "Needless to say, they only answered about one-third of the questions and came in last. They took a major razzing from their friends but still managed to have a blast!"
COURTESY OF THE GREAT OHANA HUNT
The King Kalakaua statue.
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Monroe says she loves owning and operating a business that strengthens bonds between people, including her own family.
"Bob is transitioning out of the Army where he was a helicopter pilot and safety officer for 22 years," she says. "He's now the safety manager for a major construction company, but he helps out on weekends when he can.
"Whenever our 7-year-old daughter, Aiyana, finds out there's a hunt scheduled, she always asks, 'Can I come to work with you and help hand out the prizes?' It's both refreshing and rewarding to be part of an activity where participants have fun, learn something new and get exercise at the same time."
That's not to say there aren't challenges. With all of the construction going on in Waikiki, Monroe has found things she has used as landmarks are there one day and gone the next.
"I've had to learn to be a little more flexible and a lot more adaptable to the ever-changing environment that the Great Ohana Hunt operates in," she says. "But even considering all the logistics and headaches of a business like this, I'm still having the most fun I've ever had working!"
COURTESY OF THE GREAT OHANA HUNT
The Hilton Hawaiian Village's Rainbow Tower.
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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.