Flight Centre, in collaboration with Hawaii Tourism and Jetstar, recently sent the cast and crew of the Sunrise morning show, along with 130 viewers to Hawaii's sandy shores. Kochie, Sam and the rest of the crew have been up to a lot since beginning their live broadcast Saturday morning.
Here's a collection of the highlights from Sunrise's first two days in Hawaii, including behind-the-scenes footage:
.........................................................................................................................................................
Day 1: Sunrise Lands In Hawaii
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sunrise viewers arrive in Hawaii. All images: Sunrise
Sunrise kicked off its Hawaiian jaunt with a big first day. There was excitement aboard the Jetstar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it landed in Honolulu on Saturday morning carrying the cast and crew, 130 viewers and the very energetic Cash Cow.
Guests checked into their rooms at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, before having the entire day to explore the resort and nearby beach at their leisure. The highlight of the day was the welcome drinks held at the Hilton's Rainbow Suite, where there Sunrise team mingled with their fellow Aussie travellers.
One special couple was also on the flight to Hawaii: soon-to-be newlyweds Chris and Tara. They won the "Get Hitched In Hawaii" competition and will be saying their vows on the beach in Honolulu, sharing the moment with close friends and family, but not before enjoying the week in their exquisite room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
However, the cake (pun intended) for first day excitement had to go to the Sunrise crew who staged an elaborate birthday surprise for co-host Kochie, inspired by his favourite movie: Jurassic Park.
Day 1 behind the scenes with Sunrise's Nat
Nat lets us into her make-up prep before the welcome drinks at Hilton Hawaiian Village on the first night to share her thoughts about Kochie's surprise birthday present.
Interested in Maui? More To Maui Than Meets The Eye
Your Hawaii guide: Aloha - A First Timer's Guide To Hawaii
.........................................................................................................................................................
Day 2: First Live Broadcast On A Sunday
.........................................................................................................................................................
Kochie, Sam and Tim Omaji on stage during the first day of broadcasting in Hawaii. All images: Sunrise
For many of the Sunrise cast and crew, Day 2 delivered their first ever live broadcast on a Sunday, a necessity due to the 21-hour time difference between Honolulu to Sydney. Filming started at 9am on Sunday (6am on Monday for most Australians)
The excitement of being in a new country increased as the crew was welcomed to Hawaii by Halau o Kaululaua'e, Kumu Hula, and Miki'ala Kanekoa dancers.
Memorable performances continued when Tim Omaji (formerly known as Timomatic) took to the stage for his first of three songs of the morning, 'Parachute'.
And there was plenty of time for the Sunrise crew to get up to their own shenanigans, unveiling the first part of their Gilligan's Island series, a tribute to the 1960s television show that was filmed on an island off the coast of Oahu. Described by Sam as "the version you have never wanted to see", the team put their own spin on this classic. You might be surprised by the casting decisions.
Although Kochie and Sam were only shooting from the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon in Honolulu, Sunrise had its resident field reporter Eddy on the island of Maui, sharing some of the fascinating things visitors to its shores could experience including riding in a submarine.
And tasting a Hawaiian delicacy, shave ice.
Finally, the team finished off their first morning in Hawaii by embracing the local culture and learning the art of the Hula dance with more than a little help courtesy of dancers from Tihati Productions.
It wasn't all Sunrise in the morning and boredom in the afternoon for the 130 travelling guests. Flight Centre and Hawaii Tourism organised tours for everyone to the historic site of Pearl Harbor including expert guides, entry aboard the Navy Shuttle and a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial World War II museum. Half of the group attended the tours on the second day with the other half booked in for the experience today.
Day 2 behind the scenes with Sam and Nat
Sunrise's Sam and Nat practice speaking the local language and share their style choices for the first day of broadcasting in Hawaii.
