Akaka Falls State Park is nestled along the northeastern Hamakua Coast. The two mellifluous waterfalls are seen on only one short hike. A pleasant half a mile trek will take you through a lush rainforest of wild orchids, bamboo groves and coquettish ferns. You'll pinch yourself to find this is all indeed real, especially with the 100-foot Kahuna Falls and the towering Akaka Falls, which plummet down 442 feet.

This zoo was made world famous by The Crocodile Hunter himself — Steve Irwin. Although best known for its crocodiles and crocodile feedings, the zoo also features wildlife from all around Australia and the world over, including koalas, tigers, and even the possibility of hand-feeding a kangaroo.

Convict Lumber Yard was once an industrial workplace for prisoners. This museum now houses sculptures and charts that will bring you back about a hundred years and show you what a convict's life was like. You can also get an insight into the development of the local settlement.

This extravagantly decorated clandestine church built centuries ago when Catholicism was considered a crime is hidden in plain sight behind an unassuming front door in the city centre. Those walking down Juffrouw Idastraat would never imagine that within one of the typical terraced houses lies the enormous Parish of Saints James and Augustine where Catholics used to practice their faith in secret. Nobody is quite sure who built the church, but the stunning baroque plastering seems to suggest that it was the famous architect and artist Daniel Marot or one of his students. Book a free tour which takes you through the church and the attic to the more recent Bishop’s Chamber which is full of some of the original features and furniture that were used in the 1700s.