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VOLCANIC KAUA’I
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b y c hris t urner
When looking at the sharp, sheer cliffs and rugged terrain of the Nā Pali Coast, it seems like an impossible place for people to have lived. Yet, when the first Polynesian settlers sailed to Hawai’i in A.D. 850, they were quite enchanted by the pleasant, Hawaiian climate and plentiful amounts of natural resources. Wasting no time, they adapted to the Island’s challenges and set up camp.
Utilizing double-hulled voyaging canoes, the settlers brought everything they would need to successfully inhabit the Island. Among these items were coconuts for planting trees, taro (kalo) root, sugarcane, wild ginger, banana plants, ti plants, breadfruit, and yams. They also brought livestock such as pigs, chickens, and even dogs. The fringing reefs of Kaua’i, built up over time by the year-round, warm temperature of the sea water, created the perfect setting for a variety of edible marine life to inhabit. This was excellent for the women and children to obtain seafood from, and created a highly, nutritious diet for their families.
One notable fishing site was Nā Pali’s Nu’alolo Kai reef, which juts out into the sea, forming a natural jetty that protects the inner bay from the strong, northeast trade winds which bring crashing waves to this area year-round. Nu’alolo Kai’s reef teemed with fish and other wildlife such as sea turtles, seaweed, and edible sea shells, making life here quite sustainable for Kauai’s early inhabitants.
Despite living in an abundant paradise, life for the settlers was not entirely easy. Their daily reality was to survive against the harsh and quickly changing elements that nature presented to them.
During the winter months, the ocean and much of the shoreline was made inaccessible by the pounding giant surf which could reach heights of 40-feet at times, making it all but impossible to launch the fishing canoes.
Luckily, the settlers farmed taro, a root crop, which was relied upon as a staple in their diet. Taro is one of the most nutritious plants on earth, and valuable since none of the plant goes to waste. The corm of the taro plant may be pounded with a pounder into a gummy food called poi and preserved (e.g.semi-fermented) for later eating. Its leaves, when cooked, are spinach-like, vitaminrich, and quite delicious.
Kaua’i’s mountain slopes presented themselves green and lush with vegetation, which indicated that there was an abundance of fresh water available. The settlers built farming terraces with elaborate stone walls along the streams, which allowed for natural irrigation of their crops. Materials required for housing and canoe-building were abundant for the early settlers of Kaua’i. Two to three steep, treacherous trails led to a good supply of wood in the Kōke’e forests above the south end of Kalalau Valley. Eventually, the critical demand for firewood led the valley to become deforested, except for hala trees whose leaves, or lauhala, were used for making huts, mats and clothing necessities. The area appeared rather barren except for the occasional bread fruit or coconut tree. The most sacred koa trees were also spared in order to utilize them for making canoes.
During the rainy season, floods were expect- ed and accepted as part of the lifestyle. They were respected for the fact that they brought the renewal of vegetation, but also feared for creating potential landslides or earth slumps on the high cliffs above—even long after the rains ceased.
There were always areas of dry sand which would be heated by the sun during the day. This created a place for the people to have a reprieve from the colder, wetter regions, where they could warm themselves naturally in the Hawaiian sun.
In the 1860’s, the Nā Pali Coast’s Kalalau Valley became used as a place to send persons afflicted with leprosy (aka Hansen’s Disease). Since Kalalau Valley is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, opening out to the sea at the front, its remoteness was therefore much appreciated by the Hawaiian government as well as the leprous people who wished to live in seclusion away from judgement.
It is estimated that by the late 1890’s, as many as thirty-five leprous persons were living in Kalalau alongside many other people who were nonleprous.
Most Hawaiians had moved out from Kalalau by the early 1900s to the safer, less remote areas of Kauai.
n A p A li ’ s n u ’ A lolo k A i reef juts out to the se A , forming A n A tur A l jetty th A t protects the inner b A y from the strong , northe A st tr A de winds th A t bring cr A shing w A ves to the co A st ye A r - round . n u ’ A lolo k A i is teeming with tropic A l fish , se A turtles , se A weed , A nd edible se A shells . f or this re A son , n u ’ A lolo k A i w A s once the site of A flourishing , h A w A ii A n fishing vill A ge
Note of Caution: The waters around Kaua‘i are known for dangerous currents, large surf, shore breaks, and sneaker waves. It is critical that you check ocean conditions and consult with a lifeguard before going out into the water.
Note of Caution: The waters around Kaua‘i are known for dangerous currents, large surf, shore breaks, and sneaker waves. It is critical that you check ocean conditions and consult with a lifeguard before going out into the water.
Note of Caution: The waters around Kaua‘i are known for dangerous currents, large surf, shore breaks, and sneaker waves. It is critical that you check ocean conditions and consult with a lifeguard before going out into the water.
Note of Caution: The waters around Kaua‘i are known for dangerous currents, large surf, shore breaks, and sneaker waves. It is critical that you check ocean conditions and consult with a lifeguard before going out into the water.
Note of Caution: The waters around Kaua‘i are known for dangerous currents, large surf, shore breaks, and sneaker waves. It is critical that you check ocean conditions and consult with a lifeguard before going out into the water.
Touring Nā Pali Coast
Kē’ē
Beach is located at the end of the north shore’s road (Hwy. 560) on Kaua’i. It is also known as the gateway to the Nā Pali Coast by way of the Hanakāpī’ai Trail and Kalalau Trail.
Ho’olulu means “protected bay or waters.” The cove was once an area where ancient Hawaiian canoers took refuge. There are three sea caves at Ho’olulu.
The Hanakāpī’ai Trail is a 2-mile hike from Kē’ē Beach, and takes you to Hanakāpī’ai Beach, a sandy beach surrounded by a heavenly rainforest-like valley. Hiking further into the valley, one will discover an amazing waterfall. Beware of the tempting ocean here—the Nā Pali Coast ocean currents are an invisible killer at this location, taking many peoples’ lives through the years—when in doubt DO NOT go out.
Waiwaipuhi Sea Cave means “great blowhole,” and was named this because the cave literally turns into a giant, spewing blowhole in the winter months when the pounding surf crashes against it. Boat captains have nicknamed it Pirate’s Cave. This cave has a large entrance, and is 951 feet in length.
Waiahuakua Valley Double-door Cave
At1,155 feet in length, the Waiahuakua Sea Cave is second on the list in rank for the world’s longest sea caves. This dark and spooky sea cave has a separate entrance and exit, and is nicknamed the Double- door Sea Cave. Inside the cave’s corridor, a lively waterfall gushes down through a hole in the ceiling. This is, handsdown, the most thrilling sea cave to explore on the Nā Pali Coast.
TheNā Pali Coast Sea Arch is highlighted by Pōhakuao Falls in the background. When sea conditions are extremely calm, smaller vessels (e.g. rafts and kayaks) may travel right through the arch. Upon exiting, you will be treated to a panoramic view of the entire Nā Pali Coast.
Hanakoa
Valley is often used as a halfway point camping station for those hiking the Kalalau Trail. A large portion of the Bali Hai Ridge is here. The back of the valley is surrounded by 2,000 ft. high cliffs, with a waterfall cascading down the middle of the ridge.
For Hollywood (aka “Nā Pali-wood”), Honopū Beach is a favorite movie filming location. Six Days Seven Nights, King Kong, and Pirates of the Caribbean are just a few productions that easily come to mind. Honopū Beach made its most famous Hollywood debut in Goldfinger, when James Bond is seen riding in a red helicopter, being chased under and through Honopū’s natural seaside archway.
Honopū is also known as “The Valley of the Lost Tribe.” This name refers to ancient times when this now silent, brooding valley was believed to be the setting for a group of mythical Mū people, who later vanished for no apparent reason. It is also believed that the upper valley was inhabitated by ~300 Hawaiians. They would have been shielded from invaders by the 3,000-foot high, sheer cliffs that line the back of the valley. Visitors have reported feeling a very uncomfortable, eery presence at Honopū, and it is believed that ancient spirits still wander forlornly through the valley.
TheOpen-ceiling Cave, also known as Queen’s Bath, is actually a hollowed-out lava tube on Nā Pali Coast. The ceiling of the cave has crashed into the sea floor below. When the surf on Nā Pali Coast is minimal, smaller crafts can safely enter the cave, treating passengers to a spectacular view of the sky above, due to the “open ceiling.” In the summer season, the mid-morning sunlight streams through the cave’s dark entrance, penetrating the crystal-clear waters and reflecting off of the white, sandy bottom. The result is electrifying, as colors of blues and greens seem to glow out of the water at the cave entrance—it’s truly spellbinding.
Awa‘awapuhi is the narrowest and deepest of Nā Pali’s
Valley is the narrowest and deepest of Nā Pali’s remote, isolated valleys. Legends say that the name refers to the valley’s sinuous curves and twists, which wind between 3,000-foot walls, like a slithering eel, or puhi. Another legend claims that the valley is named for the wild ginger, or ‘awapuhi, that grows there. Nowadays, this valley of the wild ginger appears far less lush than it was in ancient times, since the irrigated terraces for cultivating taro plants have long since fallen away. There can still be seen a multitude of half-washed away rock dams that at one time went completely through the stream to create perfect terraces for growing taro. On its western side, at the point overlooking the ocean, is a rock wall temple platform, or heiau, once used for worship.
Nu‘alolo Kai Beach was the portal to the sea for the people living in Nu’alolo ‘Āinā Valley. A premier, fishing village once flourished here, though only traces of it now remain. While plantings behind the beach provided some food and medicine for the people, it was the protected reef that was most prized for its supply of multicolored fish, seaweeds, and shellfish, such as ‘opihi limpets and pipipi snails. Outrigger canoes most likely lined the beach, ready for offshore fishing when schools of oceanic fishes like aku,
Nu‘alolo
‘Āinā is impressive due to the visible remains of terraces, used for growing taro. Taro, or kalo, grows in watery paddy fields and upland rainy areas, and is considered a perfect food plant all around. Its heart-shaped green leaves have a delicious, spinach flavor, while its starchy tuber is similar in consistency to a potato. Hawaiians resided in this valley for hundreds of years, well into the early 20th century. Adjacent to it, and once connected by a primitive ladder over the separating cliff, is the Nu’alolo Kai Beach and Valley, which also contains multiple, elaborate lava rock terraces visible from the ocean.
Miloli‘i
Beach is a wide, expansive beach and a favorite camping and resting spot for kayakers during the spring and summer months, when the Nā Pali Coast becomes calm enough for day excursions. Unlike Kalalau Beach, there is no connecting hiking trail into Miloli‘i. It is accessible only by small boat or kayak. The narrow channel through the reef is especially tricky to navigate when the tradewinds are blowing strongly.
