Big Island of Hawaii - Part 4

Pahoa is off the beaten path and is a bit of a detour from the now main road to the Volcano area. It is a place that not a lot of tourist get to see, but is well worth visiting.

The countryside surrounding Pahoa is filled with beautiful natural wonders like the Lava Tree State Park, steam vents, groves of papaya trees and black sand beaches along the rugged Puna coast. Much of the area has yet to add electricity and city water. From the bays at Isaac Hale Beach Park to Kalapana, the coastal road, Route 137, winds through untouched pine forests, open pastures and dense tropical foliage of the rainforest. While traveling on Route 137 you will also pass seaside tidepools and quiet fishing spots. Many of the circle island tour guides on the Big Island call Puna the most scenic and rural area of the Big Island. Once you are captured by the Puna magic it is hard to leave.

Pahoa is a little town close to the Volcano National Park that is lost in the '60's which to me is very cool that it has not change very much over the last 50 years. This quaint sleepy village has kept it's diverse culture, with everyone living together harmoniously.

Pahoa was first a rugged sawmill town then a sugar town and also a crossroad on the old railroad. The Puna Sugar Company closed down it's platation in 1984. It is now a very laid back community. There are areas that were covered up by the lava flow in 1960.

Main Street in Pahoa is very charming and has maintained its western style storefronts and wood boardwalks in a charming turn of the century Victorian style. The psychedelic wall paintings get replaced periodically as the old ones fade away from the weather but, for the most part, remains the same as as it always has as far back as I can remember.

When you go to Pahoa, you get the feel that the village is "lost in the 60's". The village is an artist community with a mixture of artist, old hippies, colorful characters, and every ethnicity under the sun living together harmoniously.

Most of the old buildings are a showcase of the local artist talent and eclectic design. The photo on the right is the store front of the local clothing boutique.

There is the Computer Hospital that doubles as a bed and breakfast, as you can see on the left, and what village would be a village without a tattoo parlor? Check it out below.

There is a very laid back and organic feel to Pahoa. There are more people still living off the land here than you will find in the "city" of Hilo or the resort area of Kailua-Kona and most make a conscious effort to not leave any carbon footprints.

Vintage Hawaii Pipeline
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RARE Vintage 1970 Surf T-shirt

Above is what the beach use to look like. Whenever we would go to Hilo for the day to do our shopping, we would stop at Kalapana, that we knew as Kaimû, on our way home for a swim. You use to be able to drive all along the coast back to Kona. Not any more.

Our first stop was always at Queen's Bath in Kalapana. The Queen's Bath was a natural swimming pool made entirely out of puka puka stone (porous lava rocks)and was fed naturally partly by a fresh water spring and partly by the ocean. It was of course where the ali'i (royalty) of old would bathe, hence the name, and all the children of Puna would play and swim.

In 1983, 25 years ago, Kilauea - Mauna Ulu, erupted again and hasn't stopped since. In 1987, the lava, headed toward the Queen's Bath and slowing enveloped it and filled it in with molten lava.

"I used to go there every morning and swim," said Ed Frazer, one of the local residence. "Everybody would go there on a hot day after school."

Queen's Bath was right outside the Volcano National Park. Park Ranger Mardie Lane was there the night lava filled it. "You could see it boil," she said. "Tiny fish and shrimp lived there. It was almost like a miso soup because of all the creatures in the water." she stated.

In 1990, the beach and the town were completely covered by lava, and the church was moved to higher ground. This is the church as it stands today. It has been nicely repainted and will be safe for a while until "Auntie Pele" reminds us once more that her religion is the only one and cleans house again.

In 1997, the Wahaula Heiau, a 700-year-old sacrificial temple was wiped out.

This is a photo of one of the flows that wiped out Kalapana Village. Courtesy of the Honolulu Star Bulletin Newspaper

This is how the coconut grove at Kalapana Beach looks now. Quite different from what it use to look like and almost as if it is struggling to come back. You can see the uplift of the rift zone that acts as a shield and separates the volcano area from the rest of the Big Island.

Everything on this side of that rift is separating from the rest of the island and sinking slowly into the ocean. Scientists are predicting that this huge land mass might one day slide back into the ocean causing the most gigantic tidal waves and natural destruction throughout the Pacific like man has ever witnessed.

The old Kalapana Black Sand Beach and Village is gone, but there is a new one in the making. Not too long, when the molten lava hit the ocean, it exploded into tiny granules of black sand. Together with the coconuts that are growing we may one day have our beautiful, laid -back community once more. However, it probably won't be in my life time as it will take many, many years before roads can once again go through Kalapana and we never know where "Auntie Pele" will erupt next.

To learn more of how our life was in Kalapana 25 years ago visit Kalapana

Keali'i Reichel's 1st Album - Ke'Alaokamaile

Review:
By writing and performing pieces in the old language with authentic instruments, he voices the real strength of his people. This is something that must be preserved. The beauty and strength of our culture is self-evident. If you want to hear some fantastic Hawaiian music, chanting and heartfelt aloha, you will want to add this CD to your collection of Hawaiian music!
Ke'Alaokamaile

Keali'i's 2nd Release - Lei Hali'a
Lei hali'a means "to be surrounded in memories"

Review:
This beautiful music is sung in the traditional Hawaiian style. The music is more heartfelt, expressive and emotional than anything in English. Keali'i Reichel is helping to preserve the Hawaiian culture by donating a portion of his proceeds to educational programs for the children of Hawai'i to keep the aloha spirit alive through its children.
Lei Hali'a

E O Mai - Keali'i's third album

Review
The title track is one of the most perfect songs to listen to. I could listen to Keali'i sing all night and I wouldn't get tired of it. He is a perfectionist who as a Kumu Hula (hula master), establishes great flow to his beautiful music.
E O Mai

Ke'Alaokamaile

The Grammy-nominated Ke' Alaokamaile is the Keal'i's tribute to his family, singing about his ancestors and his own life so far.

Ke'Alaokamaile

It use to be free to drive through the Volcano area, but since it became a National Park you now have to pay $10 a car, for a 7 day pass, to get into the park. If you're hoofing it, backpacking or riding a bike then it is $5.

Weather at the volcano area is unpredictable so be prepared before going as it can get chilly, but most of the the time shorts are fine. Wear layers and bring a pair of long pants to change into just in case the weather does dampen off. The summit is about 4000 feet in elevation and can be cold and rainy and the trails at sea level are hot and arid

Wear sturdy shoes, or hiking boots if you plan on hiking around the park to visit the steam vents and petroglyph's as the terrain is very rugged, the aa rocks are very sharp and can cut, and some areas are extremely hot!

Visit the The Official Hawaii Volcano National Park website for more information on the park itself.

Many people do not realize that they are already standing on a portion of the volcano once they reach the Kilauea Visitor's Center. I always get a kick out of it whenever I hear a tourist ask the park rangers, "Where the hell is the volcano?" The park rangers always grin when they answer. "You're standing on it!"

Cars or bikes can take one of the short drives around Kilauea Crater via Crater Rim Drive. This 11-mile drive circles Kilauea's summit caldera (Spanish for cauldron) and craters, passes through rain forest to Thurston Lava Tube, through the arid desert region of the Kau desert, and provides access to well marked scenic stops and short walks.

Places of interest include Sulphur Banks, Steam Vents, Jaggar Museum, Halema'uma'u Crater, Devastation Trail, Kilauea Iki Crater, and Thurston Lava Tube.

At the Kilauea Visitor Center you can collect a lot of information, watch films of past eruptions and get maps and trail guide schedules from the park rangers.

Don't feel like driving or hiking? You can go on horseback or rent a helicopter.

If you don't want to go on one of the scheduled hikes with a park ranger, then stop and get a map of the Visitor Center before venturing out, so that you will know what areas to avoid and what trails are accessible while you are there. Stay away from cliffs that are over hanging the ocean as they are hot and tend to collapse. My warning to "Stay Alive" was no joke!

In 1959 when Kilauea first erupted we where staying with some relatives in Hilo while my father was at a Chiropractic convention. (My father, Dr. Parker, was the governor of the western United States for the American Chiropractic Association at the time.) All of us kids were sleeping on futons in my Auntie's spare room when awakened by two very excited parents. It was "Wiki wiki - hurry up - get dressed the volcano has erupted!" My mother bundled us all up as it was cold out and it gets even colder at night as the climb takes you to higher elevations. I was dressed in a pair of corduroy pants over my flannel pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt over my flannel pajama top, with a thick Chinese style quilted jacket on top of that, to keep me warm against the cold night air.

In those days there weren't many roads and we had to park the car at a lower level and hike to the volcano. The entire skyline was a fiery glow in the dark sky as far as you could see, as if the world were on fire, as in a sense it was. Our world was ablaze. The closer we got to the eruption the hotter it got and the clothes started peeling off, one by one, as the heat became more intense. We arrive at the edge of the crater at about midnight.

It was a sight that I will never forget as long as I live! We were at the edge of the crater, yet still a mile or two from the actual eruption, but the heat was so intense that my eyebrows and eyelashes were singeing. All of the trees around the crater were on fire and the ground below us had split open with a fountain of flames and molten lave shooting 100's feet into the air. My first thought was that God had opened the earth to show us what hell looks like.

My older sister and my father left the rest of us with my mother and the crowd that was beginning to form, and ventured down closer to the eruption to get some photos. When they returned, the skin on their faces and hands were slightly burned and all of the hair had been singed off. The intensity of the heat is indescribable. It is hard to imagine the feeling of something so extremely hot from such a far distance as we where that night.

The beauty of the fountain of white, yellow, gold and red lava shooting into the night air against the backdrop of the black skyline was exquisitely breathtaking and then I saw her in the midst of the flames. Madame Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. Her beautiful face with dark, high check bones and dark eyes flashing with the reflection of fire. Her long black hair bellowing and swirling behind and around her head in the gaseous winds created by the spewing lava. I gasped and called to everyone there in the crowd that had gathered, "Auntie Pele! Auntie Pele!", while pointing at her image. Everyone saw her. We watched mesmerized, as time seemed to stop and a few of the elders began chanting Hawaiian prayers.

As we watched our beautiful goddess dance away in the flames, I realized that what had seemed like hours had in reality only been about 15 minutes and I wondered what had caused Madame Pele to be so angry with us. My Auntie I`o, who had been one of the chanters, told me later that she wasn't angry with us, that she was just reminding us of her existence and that her supreme power is in creating new life from the old, by cleansing away the past, as we should remember to do also. My Auntie I`o told me to always remember the blessing that I had received from her viewing.

To this day whenever I see photos of volcanic eruptions I can always pick out this Kilauea Iki eruption. There has never been, before or since, an eruption as spectacular as this one.

Paintings by our beloved Herbert Kawa'inui Kane

Na Huku is the Hawaiian name (the literal translation is difficult but is basically a plural description of the way the tube protrudes, or elongates into many) for the Thurston Lava Tube. Scientist figure it to be somewhere between 400 and 500 years old. Having grown up in Hawaii I have been through this tube numerous times. The walk takes about 20 minutes and gets very dark, so you should bring a flashlight. It is also very wet and slippery as the tube is located in the rain forest.

Lava tubes are formed by the molten lava forcing it's way through the harden rock and flowing through the mountain. The lava then flows underground, through these self-made tubes. The distances that the lava travels are extended since the tube's roof effectively insulates the molten lava, keeping it fluid for a longer time. Once the flow ceases, the the lava pours out of the chambers, leaving an open chamber. As the surface walls begin cooling, the tube hardens, but often the roof may collapse in time, which forms pits or craters.

There are many lava tubes all over the island but this is the largest that is accessible by the tourist. Many of the lava tubes are on sacred ground and are kapu (forbidden) to visitors.

The flower on your left is a Fuchsia plant and grows wild in the area.

The tube is named for Lorrin Thurston, a newspaper publisher that played an instrumental role in creating the Volcano National Park.

To get to the entrance of the tube, you will walk a short distance through the rain forest that again is filled with hundreds of different species of ferns, plants and ohi'a trees like pictured on the right.

The photo below is of the young shoots of the giant hapu'u (tree fern) of which you will find an abundance here.

Visiting the tube in the late afternoon is usually very quite as the tour buses have left to finish their circle island tours and it is much darker as the sun has changed it's direction. It is much cooler and sometimes the wind comes whistling through sounding like lost souls. As kids we use to scare the crap out of each other as it is very spooky in the tube at this time.

If you have a full day and are relatively fit, the 4-mile hike on the Kilauea Iki trail is a highly recommended one. The trail descends about 400 feet through a Hawaiian rain forest, into the crater, and across lava flows still steaming from the 1959 eruption.

Since Pu'u'O'o vent just erupted again, the possibility of hiking into the crater is unknown as of this writing. You'll just have to remember to check with the park rangers once you get there.

The name Devastation Trail was so named as this is a leisurely walk through what was once an ohia forest, and was devastated by Kilauea Iki's 1959 eruption. Ohi'a is indigenous to Hawaii It is only a one mile paved path that is reminiscent of the surface of the moon. You can see the plants returning to the stark landscape. This is one of the most photographed areas in the Volcano National Park.

There are many stories about Madame Pele and her many lovers, most of whom did not survive her fiery love. This is a short version of the tale of the one lover who proved a match for Pele, Kamapua`a (the pig-man, demi-god).

Painting by the island's living-legend, renown artist, Herbert Kane

"Kamapua'a had his upper body and head tattooed in black and menacing designs. He shaved his head, and grew a short black bristle on scalp and chin. He cut himself a short cloak out of the skin of a wild hog, and wore it, hairy side out. Did he look like a hog? Some would say so, but there are no mirrors in the mountains and the ever moving rivers deceive."*

He eventually became so powerful that the pig god could also change and appear as a plant or as various types of fish, on of which was named after him, the humu-humu nuku-nuku apua'a.

He and Pele were at odds from the beginning; she covered the land with barren lava, he brought torrents of rain to extinguish her fires and called the wild boars to dig up the land, softening it so seeds could grow.

The legend is that Pele was attacked near here by Kamapua`a a kahuna (priest) of Pele whom may have been named for Kalapana. When Kamapua'a came to Kilauea to court Pele, she rejected his love when she discover what he was and cried out at him, "A'ohe 'oe kanaka he pua'a, you are not a man, you are a pig."

He was insulted and lashed out at her. In Puna, at a place called Ka-lua-o-Pele, where the land seems torn up as if a great struggle had taken place, legend says Kamapua'a finally caught and ravaged Pele.

Kamapua'a, was also jealous of Pele's ability to make lava spout from the ground at will, so covered it with the fronds of the fern trying to smother the fire. He only succeeded in creating vog. Choking from the smoke which she could not escape from anymore, Pele emerged. And a furious battle ensued between them. Pele hurled fire and molten lava. Kamapua'a retaliated with storms of rain.

The battle raged and the two weakened as first fire won, then rain, then fire. Realizing that each could threaten the other with destruction, the gods had to call their fight a draw and divided the island between them: Kamapua'a got the windward northeastern side, and Pele got the drier Kona ("leeward") side. After that, Kamapua'a turned himself into the "ama'u fern and surrounded the summit caldera to be close to Pele".

Thus the name Halema'uma'u (house surrounded by the ama'u fern). The fern's poetic name, pua'a 'ehu'ehu (singed pig) refers to the new fronds' rusty red color, a sign that Kamapua'a was singed by the last bits of Pele's fire.

The two remained tempestuous lovers, it is said, until a child was born, then Kamapua'a sailed away and Pele went back to her philandering ways.

To this day the fern that are still growing around the caldera are tinged with a rusty orange color as if singed by fire.

The `ama`u fern are all species of an endemic genus of ferns (Sadleria), with trunk more or less evident. The fronds are narrower, smaller, and less divided than those of the hapu`u (tree fern).

At least one species has at the top of the trunk pulu, a mass of soft scales used as pillow stuffing.

In the days of my ancestors, the tasteless pith of the trunk was cooked and eaten, in times of famine. The fronds were, and still are, used to mulch dry-land taro, the stems for plaiting into baskets and as sizing for kapa cloth. The photo shows the `ama`u 's reddish-brown fronds, with Halema`uma`u Crater in the background.
Photo courtesy of P. Fukunaga, The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

The Steaming Bluff is a treeless plain between the inner and outer cliffs of Kilauea Caldera. The ground just a few feet down is so hot that tree roots cannot survive but shallow-rooted grasses & plants grow here.

Take the short walk to the caldera's edge to see the steam along the bluff. Across the road is the Sulfur Bank Trail where volcanic gases seep from the ground, depositing sulphur crystals and other minerals on rocks along this paved trail and boardwalk.

The sulfur comes from hydrogen sulfide, which is one of the gases emitted by the volcano. As the gas rises, it cools and forms minerals at the steam vents.

The steam vents are caused by the rain fall dripping down onto the hot lava rock beneath the surface and forming steam, which of course rises to escape through the pukas, holes, in the ground.

Along the Chain of Craters Road there is a pile of puka puka stone with a sign stuck in the center of the stones that says "Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs" and that is just about the only direction you will have unless you got a map at the Kilauea Visitor Center which is just a wee bit better. As the aina, land, changes you never know what will still be there and what will not.

Follow the trail until you come to the boardwalk and then follow the boardwalk and you will see the petroglyph's. The boardwalk was constructed to protect the petroglyph from visitors as the erosion caused not only by the feet of visitors walking, but also by the constant "rubbing's" people were taking of the images to take home with them. Please, while visiting the petroglyph's, take photographs, but cease from touching or rubbing the ancient symbols, least they be no more.

Pu'u loa in the Hawaiian language, is a long or distant swelling or hill. The center of Pu`u loa consists of a volcanic pressure dome with different levels and areas of ancient, pahoehoe, hence the name is a description of the lay of the land.

The archaeologist date Pu'u Loa back to between AD 1200-1450. This place is a sacred place to us in Hawai'i.

The archaeological site of Pu`u Loa contained over 23,000 petroglyph images. These images contain pukas or holes, circles, spirals, and other geometric and cryptic designs, including anthropomorph drawings, canoe sails, and even feathered capes.

This is not the only place on the Big Island that petroglyph's can be found, but this is the area most accessible to tourist.

Reverend William Ellis, a missionary to the Hawaiian and Society Islands, recorded the earliest written observation of the petroglyphs at Pu`ul oa in 1823:

"On inquiry, we found that they had been made by former travelers, from a motive similar to that which induces a person to carve his initials on a stone or tree, or a traveler to record his name in an album, to inform his successors that he had been there.

When there were a number of concentric circles with a dot or mark in the center, the dot signified a man, and the number of rings denoted the number in the party who had circumambulated the island. When there was a ring and a number of marks, it denoted the same; the number of marks showing of how many the party consisted; and the ring, that they had traveled completely around the island; but when there was only a semicircle, it denoted that they had returned after reaching the place where it was made. [1917:203]"

There are places where the ancient footprints of Hawaiian warriors crossing the ash in their bare feet are have been fossilized over time. Just imagine the strength of the ancient Hawaiians, some as tall as 7 feet, walking on the still warm lava, yet soft enough to leave their footprints, drawing these signs as they traveled through the area. The footprints on record, measuring up to 15 inches in length.

The Hawai'i state bird is the Nene (pronounced nay-nay) goose, and is an indigenous species (Branta sandvicensis) of goose found solely in the Hawaiian Islands.You can often see them at the Hawaii Volcano National Park.

The nene was at one time quite prevalent in Hawai'i but is now one of the rarest bird in the world. With the introduction of the mongoose to the Hawaiian islands to eradicate the rat infestation brought by the visiting ships, and the hunting of the bird for it's meat and feathers, the population has dwindled to the point of extinction.

Another factor that has contributed to the demise of the nene population has been the destruction of the bird's natural habitats from urban sprawl. By 1952 there were only 30 known birds left in the islands.

Nene's are no longer found on Oahu at all and can now only be found on Maui, Kaua'i, and mainly on Hawai'i, the Big Island.

Because of successful breeding in captivity, the birds were reintroduced to the wild in 2004 and the estimated count is somewhere around 600 now.

When you see the birds at the Volcano National Park, please do not feed them as they tend to flock in the parking lots looking for more food once they have received it from visitors there. This can also be detrimental to the birds as cars have inadvertently run them over in the parking lot by the unobservant motorist that have just finished feeding the birds.

The Nene's are now protected by the Federal government and it is a Federal crime to cause injury to these birds. So, by refraining from feeding and injuring the birds, you will have a pleasant vacation ,not a ruined one, by being thrown in a Hawaiian prison.

You have been warned!

You cannot leave the volcano area without having a visit to the historic Volcano House Hotel, at least for a cocktail!

The first Volcano House had it's humble beginnings as a grass hut around 1824 when Princess Kapiolani with her aloali'i ka`alani, members of the court, stopped at the rim of the crater and build a grass hut for shelter.

After many years and many buildings later, in 1866, a more substantial Volcano House was constructed of grass and ohia poles. Mark Twain was a guest at the hotel the very same year and described it as "neat, roomy, well furnished and a well kept hotel. The surprise of finding a good hotel at such as outlandish spot startled me, considerably more than the volcano did."

The Volcano House continued to evolve and it's first wooden structure was built in 1877. The newly build hotel had a rustic, warm, mountain lodge feeling with a huge fireplace made out of puka puka stone from the volcano. The same fireplace has survived a fire and has continued to burn for 125 years keeping visitors warm with it's aloha and the same warm feeling of aloha, to this day, reverberates within it's walls.

"Uncle George" Lycurgus bought the place in 1895. "Uncle George", as everyone called him, was from Greece. He ran that hotel for 65 years. He ran it with warmth and charm until he died at 101.

Everyone said that he could communicate with "Auntie Pele". For years he had been able to predict when the volcano was going to erupt. The day of the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption of we had been at the Volcano House with my mother paying a visit to "Uncle George". He told us kids that day that the volcano would erupt that night and it did.

The rooms at the Volcano House are by no means luxurious. They are quaint and clean but you will not find a TV in the rooms.

Whenever I have stayed there I never felt I needed one as there was always some sort of Hawaiian entertainment going on in the lounge. The hotel is very ohana, family style, very warm and the service very gracious.

The Hawaii Volcano House is heated by the steam from the volcano. There is a Japanese style fudo, steam bath, also generated by the steam from the volcano, that is wonderful to soak in after hiking around the craters all day. Just ask the front desk for the key.

Once you have soaked away the aches of the day, dined on some of the wonderful food the hotel has to offer, had cocktails, and entertainment, you won't need that TV, telephone or alarm clock addiction. Which is a good thing, as there aren't any in the rooms at the Volcano House. But it is O.K. You will be so relaxed and full that all you will want to do is sleep anyway!

As we head towards the most southern part of the island we are entering the District of Ka'u.

The next place we'll be passing through is another old sugar plantation town called Pahala. Pahala is the ash residue left over from burning hala leaves.

Sugar cane was raised here in Pahala from the 1800's until they finally shut down in 1996.

An interesting fact about Pahala Sugar Mill was in 1970 when there was the first gas shortage in Hawaii, a fella by the name of Bob Shleser had proposed an idea to Doc Buyer, the CEO of C Brewer Sugar Company, to convert the Pahala Sugar Mill into producing Ethanol fuel from sugarcane.

All of us environmentalist and conservationist back then were talking about the use of fossil fuels; looking for alternative energy sources; warning people not to have so many babies, as the earth would not be able to support them; slowing down the consumption of petroleum products, organic gardening, etc, etc, etc.

When we heard about this proposal we thought it was a fantastic idea for the use of sugarcane. It would be a much better use than actually eating the sugar. LOL and it would keep everybody working. There were three and four generations of families that had worked these fields. It was all they knew how to do.

Bob Shleser had also proposed a bill that would require 25% of all of the automobiles in Hawaii to be retrofitted to use Ethanol by the year 1985.

Doc Buyer chickened out on the whole plan. What a short-sighted idiot! This would not only have been a way to save the sugar plantations, save the local jobs and economy, but it would have made C Brewer gazillions and who knows what it would have done for the environment as far as Ethanol production!

In 1994, Doc Buyer made a last ditch effort to keep the mill running. But it required all workers to take drastic pay cuts; most would have to accept minimum wage. The workers refused. Can you imagine trying to live in Hawaii on minimum wage? Auwe! That was a no can do, however, that sealed the fate of the sugar legacy in Pahala and the Hawaiian islands. It was cheaper to produce and import to the mainland from the Carribean.

The last sugarcane was hauled and processed at the mill. Over the next 2 years the mill was dismantled and sold as parts to other manufacturing plants around the world. The sugar plantation and mill shut down in April, 1996.

By 1960 Macadamia nut plantations were growing and have completely taken their place.

If you ever had the dream of learning how to play the ukulele, the Hawaiian slack key guitar and living the Hawaiian lifestyle, the Pahala Plantation house features the popular Kahumoku Hawaiian Music & Lifestyle Workshop.

The workshops teach hands-on instruction in ukulele, slack key guitar, acoustic Hawaiian steel guitar, slack key bass, as well as song improvisation, chanting, song pronunciation and interpretation.

Participants can also enjoy private lessons and nightly kani ka pila, jam, sessions. Scholarships are also available. Last December's camp finished off with a traditional luau, but local style (authentic) not haole style (tourist).

For information on the next workshop that will be held or for scholarship applications, visit Hawaiian Music & Lifestyle Workshop

You may also contact the Pahala Plantation at
mahalo@aloha.net,
Call us at: 808-928-9811
Write us at:
Pahala Plantation House
PO Box 940
Pahala, HI 96777

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach is famous for the population of green turtles that love to come ashore and bask in the sun. The turtle are now protected by the federal government and they show no fear of humans while they enjoy the sun.

The Honu, green sea turtles are the ones that come ashore during the day and the Honu'ea, hawksbill turtles, are the night dwellers. The reason they are federally protected , obviously, is that their numbers are dwindling. Again, the oceans have been over fished and the turtles, considered a delicacy to many Asian and European countries, use to be and still are sought out for the high dollar brought in for their meat.

When coming into contact with the turtles napping on the beach, please KEEP YOUR DISTANCE and do not bother them or try to drag them back into the ocean. They will leave of their own accord when they are good and ready to. Great harm can be caused to them by dragging, poking, trying to force feed them, or any of the other idiot things humans will do to for entertainment.

With that being said Punalu'u is an awesome place to swim, snorkel and dive. It is a wonderful place to just kick back and enjoy a relaxing day on the beach.

Remember...you are still in Pele's home. Do not remove the black sand from the beach to take home as a souvenir! You may just live to regret it.

Ka'lea is the most southern point of the United States. This is a trivia question often missed on mainland game shows.

A great place to fish for ulua from the shore or jump off the cliffs for a swim. Ulua we would catch on the shoreline using a bamboo fishing pole. Yummy! So ono, delicious to eat!

It's also a great place for deep sea fishing! We have pulled in many an ahi (yellow fin tuna), Ono (wahoo), and opakapaka (red snapper) here at South Point. These are my favorite fish to eat! Nah! I like 'em all!

We use to take the fishing boat, the Ravakai, out to South Point for three day fishing trips. You can catch quite a haul out there.


To the east of the boat ramp is a trail where you can hike down to the Green Sand Beach. The hike is about two miles, but is well worth it.

The green color of the beach comes from the Hawaiian diamonds (olivine) that has been broken down by the surf pounding on the shoreline. Sometimes you can find large stones on the beach that haven't yet been broken down.

South Point is known for its powerful winds, making it the perfect location for the wind farm located there. Yup, it's so windy that some of the trees are growing horizontal, with their branches growing low to the ground, and in the same direction as the wind as you can see from the photo.

The original South Point Kamaoa Wind Farm at Ka Lae, was first turned on in 1985. It was shut down in August 2006 because of it's older and obsolete technology. Westinghouse, the original manufacturer of the turbines, quit manufacturing the turbines and all replacement parts. As the parts wore out, the cost of maintenance increased and the old units were no longer an efficient energy source.

Apollo Energy Corporation purchased and re-powered the retired Kamaoa Wind Farm in April 2007. It is now owned and operated by Tawhiri Power LLC and has been renamed Pakini Nui Wind Farm. The farm consists of 14 General Electric wind turbines producing almost 21 megawatts of power to the Big Islands electricity grid, which equates to about 7% of the total Big Island electrical use. The plan is to more than double the old Kamaoa Wind Farm's power-generating capacity. Several other wind farms have cropped up in other areas of the island, helping to reduce the Big Island's dependence on imported oil. You can still see rows of the old turbines standing like lost souls against the wind blown landscape at Ka Lae.

Olivine is usually named for its typically olive-green color, all though it may alter to a reddish color from the oxidation of iron.

Transparent olivine is sometimes used as a gemstone called peridot, the French word for olivine. It is also called chrysolite, from the Greek words for gold and stone. Some of the finest gem-quality olivine has been obtained from a body of mantle rocks on Zabargad island in the Red Sea.

Diamond Head, on Oahu, was so named for the olivine that was seen sparkling in the rocks of the extinct volcano when the first seaman sailed into Oahu and mistook the stones for diamonds.

Hawaii has an abundance of it in the volcano areas on all of the Hawaiian Islands.

The southernmost coast of Hawai`i is nearly uninhabited, however the local Hawaiians are out there both surfing and body surfing at dawn. The ancient Hawaiian heiaus,temple sites, are still guarding the high cliffs above the sea.

Estuaries are home to native wildlife, some of which are indigenous to Hawaii and can not be found anywhere else in the world.

Although Pahala is surrounded by the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, the Ka`u Coastine is privately owned, and is still vulnerable to land developers from both the mainland and overseas interest such as Japan and Saudi Arabia, to name a few.

With the U.S. governments past history of "legalized stealing" by rezoning and raising taxes to take what they want from the Hawaiian people, it is feared that this aina, land, will also be destroyed for the sake of "progress and the all Amerikan dollar" translated as greed.

A community movement urges preservation of Hawaiian sites, native species, ocean access and open spaces, ahead of a large population growth expected in Ka`u, along the southernmost shore of the 50 United States.

"Some success has been achieved. The Nature Conservancy purchased 24 acres at Kamehame, a key nesting place for the honu'ea,hawksbill turtles. Trust for Public Land and Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo acquired 225 acres for a park at Honu`apo, and the Hawai`i Wildlife Fund led an effort that transferred 1200 acres along the Waiohinu shore from cattle ranching to state forestry management. The SAVING KA`U'S COAST film project assisted at Honu`apo and Waiohinu," according to SAVING KA`U'S COASTLINE

SAVING KA`U'S COAST, has created a 15-minute film on preserving the southern most shore in Hawai`i, and is presented by the monthly publication The Ka`u Calendar.

The film expresses views of people intimately related to the shore, particularly at Honu`apo Bay & Fish Ponds, Kawa surfing beach and Punalu`u Black Sand Beach.

All three shoreline estuaries, are the locations of historical and sacred Hawaiian sites. They are also popular seaside recreational areas not only for the local people, but are favorites for the touristas well.

The film is one of the tools employed to raise more than $3.4 million to purchase 225 acres along the shore to protect Honu`apo. However, Kawa and Punalu`u are still in danger of being developed, as they are considered to be prime real estate property as they are significant shoreline sites between Honu`apo and South Kona.

The film is available for shipping and handling costs of $7.50 per DVD.

Send check or money order to:
The Ka`u Calendar
P.O. Box 940
Pahala, HI 96777

Call 808-928-9811 to purchase by credit card,
or email info@kaucoast.org

Those wanting to preserve Ka`u's Coast may share this film with others, contact organizations promoting parks and environmental stewardship, contact Native Hawaiian groups, and by contacting Hawai`i county, state and federal officials.

As we drive leisurely from South Point, Na'alehu springs into sight as the last town before we enter the Kona Coast. Na'alehu promotes it's claim to fame on numerous signs as: "Southernmost community in the U.S.A." Na'alehu is mostly dairy farms. This is where our island milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs come from. We don't buy the imported dairy products. We only buy Na'alehu dairy products!

Macadamedia nut farms are also a part of the Na'alehu landscape. Macadamias are common in this part of the island, along with other expanding crops, like coffee and medicinal herbs, such as noni, grow in abundance and have replaced the old, miles and miles of cane fields.

The photo on your left is a cluster of green macadameia nuts still on the tree.

Several B & B's have cropped up along the way that make for a very pleasant overnight stay in this quiet country town. One of which is the Macadamia Meadows Farm Bed & Breakfast. This is a working macadamia nut farm that has built a B & B as a type of modern day inn for the weary traveler. Charlene and Cortney Cowan, the owner's of the farm are happy to take their guest on educational guided tours of the farm. They offer several discount packages.

They have been recommended by Frommers Hawaii 2008 Guide. Frommers says "The warmth and hospitality of hosts Charlene and Cortney Cowan is unsurpassed."

Another B & B that is well worth noting for its aloha spirit and culture is the Kalaekilohana - Hale Kipa Na`auao which is a spacious, sugar-plantation-style house with four bedrooms with private baths. It opened a couple of years ago and its focus is on the Hawaiian culture and the arts. They host workshops that teach how to make the traditional Hawaiian haku lei, which are leis that are woven, or braised out of the native fauna and florals rather than flowers that have been strung on string. They also teach traditional Hawaiian lauhala basket and hat weaving. The name Hale Kipa Na`auao means "guest house of learning" in Hawaiian.

Kilohana, the host, is very helpful with the orientation on what to see and do in the area, including tips for the malihini, newcomer on being a respectful visitor. Here you will find gracious Hawaiian hosts and ono, really good, food. It is more like being with family than being a visitor, in beautiful, peaceful surroundings.

Kilohana is an accomplished fresh lei and feather lei maker. He is recognized locally and nationally. He is well connected within the hula and Hawaiian artisan community. His fresh lei work has won many awards. He is a recipient of a Smithsonian fellowship related to his feather work. He recently had three pieces on display at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City and can be found in their latest publication. He has presented classes and demonstrations in 6 cities from coast to coast and is a regular participant in several cultural events locally. He is a member of the highly regarded Hula Halau Na Kamalei. He holds a degree in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaii.

Thank you for visiting and continuing on with our Circle Island Tour of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Please continue on with us to Part 5 of our tour.

We will be continuing on to Ho'okena in South Kona, along the west coast of the island, as we travel back towards Kailua-Kona where our tour of the Big Island of Hawaii comes to an end.

Big Island of Hawaii - Part 5