Nov 2nd: Road to Hana Full Circle (Part 3)
Kaumahina State Wayside (Mile Marker 12) - This state park is one of the first big stops on the Road to Hana. We all appreciated stretching our legs along the spacious 7.8 acres. One of the favorite aspects for most who stop here is the bathrooms! The smoothies had hit and everyone took their turn.
Honomanu Bay (Mile Marker 14) is a black sand bay of boulders that sits between the Garden of Eden Arboretum, where parts of the original Jurassic Park movie was shot, and the Ke’anae Peninsula—an ancient fishing village and still lush taro plantation that, with its 18th century coral-mortared church and coconut palms, evokes what we’ve come to imagine as Old Hawaii. A narrow, often-missed road took us across rough terrain to the rugged cove of Honomanu Bay. Our guide told us that while most 4X4s can navigate the road to the beach with relative ease, you can also park on the side of the highway and walk down the half mile. We took the 4x4.
This is the spiel the guide gave as we rode down: A favorite among fishermen, surfers and local families, Honomanu Bay epitomizes seclusion. It rests at the base of Honomanu Valley, a verdant expanse of volcanic wonder—and the second largest valley on Haleakala’s northern slopes—with rises that stretch 7,000 feet into the sky. The bay itself is enveloped by steep ridges, tucked between the bluffs like a secret. Overflow from Honomanu Falls—a 400-foot waterfall in the timberline above the cove—feeds the Honomanu Stream that runs perpendicular to the ocean. (Much of the water that gushes from the falls is diverted into ditches that supply water to other parts of the island.) The slopes above offer contemporary evidence of Maui’s earliest volcanic activity, an era known as Honomanu, in which a symmetrical shield was fashioned out of lava from Haleakala. Today, the jungles above the bay hold some of the oldest rocks on the island—geologic jewels that have endured subsequent eruptions. Swim with care if you choose to get more than your feet wet: the surf at Honomanu Bay can verge on the side of hazardous (with considerably strong riptides) and the bottom is notoriously rocky. Winter months are particularly precarious, when seasoned watermen take to the offshore breaks—some of which can reach up to twenty feet. The freshwater estuary on the mauka side of the beach is ideal for keiki, while bolder travelers can hike towards the valley to jump into the stream, parts of which reach eight feet deep. Know before you go: this bay offers neither restrooms nor lifeguards, and reception is generally nonexistent.
Bamboo Forest (used to be a stop decades ago but now illegal to trespass) – also known as Na’ili’ili Haele. It was (and is for those that trespass) the number one rescue required spot on the Hana Road. It was at one time very popular, too popular…there are many places to slip and potentially get injured. There are also many sad tales of broken legs, flash floods stranding people on the other side of the stream, and even death. The driver said if you want to keep your business license, you don’t stop. He did give me a postcard of the former trail and I could see why people would be enthralled by it.
Ke’anae Valley Peninsula (Mile Marker 16.5) - We were in the mood for another small hike by mile marker 16, Ke’anae Arboretum will take you past some unique Hawaiian flora for about half a mile.
Ke‘anae Point is a small Hawaiian village doing their best to live like the Hawaiians used to. Hunting pigs and growing taro, bread fruit, and Bananas are all big parts of everyday life in the small community. It’s also the site of the famous “Half Way to Hana” Snack stand; shave ice, fresh coconut, fresh pineapple in season, cold drinks and of course the Original Fresh Baked Banana Bread. In 1983, Aunty Sandy Hueu began to bake her famous banana bread in Keʻanae. In 2003, her daughter Tammy joined the business to create an authentic family owned and operated food stand on the Keʻanae peninsula. Since then, Aunty Sandy's has become a must stop destination for hot, fresh baked banana bread. The Ke’anae overlook and peninsula offer views of one of the largest taro farms in Hawaii. It was amazing what we got accomplished in thirty minutes and it included the Ke’anae Congregational Church and a lava tube that was in the area.
The following is a summation of what our guide told us because for the life of me I can't say it any better and have it make any kind of sense: Wailua Valley is an ahupuaʼa that sits just after the Keanae peninsula on the road to Hana. The area, though small, is rich in Hawaiian culture. It is here that an abundance of rare culturally significant fish and plant life can still be found. The area holds many ancient taro, or kalo, patches; a number of which are still in operation. In Hawaiian legend, taro is literally the older brother of all Hawaiians. And, so “Mahiʼaiʼana”, or cultivation of the land, is an ingrained principle that has endured for the people of Wailuanui.
It was here in 1778, anchored offshore in the Resolution, that Captain Cook and his crew were received by the people of Maui during his second and fatal voyage to the Hawaiian islands. With the arrival of Captain Cook, missionaries and developers soon followed changing the landscape and lifestyle of much of Hawaii. But, due to its inaccessibility, Wailua has been slower to change.
The Wailua - Keanae area receives 100 to over 300 inches of rainfall per year in the rainforest, and is the largest single source of surface water in the state. It is one of the few places in Hawaii that one can still catch oʼopu (Hawaiian stream gobies), opae (fresh water shrimp), hihiwai (Hawaiian stream snail). Oʼopu were once prized and used as a source of income for many fisherman in the area. However, with the diversion of the stream water to central Maui, many of these animals have become increasingly hard to find. The Oʼopu is now so scarce in Hawaii, that commercialized sale of the fish is banned.
Olona, the cordage fiber used in the famous Hawaiian feather capes and cloaks was also cultivated here up until the mid 1800ʼs. A member of the nettle family, this fiber was used for making fishing lines, fish net, koko or slings, and was a valuable trading commodity. This prize possession is so strong that it was passed down and used for multiple generations. However, the plant is finicky and can only grow in certain areas of Hawaii, making Wailua and nearby Keanae very respected areas.
Other plants that we saw growing throughout the area was colorful ti, croton, plumeria, ginger, heliconia, and ferns like hapuu. There were also a variety of trees and shrubs like coconut palms, mango, avocado, various types of citrus, banana, guava, Hawaiian noni, manila palm, gardenia, and an occasional rubber tree to name a few.
Before the Hana Belt Road, or Hana Highway was completed in 1926, the main modes of transportation to and from Wailua were footpaths, canoe, boat, or the Piilani trail. The completion of the Hana Highway finally allowed for easy access to a once very remote area, quickly adding new pressures and influences from the outside world. Only four years later, the 1930 directory showed that this was the first time that taro planters and homesteaders were outnumbered by wage laborers.
WWII definitely hit close to home when a Japanese submarine torpedoed a ship in the Alenuihaha Channel off Mauiʼs East coast, killing 29 people. Two caves were dug where explosives were stored; ready, should an invasion occur, to be used in the bombing and destroying of the Hana Highway. “Young men left their taro fields [to fight in the war] and many never came back,” one local resident remarked.
Saint Gabrielʼs Church and Our Lady of Fatima Shrine - located on Wailua Road, is a Catholic church that was built in 1860 out of white coral. Legend has it that it was dubbed the “miracle church” after a group of Protestants were selfishly hoarding the white coral for a church that they were building nearby. After a few strong storms, the sea had washed all the coral away from the Protestant area and left it all deposited on the Catholicʼs land. The white stucco walls are made of limestone with blue stenciling; and, there is a rare gambrel roof. (Wailua Road turnoff was on the left, just after mile marker #18)
Waikani Stream Bridge - (After mile marker #18) This has been called one of the most impressive bridges in Maui. Built in 1926, during the completion of the Hana Hwy, it is unique in that its structure type is a continuous concrete arch- deck. The single arch is 83 feet in length, and has a dramatic appearance. And trust me when I say it looks as old as it is, like it was crumbling before our eyes. The road wasn’t much better though our driver acted like that was normal. Ugh.
Traffic was crazy so the guys just took pictures from the 4x4. Waikani Falls - seen in the distance, mountainside, when standing along Wailua Road.
Wailua Valley State Wayside Park - Easy to miss, located just past mile marker #19 on the right-hand side of the road. There are stairs on the right, leading to a vantage point that provides views of Wailua Valley, Keanae Peninsula, distant waterfalls, and the Koolau Gap when facing inland.
Wailua Lookout - This was our last view of Wailua while heading into Hana. The pull off was on the lefthand side of the road, about a 1/4 mile past the Wailua Valley State Wayside Park. The lookout provided a spectacular view of Wailua village and the falls that the guys were quick to get on film. Wailua Falls is perhaps the tallest roadside waterfall on the Hana Highway. This is the most popular waterfall and most congested in the immediate area. For everyone’s safety we didn’t get out of the vehicle; our driver passed by it slowly so the guys could get things on film. There were really any safe parking spaces available.
Upper Waikani Falls (Mile marker 19.5) – According to our guide these are also known as “Three Bears Falls.” [Benny loved the name.] This trio of waterfalls come together to form the perfect little grotto peaking at 70-feet tall and cascading into Wailua Nui Stream below. There isn’t a ton of parking near the falls, so some drivers choose to park further ahead about a tenth of a mile and walk across the bridge to see them. Upper Waikani Falls cascades from a height of seventy feet to Wailua Nui Stream down below, its splash alone makes for a great photograph.
Underneath the bridge on the makai—or ocean side—of Hana Highway, was a moderate trail that will led to the fall’s crystalline waters. The steep start is admittedly a touch of a challenge but the path levels off for easy hiking (with just a touch of some rock scrambling). Part of the foliage that surrounds the falls is red torch ginger; it also grows well in South Florida which is why I recognized it. There was also ti, croton, and ferns, including the native hapu’u—a historically significant, velvety plant that was commercially used in the 1800s to stuff pillows.
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