ANOTHER AWESOME DAY IN HAWAI'I NEI. WE STARTED A NICE MORNING DRIVE UP THE HAMAKUA COAST AND VIEWED ALL THE SPECTACTULAR OCEAN VIEWS. AND THEN WE STOPPED IN HONOKA'A AND ATE LUNCH AT:
JOELENE'S KAU KAU KORNER
LOCATED AT:
45-3625 MAMANE ST.
HONOKA'A HAWAI'I
96727
JUST GOOGLE IT ON
THE MAPS AND IT'LL SHOW HOW TO GET THERE ON THE MAPS!!!
THE FOODS IS
"ONO" (DELICIOUS) AND THE SERVICES IS "ALL ALOHA".
AFTER THAT WE DROVE
UP TO THE SCENIC POINT OF WAIPIO VALLEY.
THE HISTORY OF
WAIPI’O VALLEY
Located along the Hamakua Coast on the northeast
shore of the Big Island of Hawaii, the Waipiʻo Valley is the largest and most
southern of the seven valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains.
The Waipiʻo
Valley is a mile wide at the coastline and almost six miles deep. Along the
coast is a beautiful black sand beach often used by motion picture production
companies.
On both
sides of the valley there are cliffs reaching almost 2000 feet with hundreds of
cascading waterfalls, including one of Hawaii's most celebrated waterfalls -
Hiʻilawe.
The road
into the valley is very steep (a 25% grade). In order to travel into the
valley, you must either ride down in a four wheel drive vehicle or hike down to
the valley floor.
Waipiʻo
means "curved water" in the Hawaiian language. The lovely Waipiʻo
River flows through the valley until it enters the ocean at the beach.
Valley of the Kings
The Waipiʻo Valley is often referred to as the
"Valley of the Kings" because it was once the home to many of the
rulers of Hawaii. The valley has both historical and cultural importance to the
Hawaiian people.
According
to oral histories as few as 4000 or as many as 10,000 people lived in Waipiʻo
during the times before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778. Waipiʻo was the
most fertile and productive valley on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kamehameha the Great and the Waipiʻo Valley
It was at
Waipiʻo in 1780 that Kamehameha the Great received his war god Kukailimoku who
proclaimed him the future ruler of the islands.
It was off
the coast of Waimanu, near Waipiʻo, that Kamehameha engaged Kahekili, the Lord
of the leeward islands, and his half-brother, Kaeokulani of Kauaʻi, in the
first naval battle in Hawaiian history - Kepuwahaulaula, known as the Battle of
the Red-Mouthed Guns. Kamehameha thus began his conquest of the islands.
Tsunamis
In the late
1800s many Chinese immigrants settled in the valley. At one time the valley had
churches, restaurants and schools as well as a hotel, post office and jail. But
in 1946 the most devastating tsunami in Hawaii's history swept great waves far
back into the valley. Afterwards most people left the valley, and it has been
sparsely populated ever since.
A severe
deluge in 1979 covered the valley from side to side in four feet of water.
Today only about 50 people live in the Waipiʻo Valley. These are taro farmers,
fishermen and others who are reluctant to leave their simple lifestyle.
Sacred Valley
Aside from
its historical importance, the Waipiʻo Valley is a sacred place for Hawaiians.
It was the site of many important heiaus (temples).
The most
sacred, Pakaalana, was also the site of one of the island's two major puʻuhonua
or places of refuge, the other being Puʻuhonua O Honaunau.
Ancient
burial caves are located in the sides of the steep cliffs on either side of the
valley. Many kings were buried there. It is felt that because of their mana
(divine power), no harm will come to those who live in the valley. In fact,
despite great devastation in the 1946 tsunami and the 1979 flood, no one
actually died in those events.
Waipiʻo in Hawaiian Mythology
Waipiʻo is
also a mystical place. Many of the ancient stories of the Hawaiian gods are set
in Waipiʻo. It is here that beside the falls of Hiʻilawe, the brothers of Lono
found Kaikiani dwelling in a breadfruit grove.
Lono
descended on a rainbow and made her his wife only to later kill her when he
discovered a chief of the earth making love to her. As she died she assured
Lono of her innocence and her love for him.
In her
honor Lono instituted the Makahiki games - a designated period of time
following the harvesting season when wars and battles were ceased, sporting
competitions and contests between villages were organized, and festive events
were commenced.
Another
story set in Waipi`o tells how the people of Waipiʻo came to be safe from the
attack of sharks. It is the story of Pauhiʻu Paupoʻo, better known as Nanaue,
the shark-man.
When you travel to the Waipiʻo Valley today you not
only step into a place steeped in the history and culture of Hawaii, you are
entering one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth.
Exploring the Waipiʻo Valley
One of our
favorite ways to explore the valley is on horseback. We highly recommend the
Waipiʻo Valley Horseback Adventure with Naʻalapa Stables (808-775-0419) as one
of the best way to see the Waipiʻo Valley.
Another
excellent choice is the Waipiʻo Valley Wagon Tours (88-775-9518) which features
a trip through the valley in a mule drawn wagon.
Waipiʻo Valley Horseback Adventure
Waipiʻo
Valley Horseback Adventure begins in the parking lot of the Waipiʻo Valley
Artworks in Kukuihale. This is truly wonderful gallery where you can purchase
hand-crafted items, including exquisite woodwork by over 150 local artisans.
The tour
groups are kept quite small and you really feel that you are getting a personal
tour of the valley. An average group has nine people and two local guides. You
are driven to the valley floor in a four wheel drive vehicle. It takes about 30
minutes. When you arrive at the stable area in the valley, you are greeted by
your trail guide. What follows is a 2.5 hour ride through the Waipiʻo Valley.
As you
travel on horseback through the valley you see taro fields, lush tropical
vegetation, and breadfruit, orange and lime trees.
Pink and
white impatiens climb the cliff walls. If you are lucky you might even see wild
horses. You ride across streams and the shallow Waipiʻo River.
The trail
horses are wonderfully tame. Some of these were actually the horses that you
may have seen at the conclusion of the motion picture Waterworld,
the ending of which was filmed on the beautiful black sand beach of Waipiʻo.
Waipiʻo Valley Treehouse and Waterfall Retreat
If you wish
to spend more than a few hours in the valley, you might consider a stay at the
The Waipiʻo Valley Treehouse and Waterfall Retreat. The Treehouse is built in a
Monkey Pod Tree. The massive root systems enable the tree to stand firm in
tidal waves and floods.
IF YOU ARE EVER IN THE BIG ISLAND VISITING,
PLEASE CHECK OUT WAIPI’O VALLEY!!!
AWWWRITE!!!
WAIPA
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