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Lyon
Arboretum, Oahu |
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A colony of bromeliads growing on a
tree or something. Looks like Neoregelia concentrica. |
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Manoa
Falls Trail, Oahu |
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Huge ferns
on the trail to Manoa Falls. The trail is well maintained and easy walking. |
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Manoa
Falls, Oahu |
|
A hike to the falls is a
great morning or afternoon excursion. Easily accessible
by city bus from Waikiki and Honolulu. |
|
The
Lyon Arboretum features an excellent collection of rare and unusual tropical palms
from all over the world. The palms and many other tropical plants
are displayed in a natural setting. We recommend wearing hiking
boots or sturdy shoes instead of sandals when hiking the upper
trails, and make sure to bring mosquito repellent and drinking
water. That's it for Oahu,
we now move on to Kauai. |
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Hanalei
Valley, Kauai |
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A river runs through it; the
Hanalei River to be exact. Taro fields to the right. |
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Hanalei
Valley, Kauai |
|
A Taro patch up close. The
traditional Hawaiian food staple Poi is made from Taro.
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The
Blue Room, Kauai |
|
A freshwater cave on the
north shore. Great spot for snorkeling (with a
waterproof flashlight). |
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Kalalau
Trial, Kauai |
|
Numerous valleys cut inland
from the Na Pali coast on the north shore of Kauai.
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Hanakapi'ai
Falls, Kauai |
|
You'll have to hike a rough
2 mile side trip off the Kalalau Trail from
Hanakapi'ai Beach to see this spectacular falls. |
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Queen's
Bath, Kauai |
|
The surf breaks over the
rim; it feels like you're floating in Perrier water. Trail head in
Princeville. |
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We now leave the north shore of
Kauai and head to the southwest coast. We then drive north again,
gaining elevation and after passing through Waimea Canyon State
Park, we arrive at Koke'e State Park. *Note: it can be cool and
foggy up here, similar to April in Vancouver; we advise packing a waterproof jacket
and long pants. At the Kalalau Lookout, we can look down 4000' into the Kapaau valley, the termination point of the Kalalau Trail
which we had partially hiked a few days earlier during our stay at
Ha'ena on the north shore.
Only about 7 miles separates the high lookout from the coastal
trail, but the steep Na Pali cliffs are a formidable barrier to
attempting a descent (rappelling might work) into the valley, or to the north shore.
Here we also find the high elevation Alaka'i Swamp, the only area
we've ever visited that receives more rain than Greater Vancouver. |
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Waimea
Canyon, Kauai |
|
The road north from the town
of Waimea skirts the western rim of the canyon. |
|
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Waimea
Canyon, Kauai |
|
Occasional lookouts offer
the opportunity to pull over and admire the scenery of
the canyon. |
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Kalalau
Lookout, Kauai |
|
This lookout, in Koke'e Park at an
elevation of
approx. 4000', offers a view of Kalalau Valley. |
|
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Koke'e, Kauai |
|
Tree ferns, Ohi'a trees and Koa
trees cover the slopes on the inland side of Pihea
trail. |
|
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Koke'e, Kauai |
|
Pihea trail, first mile. An
1950's attempt to build a road through Alaka'i Swamp
failed. |
|
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Koke'e, Kauai |
|
Jeanie on the Pihea trail.
The trail skirts the rim of the Na Pali cliffs (to the
right). |
|
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Koke'e, Kauai |
|
Alaka'i Trail, leading into Alaka'i Swamp. The boardwalk is there for a reason: 3 ft
deep mud. |
|
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Koke'e, Kauai |
|
On the way back from Alaka'i
Swamp. It had rained. A lot. We were very soggy hikers. |
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McBryde
Garden, Kauai |
|
Warm and dry again in Poipu;
National Tropical Botanical Garden. Site of 'Jurassic
Park' movie. |
|
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McBryde
Garden, Kauai |
|
Bromeliad display: Vriesea
imperialis with a blooming Aechmea species in
background. |
|
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McBryde Garden, Kauai |
|
A well-established
clump of bromeliads, probably a hybrid of Neoreglia concentrica. |
|
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McBryde
Garden, Kauai |
|
The trunk of
Eucalyptus deglupta. This tropical species is both useful and ornamental. |
|
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McBryde Garden, Kauai |
|
Heliconia spectabilis. This
species requires a warm, humid and sunny
environment. |
|
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McBryde
Garden, Kauai |
|
A close-up of a tropical
bamboo species. Possibly Buddha's Belly (Bambusa
ventricosa). |
|
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Spouting Horn, Kauai |
|
The lava shoreline is
under-cut below and perforated from above, the surf does
the rest. |
|
We regretfully leave
Kauai and move on to the island of Hawai'i. This island is usually referred to
as 'the Big Island' to avoid confusion with the state of Hawai'i (which
comprises all of the Hawaiian Islands). The Hilo and Puna districts on
the east coast are home to many nurseries and have always been some of our favourite sources for tropical plants.
Due to time constraints, we decided to visit the Kailua-Kona area on this trip, as we had stayed in Hilo and hiked in the Hawai'i
Volcanoes National Park on previous visits. We suggest two
weeks (longer, if you can afford it) to really enjoy a vacation on the Big Island.
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Honokohau Bay, Kona |
|
The sea turtles (Hono)
snooze on the beach in Kaloko-Honokohau Nat'l Historical
Park. |
|
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Kekaha
Kai, near Kona |
|
Lava field, from the 1801
eruption of the Hualalai volcano. Now part of Kekaha Kai
State Park. |
|
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Wild Goats |
|
Feral goats are a problem due to their voracious
foraging on native Hawaiian plants. |
|
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Mahai'ula Beach, Kona |
|
This beautiful sandy beach was almost deserted. Well
worth the lava field hike. |
|
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Makalawena, near Kona |
|
An incredible beach, but
it's an hour's (baking) hike from the highway if you're
not driving a 4x4. |
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Place
of Refuge, Hawaii |
|
Hawaiian fishponds were stocked with fish as a
food source for the Ali'i (Hawaiian royalty). |
|
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Place
of Refuge, Hawaii |
|
Reconstructed wood carvings of Hawaiian gods in Pu'uhonua
o Honaunau Nat'l Park. |
|
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Place
of Refuge, Hawaii |
|
Lawbreakers who made it to
the refuge would be spared the death penalty. |
|
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Place
of Refuge, Hawaii |
|
We feel that late afternoon
is the best time to visit Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. |
|
We now catch an early flight to Kahului,
Maui and stock up on groceries before hitting the Hana Highway. Our
destination is Wai'anapanapa State Park, where we had reserved a
rustic cabin (quite rustic, actually). After hiking the Pipiwai
Trail, we continue driving southeast along the coast, where we are
treated to scenic views of the coastline on our left and the eroded
slopes of Haleakala on our right. After rounding the southeast tip
of the island, the highway rises into upcountry Maui and takes us
north until we arrive back in Kahului, having circled Haleakala. |
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Hana
Highway, Maui |
|
Lower Puohokamoa Falls, just
before mile 11 on the Hana Hwy. Short trail to this
view. |
|
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Kipahulu, Maui |
|
Approximately 10 miles
southwest of Hana, the 'Ohe'o Gulch meets the sea. |
|
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Kipahulu, Maui |
|
A freshwater stream flows
through the Gulch and mixes with salt water at the
coast. |
|
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Kipahulu, Maui |
|
The final pool of the 'Ohe'o
Gulch. The series of pools are aka 'Seven Sacred Pools'.
|
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'Ohe'o
Gulch,
Maui |
|
Another pool in the Gulch,
upstream from the ocean shoreline. Good spot for a swim.
|
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Pipiwai
Trail,
Maui |
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A waterfall along the trail.
The stream flows through a valley called the Kipahuku
Gap. |
|
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Pipiwai
Trail,
Maui |
|
The numerous pools beside
the trail are great for a quick dip, but don't drink the
water. |
|
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Waimoku
Falls, Maui |
|
The end of the trail at the
400' high falls. Past the falls, the rest of the valley
is a biological reserve closed to entry. |
|
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Haleakala, Maui |
|
A view into the
crater. The summit (10023 ft) can receive a dusting of
snow in winter. |
|
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Haleakala, Maui |
|
The crater rim. Erosion of
the walls creates the fine gravel covering the crater
floor. |
|
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Silverswords |
|
It can take 20 years for a
Silversword to mature and flower. The plants die after
setting seed. |
|
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Haleakala, Maui |
|
Tiny hairs coverering Silverswords prevent
desiccation in the thin, dry air of Haleakala. |
|
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Upcountry, Maui |
|
Banksia, which is native to
Australia, flourishes on the cool, sunny slopes of
Haleakala. |
|
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Upcountry, Maui |
|
Leucospermum, a genus native
to South Africa, also thrives in upcountry Maui.
|
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Upcountry, Maui |
|
Proteas, indigenous to South
Africa, are at home in the dry upcountry climate. |
|
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Upcountry, Maui |
|
The 'King Protea', Protea
cynaroides, is the national flower of South Africa. |
|
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Upcountry, Maui |
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The Bird-of-Paradise,
Strelizia reginae. Native to South Africa, now widely
grown in Hawaii. |
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