Hawaii 2015: Kauaʻi
Monday, 12 October 2015 08:46![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iguana
Ah, Kauaʻi. Anywhere you look on this island is beautiful. We spent a week and a half here and made the most of the time, visiting canyons, beaches, caves, swamps, and walking numerous lush green trails. Let me show you them all here.
Helicopter around the island
Our guide book (the definitive Blue Book for Kauaʻi) told us that if you're going to do a helicopter tour anywhere, it should be Kauaʻi. I'd considered doing a helicopter tour to the lava flows on Hawaiʻi, but during the daytime you apparently can't see all that much, especially since the flight paths don't go over Halemaʻumaʻu. The volcano that formed the island of Kauaʻi is long extinct (one of the tourist trails on the island even features non-volcanic rocks!) but the island is small enough to be able to tour the entire perimeter in about 90 minutes.
Our tour took us through some breathtaking landscape; over the waterfall used in Jurassic Park, through various canyons in Waimea, and along the Na Pali coast on the heavily eroded west coast.
The pilot wasn't shy of taking us right up close to the steep edges of the various canyons, and down into valleys.
Having not been in a helicopter before, it was a pretty cool experience. Though for anyone else thinking of doing the same, I recommend taking a motion sickness tablet beforehand...
Our guide book (the definitive Blue Book for Kauaʻi) told us that if you're going to do a helicopter tour anywhere, it should be Kauaʻi. I'd considered doing a helicopter tour to the lava flows on Hawaiʻi, but during the daytime you apparently can't see all that much, especially since the flight paths don't go over Halemaʻumaʻu. The volcano that formed the island of Kauaʻi is long extinct (one of the tourist trails on the island even features non-volcanic rocks!) but the island is small enough to be able to tour the entire perimeter in about 90 minutes.
Our tour took us through some breathtaking landscape; over the waterfall used in Jurassic Park, through various canyons in Waimea, and along the Na Pali coast on the heavily eroded west coast.
The pilot wasn't shy of taking us right up close to the steep edges of the various canyons, and down into valleys.
Having not been in a helicopter before, it was a pretty cool experience. Though for anyone else thinking of doing the same, I recommend taking a motion sickness tablet beforehand...
Waimea Canyon
Along the final stretches of a nearly 30km road that climbs roughly a kilometre towards the sky are the sights of Kokeʻe State Park. Waimea Canyon was (and still is being) shaped by water erosion from the Waimea (Red Water) River, which runs down from the top of Kauaʻi, an area that has close to the highest rainfall on Earth. Combined with the rich red soil, it provides stunning views.
The state park is also filled with a number of trails, ranging from easy nature walks to day-long hikes through jungle with stunning views on both sides. One walk, the aptly named Canyon Trail, took us to two waterfalls. It was largly along the ledge of what we assumed was a sheer drop. That day the clouds were low and the only thing to see from the sides of the deep red trail was a sheet of grey. It felt like we'd walked into some half-way world.
At the end of the trail were two waterfalls, one above us and one, we eventually realised, below us. The fog disguised the falls as simply a river running into the mist.
We mostly had good weather though. Another trail, the 8 mile round trip Nualolo Trail, was blue skies along the trail that lead out along one of the zig-zag ridges towards the sea, which was just as well because a couple of places would have been dangerous to cross when wet. From the end you could see deep valleys along the coastline in both directions. The clouds came in a little and gave us a double rainbow.
Along the final stretches of a nearly 30km road that climbs roughly a kilometre towards the sky are the sights of Kokeʻe State Park. Waimea Canyon was (and still is being) shaped by water erosion from the Waimea (Red Water) River, which runs down from the top of Kauaʻi, an area that has close to the highest rainfall on Earth. Combined with the rich red soil, it provides stunning views.
The state park is also filled with a number of trails, ranging from easy nature walks to day-long hikes through jungle with stunning views on both sides. One walk, the aptly named Canyon Trail, took us to two waterfalls. It was largly along the ledge of what we assumed was a sheer drop. That day the clouds were low and the only thing to see from the sides of the deep red trail was a sheet of grey. It felt like we'd walked into some half-way world.
At the end of the trail were two waterfalls, one above us and one, we eventually realised, below us. The fog disguised the falls as simply a river running into the mist.
We mostly had good weather though. Another trail, the 8 mile round trip Nualolo Trail, was blue skies along the trail that lead out along one of the zig-zag ridges towards the sea, which was just as well because a couple of places would have been dangerous to cross when wet. From the end you could see deep valleys along the coastline in both directions. The clouds came in a little and gave us a double rainbow.
Swamp trail
One of the most diverse trails is the Alakai Swamp Trail, which starts right at the top end of Highway 550 (about 1200m altitude) and walks along a ridge for a while before descending downwards until you find yourself in the swamp. The trail along most of it is covered in wooden decking overlaid with a metal grill, for otherwise you would sink knee deep or further in some pretty murky water.
As you can see, some stretches of the trail could have done with some maintenance, but even the worst parts were easily hoppable across, sometimes with a satisfying squelch of wood into swamp. At one point we crossed a river, and then the trail sloped upwards for some time. After more swampy landscape we came to the end of the trail, which gave a great view over Hanalei Bay.
One of the most diverse trails is the Alakai Swamp Trail, which starts right at the top end of Highway 550 (about 1200m altitude) and walks along a ridge for a while before descending downwards until you find yourself in the swamp. The trail along most of it is covered in wooden decking overlaid with a metal grill, for otherwise you would sink knee deep or further in some pretty murky water.
As you can see, some stretches of the trail could have done with some maintenance, but even the worst parts were easily hoppable across, sometimes with a satisfying squelch of wood into swamp. At one point we crossed a river, and then the trail sloped upwards for some time. After more swampy landscape we came to the end of the trail, which gave a great view over Hanalei Bay.
Beaches and Sunsets
We mostly visited beaches at dusk to see the sunsets, having been out hiking during daylight hours. Even the beaches varied wildly on Kauaʻi. Poʻipu Beach formed a peninsula at certain points in the tide cycle, which people would try to run across without getting their feet wet as the waves splashed in:
On the peninsula itself dozens of families were watching the sunset in appreciative silence.
Another had a natural rock formation that generated a staircase of waterfalls each swell of the sea:
And a small one was even made almost entirely from sea glass; remnants of Kauaʻi's industrial past.
We mostly visited beaches at dusk to see the sunsets, having been out hiking during daylight hours. Even the beaches varied wildly on Kauaʻi. Poʻipu Beach formed a peninsula at certain points in the tide cycle, which people would try to run across without getting their feet wet as the waves splashed in:
On the peninsula itself dozens of families were watching the sunset in appreciative silence.
Another had a natural rock formation that generated a staircase of waterfalls each swell of the sea:
And a small one was even made almost entirely from sea glass; remnants of Kauaʻi's industrial past.
Kalaulau and Hanakapiʻai Falls Trails
The main attraction, at least for us walkers, was the Kalaulau Trail. This is an 18km each way hike along the stunning Na Pali coast. While the horizontal distance doesn't sound too long, there are many up and down sections as the walk hops from natural bay to natural bay over outcroppings of land up to 250 metres high, meaning that the campsite at the end is essential booking.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a camping permit (they get booked out months in advance) so we were limited to the first 3 km of the trail, with one steep up and then down section and a small river crossing, onto Hanakapiʻai beach.
It's difficult to do the trail justice with photos. Here's the view from near the high point of the trail:
You can see how the coastline bumps out periodically. The formations are caused by rivers eroding from the original height of around 300 metres down to sea level. In each gap is the river exit and beach. We met a local couple along the path at one point who had swam between them (though this is recommended against due to the relatively high number of deaths due to rip tides in the area).
I don't know how permanent these were, but this was the view that greeted us at Hanakapiʻai beach:
We added our own stack where we could find space.
From here we would turn around and head back from where we came, but the Hanakapiʻai Falls Trail presented itself to us, a 6 km there-and-back hike, up along Hanakapiʻai river, to a waterfall.
By this point I had noticed that several of the locals seemed to enjoy walking the trail barefoot, and decided they must be onto something. I took off my hiking boots and tied the laces, draping them around my neck. With six or seven river crossings along the short but steep trail, it was largely the right idea. Going barefoot seemed to give more grip (or at least, a better impression of how far I could push my balance) and was even rather pleasant in the thick mud along the route.
The 100m waterfall at the end didn't disappoint.
We walked back, Emily now also barefoot, until we reached the trailhead at Keʻe beach. We relaxed there until the sunset.
The main attraction, at least for us walkers, was the Kalaulau Trail. This is an 18km each way hike along the stunning Na Pali coast. While the horizontal distance doesn't sound too long, there are many up and down sections as the walk hops from natural bay to natural bay over outcroppings of land up to 250 metres high, meaning that the campsite at the end is essential booking.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a camping permit (they get booked out months in advance) so we were limited to the first 3 km of the trail, with one steep up and then down section and a small river crossing, onto Hanakapiʻai beach.
It's difficult to do the trail justice with photos. Here's the view from near the high point of the trail:
You can see how the coastline bumps out periodically. The formations are caused by rivers eroding from the original height of around 300 metres down to sea level. In each gap is the river exit and beach. We met a local couple along the path at one point who had swam between them (though this is recommended against due to the relatively high number of deaths due to rip tides in the area).
I don't know how permanent these were, but this was the view that greeted us at Hanakapiʻai beach:
We added our own stack where we could find space.
From here we would turn around and head back from where we came, but the Hanakapiʻai Falls Trail presented itself to us, a 6 km there-and-back hike, up along Hanakapiʻai river, to a waterfall.
By this point I had noticed that several of the locals seemed to enjoy walking the trail barefoot, and decided they must be onto something. I took off my hiking boots and tied the laces, draping them around my neck. With six or seven river crossings along the short but steep trail, it was largely the right idea. Going barefoot seemed to give more grip (or at least, a better impression of how far I could push my balance) and was even rather pleasant in the thick mud along the route.
The 100m waterfall at the end didn't disappoint.
We walked back, Emily now also barefoot, until we reached the trailhead at Keʻe beach. We relaxed there until the sunset.
Kayaking to a waterfall
Kayaking is fun, so we hired kayaks! The Wailua river on Kauaʻi has a mock native Hawaiian Village, a small botanical garden walk, and a small hike to a "secret" waterfall. We found a great kayak hire near to the river, where we could just drag the kayaks down to the river (harder than it looks, even with wheels!). We then had a really nice paddle up the river.
The kayak hire had given us a hand-drawn map of the stream and the walk to the falls, but we still got a bit lost. Fortunately we ran across a group of a dozen kayakers with a guide, who pointed us in the right direction.
Backtracking across the river, we crossed another stream, using a rope tied across it to keep us steady. Now we were on the right track, and made great time, expecting to beat the group of kayakers who we had a headstart on. However their guide knew a shortcut! We joined them in the pool and after a while they left, leaving us the place to ourselves. I swam under the waterfall to experience the heavy shower.
We walked back to our kayaks and headed a little further upstream to the botanic garden. This was a little tricky to moor at, since the piers were reserved for the group tour boats, but we managed it. After that we travelled a little further upstream to where another group was just finishing at the jumping point, a five metre-or-so climb and jump into what their tour guide assured us was a deep enough part of the river. We decided to give that a miss, instead enjoying the quietness of the river to ourselves for a while.
We paddled back to the kayak launching point where we shunted the kayaks back onto their wheeled rigs and trundled them back to the hire place. We were a few minutes late but they were pretty chilled about it all.
Kayaking is fun, so we hired kayaks! The Wailua river on Kauaʻi has a mock native Hawaiian Village, a small botanical garden walk, and a small hike to a "secret" waterfall. We found a great kayak hire near to the river, where we could just drag the kayaks down to the river (harder than it looks, even with wheels!). We then had a really nice paddle up the river.
The kayak hire had given us a hand-drawn map of the stream and the walk to the falls, but we still got a bit lost. Fortunately we ran across a group of a dozen kayakers with a guide, who pointed us in the right direction.
Backtracking across the river, we crossed another stream, using a rope tied across it to keep us steady. Now we were on the right track, and made great time, expecting to beat the group of kayakers who we had a headstart on. However their guide knew a shortcut! We joined them in the pool and after a while they left, leaving us the place to ourselves. I swam under the waterfall to experience the heavy shower.
We walked back to our kayaks and headed a little further upstream to the botanic garden. This was a little tricky to moor at, since the piers were reserved for the group tour boats, but we managed it. After that we travelled a little further upstream to where another group was just finishing at the jumping point, a five metre-or-so climb and jump into what their tour guide assured us was a deep enough part of the river. We decided to give that a miss, instead enjoying the quietness of the river to ourselves for a while.
We paddled back to the kayak launching point where we shunted the kayaks back onto their wheeled rigs and trundled them back to the hire place. We were a few minutes late but they were pretty chilled about it all.
Caves, blowholes, and natural baths
Aaaand finally (apart from the nene which I will cover in another post), a quick roundup of some of other sights we saw on the island.
The Spouting Horn was a natural rock blowhole (there are a surprisingly large number of these on the Hawaiian islands) and for once we were there at the right part of the tidal cycle!
There were turtles frolicking around too in the swirl; it's always nice to see turtles.
Elsewhere, we visited the Queen's Bath, a tidal pool on the north coast of the island. The first pool we saw along the route looked more like a top-open washing machine, angry and frothing and twice as deep as a person, and we assumed the water was just a bit too choppy that day. However, we continued along to find a serene pool, just the right height to get a refreshing splash of water every so often.
There were some cool caves near Keʻe beach, one with an azure pool inside that, despite being shallow itself, perfectly reflected the deep roof of the cave. The entrance was cloaked by vines that dropped from trees rooted high above us.
Aaaand finally (apart from the nene which I will cover in another post), a quick roundup of some of other sights we saw on the island.
The Spouting Horn was a natural rock blowhole (there are a surprisingly large number of these on the Hawaiian islands) and for once we were there at the right part of the tidal cycle!
There were turtles frolicking around too in the swirl; it's always nice to see turtles.
Elsewhere, we visited the Queen's Bath, a tidal pool on the north coast of the island. The first pool we saw along the route looked more like a top-open washing machine, angry and frothing and twice as deep as a person, and we assumed the water was just a bit too choppy that day. However, we continued along to find a serene pool, just the right height to get a refreshing splash of water every so often.
There were some cool caves near Keʻe beach, one with an azure pool inside that, despite being shallow itself, perfectly reflected the deep roof of the cave. The entrance was cloaked by vines that dropped from trees rooted high above us.
