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NORTHEAST
The Sites!
The Hamakua Coast
In 1835, the first commercial production of sugar
cane began and this crop took on ever-increasing economic importance, especially
after the decline of the great whaling fleets. Native Hawaiians did not take
kindly to the tedious labor of a plantation worker and, in any case, the native
population had been seriously depleted by disease. Thus, there began the
importation of labor from Asia and the Philippines and other areas of the world.
It is this varied population that gave rise to the immense variety of Hawaii's
present inhabitants.
Take Highway 19 from Honokaa to Hilo to
travel the scenic Hamakua Coast. You literally follow the tracks of a former
sugar can train; it hugs the ocean; snaking into jungle gulches passing
waterfalls, jungle gorges, plantation towns and gardens.. The 45-mile drive goes
through former sugar plantation towns that molded the island’s economy for 150
years.
When the road crosses bridges, look for
waterfalls—especially around mile markers 16-19. If it’s been raining
upslope, Hamakua’s many waterfalls will be in all their glory.
Hamakua (This Week photo)
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Laupahoehoe Beach Park
Laupahoehoe Point off Hwy 19 N, Laupahoehoe
96764
Easily
offering one of the best vistas on the island, this lava-leaf
(that's what laupahoehoe means)
peninsula extends far into the Pacific. This
idyllic place holds a grim reminder of nature's fury. In 1946,
tragedy struck the village located here when a tsunami swept across the
peninsula and claimed the lives of 24 people. A memorial in the park remembers
that dreadful incident. Today, Laupahoehoe Point is a terrific place to spend
the afternoon, whether your aim is to explore surrounding waterfalls or do some
fishing. The land here ends in black sea stacks
that resemble tombstones. It's not a place for swimming, but the views are
spectacular. (Use
good judgment: the undertow can be deadly during winter months.) Camping is
permitted at the park, and facilities include a pavilion area, restrooms,
showers, and camping sites with drinking water and electrical outlets.
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Akaka Falls State Park
Akaka Falls Rd off Hwy 19, Honomu 96728 • 808-974-6200
This
state park, hidden away in a dense forested area just northwest of Hilo,
features two of the Big Island's most majestic scenes: Kahuna Falls and 'Akaka
Falls. The former, easily the smaller of the two, cascades over a tree-lined
cliff into the canopy below. Meanwhile, the latter tumbles more than 440 feet
into a lush gorge, creating a spectacular scene that's been photographed
countless times over the years. The falls are
surrounded by lush jungle, giant bamboo, orchids, yellow ginger and exotic tree
ferns. The
trail leading to the waterfalls is moderately strenuous, and the entire walk
takes less than an hour.
Akaka Falls
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Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
Off Hwy. 19 on the 4-mile Scenic Route, Onomea Bay Phone: 808/964-5233.
A point of interest is Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens at Onomea
Bay. More than 1,800 species of tropical plants thrive in this little-known Eden
by the sea. The 40-acre garden, nestled between the crashing surf and a
thundering waterfall, has the world's largest selection of tropical plants
growing in a natural environment, including a torch ginger forest, a banyan
canyon, an orchid garden, a banana grove, a bromeliad hill, and a golden bamboo
grove, which rattles like a jungle drum in the trade winds. The torch gingers
tower on 12-foot stalks. Each spectacular specimen is named by genus and
species, and caretakers point out new or rare buds in bloom. Some endangered
Hawaiian specimens, like the rare Gardenia remyi, are flourishing in this
habitat.
The gardens are seldom crowded; you can
wander around by yourself all day, taking pictures, writing in your journal, or
just soaking up the peace and quiet. The Gardens are Open
Daily 8:30am-4:30pm. Admission $15 adults, $5 children 6-16. (Don't be afraid to
go if it is raining, it puts you right into a tropical rain forest!)
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