Water, water everywhere.

Fri 13 Nov -The Hana Highway

Early hiking start to Pipiwai Trail to see the Ohe’o Gulch (aka Seven sacred pools) and Waimoku Falls. Heavy rain during the night had swollen the otherwise demure falls to raging torrents with frequent flooding on the trails. It is occasionally possible to swim in the lower pool but definitely not possible today. As we were up early we had the trails to ourselves and we enjoyed the spectacle of the vast volumes of water cascading over the pools in to the ocean.  Next we set off on the 2 mile trek to Waimoku Falls, which took us through jungle, including another magnificent Banyon Tree, a Bamboo forest which made an eerie clashing sound as the stems blew in the winds and the fording of two swollen streams. On our way through the Bamboo forest a wild pig nonchalantly wandered across the path in front of us. Under foot was wet, soggy and slippery mud but the hike was more than worth it to see the Falls in such splendour cascading from 200 feet above us.

Getting back to camp we were muddy and wet, as it had rained quite hard during the hike, but struck camp and got on our way to Hana, a famous town at the end of an eponymous highway.  The route there was beautiful, lush forest on a winding road with many stops for other waterfalls. Hana, however, proved somewhat of a disappointment so we lunched and then purchased an ice cream from the General Stores, an antiquated shack that sold absolutely everything under a tin roof. It had celebrated its Centenary in 2010 and it was obvious that not much had changed during that time.

We’d planned to stay at the local state park but needed provisions, which Hana couldn't supply. As we were also fed up with the rain, we decided to return to the hot and dry west side of the Island. The trip down the Hana highway is supposed to be a highlight for visitors. Unfortunately the constant rain and overdose of verdant rainforest and waterfalls made it not really special to us.  

We stopped to get more food nearer civilisation, grabbed a proper cuppa of tea at Starbucks, along with getting on the internet, and decided to grab a McDonalds for dinner. Unfortunately we now learnt a life lesson - looking for somewhere to wild camp in the dark isn't easy. We wandered up and down State Highway 30 until we spotted a gap between some trees off the road and on to the beach. What we didn't bank on was the highway with traffic that doesn't ever seem to stop - even the night, along with major winds and hearing the ocean near us but not ever knowing how close it was. Obviously we both had a terrible night with hardly any sleep.

The Ohe'o Gulch

Bamboo Forest 

Waimoku Falls 

The general stores in Hana

Huge surf on the Hana Highway