Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [241]
Eradication efforts are expensive, and so far incomplete and temporary. Places sprayed with citric acid solution have found the coquis returning in a few days. Currently, the federal EPA is considering whether to allow the Big Island to haul out the big gun: a 6% hydrated lime solution that is, apparently, 100% effective.
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DETOUR: PUNA BACKROADS
The old lighthouse that Pele spared isn’t much – just a tall piece of white-painted metal scaffolding. But it’S still rewarding to head straight across ‘Four Corners’ from Hwy 132 and brave the rutted, 1.5-mile dirt road to the end of Cape Kumukahi. This is the easternmost point in the state, and the air that blows across it is the freshest in the world (so scientists say). Even better, the lava-covered cliffs make a gorgeous perch to contemplate this meeting of sky, sea and lava. From the parking area, walk the 4WD roads that crisscross the point.
Turn left, or north, at ‘Four Corners,’ and time will seem to slow to a stop as you enter a teeming, ancient, vine-draped forest pulsing with mana. The dirt road leads to Wa′a Wa′a and is passable for standard cars, but it’S cratered, narrow and twisted. Mind the numerous ‘Kapu’ signs and go slow. After about 5 miles you reach a boulder beach shaded by ironwood trees; park here and scramble along the shore to find a spot for a quiet picnic lunch. Just past this, the paved road begins and you enter the Hawaiian Shores development (but you didn’t want the easy way, right?).
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Isaac Kepo′okalani Hale Beach Park
Renovations in 2008 have completely changed Isaac Hale (pronounced ha-lay). The rocky beach along Pohoiki Bay is of course the same, with waves usually too rough for swimming but great for bodyboarding and surfing. The boat ramp area is still a popular fishing spot, and beyond that, a well-worn path still leads (past a private house) to a small natural hot pond. And kids and families still create a frenzy of activity on weekends. But almost everything else is new: the parking lots, the walkways, the picnic tables, the outdoor showers and – most of all – the park across the road from the beach.
Here, the camping area is now a pristine lawn, trim as a putting green, with 22 sites, picnic tables, BBQs, and new bathrooms with flush toilets and drinking water. A security guard checks permits and ensures that the park’S once semipermanent squatters do not return. What used to be a sketchy place campers had to avoid is now one of Puna’S best camping spots (for permit information, Click here).
MacKenzie State Recreation Area
Puna does not lack for moody, mana-imbued settings, and yet another is this grove of ironwood trees edging sheer, 40ft cliffs above a restless ocean. During the day, this quiet, secluded park makes an unforgettable picnic spot. However, while camping is allowed (for permits, Click here), staying overnight is not recommended. Facilities are derelict (the pit toilets disgusting), and rare but serious crimes here underscore the unsettling isolation.
Kehena Beach & Around
If any place captures the friendly uninhibited intensity of Puna, it’S this beautiful black-sand beach at the base of rocky cliffs and shaded by coconut and ironwood trees. All types and persuasions mix easily – hippies, Hawaiians, gays, families, teens, seniors, tourists. Many come to doff their clothes, but truly, no one cares if you don’t. As the drum circle plays, old guys dance with their eyes closed while parents chase their kids in the surf – every generation nude – while others meditate, drink, swim, hang out. For a quieter experience, come early to greet the rising sun.
The surf is powerful, even when ‘calm,’ so swim with caution. Deaths occur here every year, and you shouldn’t venture