Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [376]
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KAMAKOU AREA
The best reason to rent a 4WD vehicle on Moloka’i is to thrill to the views from the Waikolu Lookout before venturing into the verdant mysteries of the Nature Conservancy’s Kamakou Preserve, where you’ll find the island’s highest peaks. Exploring this secret side of Moloka’i is an unforgettable experience. Besides gazing down into two deep valleys on the island’s stunning and impenetrable north coast, you’ll explore a near-pristine rain forest that is home to more than 250 native plants (over 200 endemic) and some of Hawaii’s rarest birds. Although you won’t reach the island’s highest point, 4961ft of Kamakou Peak, you’ll still get your head in the clouds.
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DETOUR: MOLOKA’I’S PALI COAST
The world’s tallest sea pali (cliffs) rise from the Pacific for an awe-inspiring 14 miles from the Kalaupapa Peninsula, in central Moloka‘i, east almost to Halawa Beach. The average drop of these sheer cliffs is 2000ft, with some reaching 3300ft. And these intimidating walls are not monolithic; vast valleys roaring with waterfalls cleave the dark rock faces. It’s Moloka’i’s most dramatic sight and also the most difficult to see.
From land, you can get an idea of the drama in the valleys from the remote Waikolu Lookout (opposite) and the Pelekunu Valley Overlook (opposite) in the Kamakou area.
But to really appreciate the cliffs, you won’t want to settle for the backsides. From the Pacific you can get a full appreciation of their height. You can organize a boat trip (Click here) or really earn your adventure cred by paddling yourself here in a kayak (Click here). In summer when conditions allow, you can leave from Halawa Beach (Click here) but this is only for expert kayakers and will require a few days plus camping on isolated stone beaches. You can get advice from Moloka’i Fish & Dive (Click here).
A visit to Kalaupapa Peninsula (Click here) also gives you an idea of the spectacle. Or you can appreciate the drama of the cliffs from the air. Many of Maui’s helicopter tours (Click here) include Moloka’i’s Pali Coast.
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Orientation
The turnoff for the Kamakou Area is between the 3- and 4-mile markers on Hwy 460, immediately east of the Manawainui Bridge. The paved turnoff is marked with a sign for the Homelani Cemetery. The pavement quickly ends, and the road deteriorates into 4WD-only conditions.
About 5.5 miles from Hwy 460 and well past the cemetery, you’ll cross into the Moloka’i Forest Reserve. After a further 1.5 miles, there’s an old water tank and reservoir off to the left. Another 2 miles brings you to the Sandalwood Pit, and one mile past that to Waikolu Lookout and the boundary of the Kamakou Preserve.
Moloka’i Forest Reserve
As you climb and enter the Moloka’i Forest Reserve, the landscape starts off shrubby and dusty, becoming dark, fragrant woods of tall eucalyptus, with patches of cypress and Norfolk pines. Don’t bother heading down the roads branching off Maunahui Rd, as the scenery will be exactly the same. Although there’s no evidence of it from the road, the Kalamaula area was once heavily settled. It was here that Kamehameha the Great (Kamehameha I) knocked out his two front teeth in grieving the death of a female high chief, whom he had come to visit. Local lore says that women once traveled up here to bury their afterbirth in order to ensure that their offspring reached great heights.
If you’re up for talking story with a longtime island character, and checking out his beautiful creations, stop at Robin Baker’s woodcarving shed. You’ll see his gates on the left.
Sandalwood Pit
A grassy depression on the left side of the road marks the centuries-old Sandalwood Pit (Lua Na Moku ‘Iliahi). In the early 19th century, shortly after the lucrative sandalwood trade began, the pit was hand-dug to the exact measurements of a 100ft-long, 40ft-wide and 7ft-deep ship’s hold, and filled with fragrant sandalwood logs cleared from the nearby forest.
The ali’i (royalty)