Day 25 : Nahwiliwil - The Island Of Kauai

The Hawaiian islands sit in the middle of the Pacific tectonic plate. They lie over a hot spot (just like Yellowstone), where magma from deep down pushes to the surface. The hot spot remains in one place while the plate moves NorthEast at the rapid pace of 8cm (3 inches) per year. If you track all this on a map, you'll see that Kauai is the oldest of the islands, formed some 5 million years ago, while the Big Island of Hawaii is still being formed by the eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea. There is also an undersea seafloor volcano, Lohi, some 20+ miles SE of the Big Island, that will eventually become the youngest island in the chain. This means that Kauai has had time to mature, with the resultant greenery - and is known as the Garden Isle.

After five long days at sea, with up to 15-foot swells and 45-50mph gusts, it was an absolute pleasure to set foot on dry land. We approached the harbor in Nahwililwili Bay at about 8 am in the morning, with the sun almost due astern of us. We came past the Marriott Kauai Resort, where we've stayed a few times, and maneuvered into a tight turn to dock. Nice job, captain!

Allison and I ended up on the same scenic tour of Northern and Eastern Kauai. I was waitlisted for a helicopter tour round the back of the inaccessible (by land) North Cliffs - but alas - no luck. I had taken the trip before, which is why I wanted to do it again. Our scenic tour started with a trip up the Wailea River, hosted by the Smith Boating Company - which started the business in 1946 with a rowboat. The boat took us to the Fern Grotto. The grotto had been whacked by both a hurricane and a landslide about 20 years ago and is still recovering.

 Nevertheless, it was a pretty sight, and there are still multiple weddings there every week. 

After disembarking, we journeyed up to Wailea Falls, took the requisite selfie, and moved on to several beaches. After grabbing lunch at a local beach, we continued north to the Kilauea Lighthouse to take in some great views and also spot some whales. The last time we visited, the lighthouse was run by a private trust; there were bathrooms, a small restaurant, a gift shop, etc. It's since been taken over by the federal government and is only open Wednesday through Saturday, and you need a ticket. It's also looking worn and rundown. Sad.

Then onto yet another beach and Hanalei Bay. One of my favourite places on the island. The views are spectacular, the water is calm, and you have (with a bit of imagination) Puff The Magic Dragon looking down upon you. Hanalei is like a throwback to the 1970s, a jarring juxtaposition to next door Princeville, which can only be described as the Beverly Hills of the island. 

Each Hawaiian island has its own beauty, yet Kauai remains my favorite because of the green lushness of the fauna and the vast hills and mountains. It also possesses the wettest place on earth - Mount Waialeale - ironically meaning "overflowing water" in the local language. Average rainfall is 450 inches a year, with a record of 683 inches in 1982. It is one of those amazing (helicopter only) sights.

Next, we move to Honolulu, then Maui, before finishing the island tour on the Big Island of Hawaii. Then it's another four days of sailing until we reach Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia.