Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Having fallen into disrepair, the Ali'i Fishpond has been painstakingly brought back to life
by
Ka Honua Momona,
a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable land practices on
the island of Moloka'i. If you pull in to the parking lot and staff members are working on
the property, they will be more than happy to show you around. Workers are usually here
in the morning hours before the wind picks up, although if no one is around, it's best to
admire the fishpond from afar.
MOLOKA'I FISHPONDS
At one point in time there were no fewer than 60 stone fishponds lining the shoreline
of Moloka'i's southern coast. Some of these have been restored and are in modern
use. The locals who inhabit this area still fortify their diet in the same ways their
ancestors have done for centuries. Constructed out of lava rock and large blocks of
coral, the fishponds represent a system of aquaculture which serves as one of early
Hawai'i's greatest feats of engineering. Most of the fishponds are believed to be
between 700 and 800 years old, and although some have been overtaken by coastal
mangroves, there are still a few which are open for public viewing. If you visit any
fishponds during your time on Moloka'i, please be respectful of the cultural heritage
they represent and don't walk on the walls or remove stones from the structures.
View from the Heights
Even though the road parallels the southern coastline, from the vantage point of sea level
it's difficult to find a good view. For a panoramic photo of the island's fringing reef, one
of the best views is a few minutes east of One Ali'i Beach Park by driving to the top of
Kawela Plantation, located on the
mauka,
or mountain side of the road. After turning into
the Kawela Plantation I development, make your way down a plumeria-lined street. Take
your first left and follow it until it dead-ends in a cul-de-sac. From this vantage point you
can make out a large swath of the coastline, and this is your best coastal photo-op until you
reach mile marker 20, where the road gets narrow and curvy.
St. Joseph's Church
For the seven-mile stretch past One Ali'i Beach Park along Highway 450, there are a num-
ber of historical sites such as Kawela (site of King Kamehameha's Moloka'i conquest) and
Kamalo (the island's original wharf), but standing in them now, you would never know
there was anything there. Plus, access is difficult, and unless you had someone pointing out
