Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rule all the Islands if he built a heiau dedicated to his war god Kukaʻilimoku atop
Puʻukohola (Whale Hill) in Kawaihae, Kamehameha built Puʻukohola Heiau.
It is believed that Kamehameha and his men formed a human chain 20 miles long,
transporting rocks hand to hand from Pololu Valley in North Kohala. After finishing the
heiau by summer 1791, Kamehameha held a dedication ceremony and invited his rival
and cousin, Keoua, the chief of Kaʻu. When Keoua came ashore, he was killed and taken
to the
luakini
heiau (temple of human sacrifice) as the first offering to the gods. With Ke-
oua's death, Kamehameha took sole control of the Big Island, eventually ruling all the
Hawaiian Islands by 1810.
Back then Puʻukohola Heiau was adorned with wooden
kiʻi
and thatched structures,
including an oracle tower, altar, drum house and shelter for the high priest. After Kame-
hameha's death in 1819, his son Liholiho and powerful widow Kaʻahumanu destroyed
the deity images and the heiau was abandoned.
Today, only the basic rock foundation remains, but it's still a massive 224ft by 100ft,
with 16ft to 20ft walls. Windswept and stark, it seems a fitting legacy of Kamehameha,
whose name translates as 'the Lonely One.' To get here, turn
makai
(seaward) off the
Akoni Pule Hwy halfway between mile markers 2 and 3.
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company
TOUR
MAP
(
888-643-6688, 882-1690;
www.hawnnut.com
; 61-3251 Maluokalani St; 8am-5pm)
Compared with the Hershey-owned Mauna Loa mac-nut headquarters near Hilo,
this locally owned company is tiny. But the spanking-clean factory and gift shop are
staffed by multigeneration locals who give tours, answer questions and otherwise eman-
ate much aloha spirit. An ecoconscious company, it uses ground mac-nut shells (not
fossil fuels) to steam-dry its nuts. Generous free samples.
Festivals
Hoʻokuʻikahi Hawaiian Cultural Festival
CULTURAL
(
www.nps.gov/puhe
;
62-3601 Kawaihae Rd, Puʻukohola Heiau National Historic Site)
Held in mid-
August at Puʻukohola Heiau, the tongue-twisting Hoʻokuʻikahi Hawaiian Cultural
Festival is a celebration of the folkways, traditions, arts and culture of Native Hawaiians.
The public is invited to participate in well over a dozen classes that provide instruction in
various Hawaiian crafts, such as woodworking and frond plaiting, or simply observe the
hundreds of locals come decked in traditional dress for this impressive gala.
