Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
KAʻALAIKI ROAD
If travelling between Pahala and Na'alehu, get of Hwy 11 and take themaukaback-
road. Freshly-paved Kaʻalaiki Rd (also called Old Cane Haul Rd) is a beautiful drive
that loops through green hills with distant sea views, and you'll have it to yourself.
In Na'alehu turn near Punalu'u Bakeshop; in Pahala take Pikake St to Huapala St,
turn right and follow out of town.
KAʻU
Mother Nature hasn't been good to Ka'u lately. First the ongoing eruption of Hale-
ma'uma'u has meant the vog factory is working overtime. Some farms have packed it in,
their crops refusing to grow, and even fence posts are rusting early amidst the sulfurous
air. Then came a change in weather patterns. Annual rainfall in the west of this already-
bone-dry region has fallen from 30in to 3in. Add global economic problems and you
have a recipe for hard times. But they're used to that here. While offering a handful of
sights, including the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Ka'u has never
been about tourism. Here at the under-tip, locals fiercely protect their rural, stay-away-
from-it-all culture, squashing coastal resorts, lobbying for protected land, pioneering off-
the-grid living, and speaking lots of pidgin. In many ways this is an island within an is-
land, adding intrigue to any itinerary.
