Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Made famous in the opening credits of
Fantasy Island,
these falls appear at a distance,
but when they are in full bloom and misting the surrounding tropical foliage, it's a fant-
astic photo op. While officially listed as 80ft, the falls have been repeatedly measured at
between 125ft and 175ft.
At the lookout spot, a sign reads: 'Slippery rocks at top of falls. People have been
killed.' Heed it. Many have slipped while trying to scramble down the steep, untamed
path. To get here from Lihuʻe, follow Kuhio Hwy north and turn left onto Maʻalo Rd
(Hwy 583), which ends at the falls after 4 miles. Be sure to lock your car if venturing
down the trail.
Alekoko (Menehune) Fishpond
RESERVE
Don't expect a dip - only a distant view of this tranquil 39-acre pond, an ancient
loko
wai
(freshwater fishpond), proof of ancient Hawaiian's reliance on aquaculture. Accord-
ing to legend, Kauaʻi's
menehune
(the legendary 'little people') built the 900ft stone dam
across a bend in the Huleʻia River and created the pond overnight. To get to the overlook,
drive up Hulemalu Rd for 0.5 miles.
Holes in the structure allowed young fish to enter the pond but not to escape once
grown. The pond was productive with mullet until 1824, when Kauaʻi's leader Kaumu-
aliʻi died and
aliʻi
(chiefs) from Oʻahu and Maui ruled the island as absentee landlords.
With no
aliʻi
to feed and maintain the pond, it sorely declined. Later the surrounding area
was planted with taro and rice. Today it is privately owned and not in use.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service owns the lands surrounding the fishpond (about 240
acres of river basin and steep forested slopes along the north side of Huleʻia River). In
1973 the area was designated the Huleʻia National Wildlife Refuge and now provides
breeding and feeding grounds for endemic water birds. The refuge is closed to the public,
but kayak tours (
Click here
)
along Huleʻia River drift through it.
Lihuʻe Lutheran Church
CHURCH
(4602 Hoʻomana Rd; services 8am & 10:30am Sun)
Hawaii's oldest Lutheran church is a
quaint clapboard house, with an incongruously slanted floor that resembles a ship's deck
and a balcony akin to a captain's bridge. The building is actually a faithful 1983 recon-
struction of the 1885 original (built by German immigrants), leveled by Hurricane ʻIwa.
It's located just off Kaumualiʻi Hwy (Hwy 50).
