One afternoon on the Big Island of Hawaii, I found myself sitting on our balcony of the Kona Tiki Hotel, and enjoying the death defying acts of some surfers after a storm had rolled through. Right outside of our window lied a very rocky area that met the ocean. There was no beach for a soft landing, just porous and fragmented lava-rock. Depending on the time of day, the waves against the rock outcrops was obnoxious and loud. I could not imagine myself setting any foot into the water in this area.
So watching surfers be pushed into shore upon waves was like watching people sentencing themselves to a painful death. I could just imagine falling off a surfboard only to be met with the sharp and jagged lava-rock below the surface of the water. Then as I float bleeding in the water, the sharks would be circling as I tried stumbling onto the shore, only to be knocked around by the waves crashing from behind.
For those reason, I greatly was impressed watching the surfers of Hawaii. I gave tremendous respect for their dedication to the sport.
On our first full day on the Big Island of Hawaii, we set out to explore the western side of the island, south of where we were staying in Kona. Our first order of business was to find a good beach, and we were recommended to drive south to Kahalu’u Beach Park.
We were fortunate to get the park early in the day as the parking lot was small. I have to admit I had low expectations upon first look of Kahalu’u Beach Park. The sand was course, with an abundance of lava rocks protruding from ground (perfect for little ones to get hurt), and overcast skies. However, there were lots of people in the water, with the majority of them snorkeling.
So just like our ritual at Hananama Bay, my father-in-law and I dawned our snorkel gear and headed out into the unknown. I had no idea what I was about to behold.
I had seen some pretty impressive snorkeling during my visit alone in 2006, but what I saw at Kahalu’u Beach Park ranked up there among my favorites. There were amazing fish, coral, and rock formations.
Once we headed in to swap in my wife, we learned how Bug (3) discovered our first viewing of a sea turtle, basking on the rocks. It was quite an experience to get to be within arms length of a turtle. It was also nice to see everyone respecting the turtles space and keeping at bay, since it is illegal to get near them.
The one thing I found quite amazing is just how well the turtles blend into the surroundings. We were probably a couple hundred feet away when my wife was pointing it out to me, and it really was a struggle to pick out the turtle against the dark lava, at least from a distance.
Once my wife and I headed back into the water, we went out a little deeper and the sites got even more impressive. Losing your sense of location and reality can easily be accomplished with your head down to the ground. The deeper we went, the more beautiful everything became. In addition, your sense of nerves also can be tested. It is one thing to see an eel in an aquarium, but it is quite another to see one up close in the ocean.
By the time we landed back on the beach, my opinion of Kahalu’u Beach Park had forever been changed. The snorkeling was absolutely fantastic! In addition, the boys were really starting to become aware of their environment and enjoy the ocean experience. The whole trip was worth it just to see them develop the way they did.
Our last destination on our adventure to scope out the waterfalls of the Big Island of Hawaii ended at ‘Akaka Falls. Billed as a 442 foot freefall among a lush jungle environment, we did not really fully know what we were getting into.
As mentioned in our earlier posts, the eastern side of the Big Island tends to be rather wet, at least during our visit in June. So when we arrived at the end of the road to enter into the ‘Akaka Falls parking lot, the gate was already locked for the day. However, we proceeded to walk down into the park like all the other people were doing. When we got to the pay station, the attendant was leaving for the day and it began to rain. At that point, we had to make a decision of do venturing down the trail in the rain to see the falls or do turning back?
Fortunately, Mrs. InACents talked me into making the trek. The walk was not very vigorous or difficult, except for trying to carry the boys in the rain. However, once we finally made it to the falls viewing area, despite being soaked, it was an extraordinary Hawaiian experience. Having returned home and never had seen it, we surely would have regretted our decision.
While the Mrs. and I took in the sights of the falls, the boys took the opportunity to connect with Mother Nature, just like they had raspberry picking, by finding the nice puddle created from the covered viewing area downspout.
So if you wonder why I decided to post two (2) videos of ‘Akaka Falls, just take a listen to the audio to understand why. It was one of those moments in life that make you laugh as a parent, especially when you are traveling and out exploring new opportunities.
On the way back, after already being soaked, we decided to share a moment and take in the beautiful rainforest and subsequent smaller waterfalls.
A New Experience at ‘Akaka Falls
We were the last people to visit ‘Akaka Falls State Park that day. When we were viewing the falls, there were two college-aged girls with backpacks taking a break and viewing the site. After we got back to the vehicle, loaded up the boys, and started to drive away, we noticed the two girls were proceeding to walk down the road just as it was beginning to rain again. For the first time in my life, I went against what my mom taught me (Mom, stop reading unless you want to be proud of us) when it came to hitchhikers.
As I have aged and become such a fan of traveling, I have begun to appreciate certain aspects of life, including understanding hitchhiking, which is prevalent on the islands. That day we stopped and picked up the girls to see if they needed a ride down the road and back towards civilization. Neither my wife nor I had ever picked up a hitchhiker before. After feeling so much angst earlier in the day from our stop at Rainbow Falls, a human compassion encompassed me, and after quickly asking my wife if she was ok with it, we were picking up hitchhikers.
The two girls had left their bikes back in town and were about to embark on the several mile hike in the rain. If it had not been for just briefly chatting with them back at the falls, I am not 100% certain I may have stopped. Our random act of kindness was quick and simple and we felt completely safe with our decision. The girls were kind and did not ask for anything other than to be dropped off at their bikes.
After dropping our hitchhiking souls off, we felt a sense of wanting to go back and help them by sharing a meal or something with them, but by that point we had a long drive ahead, and our welcoming might have been overextended. The girls were on a wanderlust adventure, backpacking and biking across the islands at will. It sounds magical yet stressful, and something I do not think I would ever contemplate with kids. Even in my single days, if I had a friend to go with, I still may have had trepidation for such an adventure, and gave our new friends a lot of credit and courage.
Why is the falls named ‘Akaka?(Taken from the State Park Information Board)
‘Akaka was the name of a chief whose full name was ‘Akaka-o-ka-ni’au-pi’o-i-ka-wao. He was the grandson of Kulanikapele and Kiakalohia. One of the stones at the top of the falls is named after the grandfather, Kulanikapele while the cliff is named for his grandmother, Kiajalohia.
The waters of ‘Akaka which reap downward, with mist flying upon the cliff of Kiakalohia.
In another mo’olelo or traditional account, ‘Akaka was the warrior chief who jumps over the falls and is turned into stone.
