Hawaiian Islands I Missed

Even with three months in Hawaii, their are places that you still don't have time for to visit. Some because I could not and others because of the lack of money I had at the time. So here is a brief summery of what I didn't get to checkout.


Kahoolawe
No nickname for this island, for this island is uninhabitated. This island use to be a religious center for Hawaiians; however, because of disease and the introduction of goats (that destroyed the native vegetation), most residents of this island had either died or moved to another island.

In 1920, the U.S. military began routinely bombarding the island. In 1939, the U.S. Army came to practice; then from 1941 to 1994, the entire island was at the sole care of the U.S. Navy. The Navy used Kahoolawe as a bombing site and to test new non-nuclear bombs.

In 1994, the island was given back to the state of Hawaii. Today the island is a reserve, where no commercial activities (except fishing) is allowed on or near the island. The reserve also establishes the island as a center of traditional native Hawaiian cultural, spiritual and susbsistence activities. It also provides for educational and scientific activities, for the restoration of the island to its original environmental conditions and for the rehabilitation of heiaus and other traditional Hawaiian structures which have survived the bombings.

Kahoolawe is only 11 miles long and 8 miles wide. The island is southwest of the island of Maui; it is also part of Maui County.


Lanai - The Pineapple Island
As it's nickname states, Lanai is the Pineapple Isle. Only thing, I was told, you could see their is pineapples, pineapples, and even more pineapples. Only one city dominates the island, Lanai City, with a whooping population of 2,400. The island is located west of Maui and south of Molokai; in Maui County.


Molokai - The Friendly Island
As the fifth largest island, Molokai is considered the Friendly Isle. With 260 square miles in area, 38 miles long, and 10 miles wide at its widest point; Molokai is a skinny island. Its neighbor across the Kaiwi Channel is Oahu (to its west, about 25 miles), while its neighbor to the south is Lanai, and to the east is Maui (about 8 miles). The island has a population around 7,000; half of whom live in or near the town of Kaunakakai.

I've been told that Molokai has one of the most speculator scenery you can ever find. With its green cliffs that jet from the brilliant blue water, Molokai is a definite must see; a place I hope to visit one day if ever back in Hawaii. Who knows!


Nihau - The Forbidden Island
Across the Kaulakohi Channel off Kauai's west coast lies a dry, barren island 18-miles long and about six-miles wide. With the population of roughly 250 people, it is almost exclusively Hawaiian. Visitors are kapu or off-limits to step-foot on the island, even to longtime residents of Kauai.

The reason of this is because back in 1864, the Sinclair family bought Nihau from King Kamehameha V. It has descended down from generation to generation to where it is own today by Kauai's wealthy Robinson family. Everyone who lives on Nihau, works for the Robinson family.

Today, Nihau is the last hold-out of the simple Hawaiian life of long ago and is the only island where Hawaiian is still the principal language spoken. People continue to live in small wooden houses where their is no guns, liquor, jails, telephones, sewers nor electricity. However, Nihau's small school has an Apple computer running on solar energy; so they are not entirely living in the stone age.

I've heard that only people who are true Hawaiian (no mix) or have a lot of money may visit the island. Since I don't have either qualifications, I doubt I'll ever visit this island, except in a distance. The island is part of Kauai County.

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