Nu‘alolo Kai, Nā Pali coast, Kaua‘i

The Nā Pali coast is quite possibly the most beautiful stretch of coastline in Hawai‘i. Rugged and primarily uninhabited, it’s characterized by 1000 foot cliffs, windswept waterfalls and deep verdant valleys that cut back into the landscape. These valleys were also once home to Native Hawaiian villages. One such valley - Nu‘alolo Kai - is accessible only by boat. Fronted by a wide reef flat, Nu‘alolo Kai is ensconced in a dramatic semi-circle of 1000-foot cliffs. A huge heiau – or Native Hawaiian temple site – sits in the back of the valley and other archaeological remains include terraced home plots, canoe houses and agricultural terraces. I had the good fortune of being able to visit this incredible place on July 24, 2010 with the University of Hawaii’s archaeological field school at the invitation of Professor Terry Hunt. We arrived via zodiac at 6:30 and met David and Lida Burney who had camped the previous night. David’s a paleo-ecologist who has been documenting changes in the native fauna and flora for over two decades and Lida has most recently been involved in propagating an incredible native plant project at Grove Farms in Kauai. Terry has become famous for his work in Rapa Nui (Easter Island), where he’s countered the common story of environmental and social collapse with new findings on the role of invasive rats as the primary perpetrator of deforestation. He’s also done some incredible archaeological research at other sites in the Pacific, including Nu‘alolo Kai. We spent the day learning about the history of the valley, as understood from archaeology, historical accounts, and living connections among the community of Native Hawaiians that are now stewards of the valley. We planted native plants that the Burney’s had brought in the day before and enclosed them in wire mesh to protect them from the non-native goats that had invaded the valley and denuded nearly all the native vegetation. I got to snorkel the reef flat at high tide and saw some of the biggest parrotfish I’d ever seen in Hawaii. Later on a couple of juvenile monk seals hauled out on the beach in front of our encampment and proceeded to show us what relaxation really looked like. On the boat trip back to the harbor at Kekaha I couldn’t help but wonder what these places had been like back when they were inhabited. What were these Hawaiian’s lives like, and how did they view this incredible place? It was a memorable trip, made even more so by the vibrant cadre of students and professors that allowed me to tag along..