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10 December 2024
Alan Morris on Hanalei Pier, Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii.
Alan Morris on Hanalei Pier, Hanalei Beach, Kauai, Hawaii.

Today, I went on an escorted tour of Kauai, including a drive through Kauai to the Wailua River. I cruised the river and stopped to see the Fern Grotto before continuing to Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge. 

I woke up, showered and went to the buffet for breakfast before leaving the ship. At the dock, we were met and shown to the minibus we would be touring on today. We were soon underway, and our guide and driver told us about the places we passed through en route to our first stop at Wailua River. As we drove along the coast, I could see turtles in the sea and on the beaches we passed. It was great to see them in their natural environment.

Wailua River.

The Wailua River is a major river on the island of Kauai. At 23.4 kilometres long, it is Kauai's 5th longest river. It is formed by the confluence of its North and South forks just west of Wailua and flows into the Pacific Ocean. It is the only navigable river by boats larger than kayaks in the Hawaiian Islands.

Wailua River State Park.

When we had parked near the small pontoon and dock, our guide led us to the small boat on which we would cruise up the Wailua River. We all climbed onboard and waited while the rest of the seats filled up. We were introduced to the boat crew and Captain, and then we cruised up the Wailua River. We were told about the river and the places on the river banks as we passed them. The Captain regularly had to sound a warning horn because people in canoes kept crossing our path.

Fern Grotto.

Only accessible by boat or Kayak, the Fern Grotto is located about two miles up Kauai’s Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii. The grotto is a cave of lush ferns growing on the cave walls due to moisture seeping from sugarcane irrigation on the cliff plateau. When the sugar industry had its last days, the ferns began to die off until restoration efforts returned moisture to the area.

Our boat docked at a pontoon near the Fern Grotto, and we were led through the lush landscape until we came to a raised platform in front of the Grotto. When we got there, we were told all about the Fern Grottos history and how it used to be used for weddings but was no longer used and that events could still be held in front of it on the raised platform we stood on.

After being told about the Fern Grotto, we were treated to a show with the Hawaiian crew of the boat we arrived on, performing songs, dancing and telling us more tales. One of the wild cockerels that lived there watched this and would chime in now and then, crowing loudly.

Video from Fern Grotto and Wailua River, Kauai, Hawaii.

Once the entertainment was over, we returned to the boat and cruised down the river to the small pontoon, where we rejoined our minibus, and our driver took us on the next part of our tour.

Photos from Fern Grotto.

Opaekaa Falls.

Opaekaa Falls is a waterfall located on the Opaekaʻa Stream in Wailua River State Park on the eastern side of Kauai. It is a 151-foot waterfall that flows over basalt from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The name Opaekaa means rolling shrimp. The name dates back to days when the native freshwater shrimp, Atyoida bisulcata, were plentiful in the stream and were seen rolling and tumbling down the falls and into the churning waters at the fall's base. 

We drove to a lookout some distance from the falls that allowed us to take some photos of the wonderful scenery and I took a couple of photos. A man there offered to take my picture, but I had already taken one. As we talked, he introduced himself and his wife. It turned out they were from Spain as well. He was originally from London, England and married a lovely Spanish lady. I laughed when he introduced himself as Rick with a silent P and then introduced his wife, Lola. We were soon back in the air-conditioned minibus and driving through the beautiful scenery again on our way to Hanalei Bay.

Short video of our drive through Kauai.

Hanalei Beach.

I didn't think I had heard of this beach until our tour guide started to talk to us about it. He put some music on in the van, giving away where it was. Until then, I had always thought Hanalei was a made-up name.

Peter Paul and Mary sing Puff the Magic Dragon video.

Hanalei allegedly features in the Puff the Magic Dragon song that Peter Paul and Mary sang in 1963 and I sang in Junior school years later. This is rejected by the song's authors, who say it is not the same place.

Our guide dropped us off so we could walk to a jetty at Hanalei Bay. We all walked onto the small jetty and admired the mountain range that allegedly inspired the song, Puff the Magic Dragon. The mountains are supposed to be the dragon lying down, and the clouds are the smoke from the dragon's nostrils. The beach was beautiful, and some of the homes along the beach were fantastic. If I ever win the lottery, I must consider buying one.

After taking photos, we returned to the minibus and headed to a nearby village for lunch.

Ching Young Village.

We stopped at the Ching Young Village for lunch. It looked like a typical tourist stop that you can see worldwide. Lots of small shops and cafes selling overpriced Chinese-made souvenirs. Our driver handed out packed lunches, and I sat on a chair watching people go buy and eat lunch before heading back to the minibus.

When we left the village, we drove through the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge, stopping occasionally at different vantage points for photos.

Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge.

Located on the northernmost point of Kauai, Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge has one of the largest populations of nesting seabirds in Hawaii. When we visited, the lighthouse was closed, and we didn't enter the park but could see it from a viewpoint near the entrance.

After our quick stop to look out over the Refuge and lighthouse, we returned across the island to our cruise ship. Our guide continued giving us great information about everything we passed, even recommending a bar we may want to visit in the evening as our ship would stay in port tonight.

More photos from Kauai.

Back onboard the NCL Spirit.

When I returned to the ship I went to the Local Bar and had a salad and chicken wings. I'm not sure why they called it chicken wings. It was more like a chicken quartered, but it was very nice. After my meal, I went to Henrys' Pub and had today's featured cocktail and a few pints of Guinness. I was too late for the quiz as it had just finished, and because I was tired and had another excursion planned for tomorrow, I went to bed early.

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