Today, I had booked an escorted tour of Kauai, which included a drive through Kauai to the Wailua River, where I will cruise down the river, stopping to see the Fern Grotto before continuing to Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge.
Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii.
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.
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 as a result of 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.
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.
Ching Young Village.
We stopped at the Ching Young Village for lunch.
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.