Niihau, Secret Island

Take a vacation to Kauai, Hawaii, and look in to a mystery.

Here's the mystery: what's it like on the Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau? This 550-square-mile island is the westernmost of the main Hawaiian islands and has been privately owned since 1864 by the Robinson family, which forbids tourists.

Ni'ihau (Nee-ee-how) clings to the sea, low on the horizon, visible from the southwest shore of Kauai, 17 miles away. Native Hawaiian is spoken there by the 200 or so residents. In fact, it's the only place where native Hawaiian is a living language. Hawaiian is the language of the island's K-8 school.

Ni'ihau residents regularly cross the strait to Kauai to buy provisions. Ni'ihau is short on provisions because it is a desert, lying in the rain shadow of the tall mountain on Kauai, Mt. Wai-ale-ale, drenched with 460 inches of rainfall every year. It is often called the wettest spot on earth.

Ni'ihau has supported plenty of sheep over the years. The Robinson family maintained sheep ranches there for many years.

A stunning form of folk art comes from Ni'ihau. These are Ni'ihau shell leis, tiny shells strung from many strands. These tiny luminous shells come in various colors, and so whole families collect them and sort them for size and color. Then the artist, usually a woman, sets to work, punching a hole in each shell using an awl often made from a bicycle spoke (there are no cars on the island). About half the shells shatter at this point. She chooses colors in such a way as to make a final product that is textured with color.

The Ni'ihau shell leis are precious in part because the shells are rare on other Hawaiian islands. Kauai, for example, was home of sugar plantations for many years. The agricultural runoff has destroyed many of the sea creatures that make shells.

Ni'ihau is mostly flat and sandy, except for an eroded lava dome on the east side facing Kauai. It also has two freshwater lakes. Is the lava dome the remains of Hawaii's oldest volcano? It would seem so, because Ni'ihau is on the opposite end of the island chain from the currently active volcanos on the Big Island of Hawaii. The islands were formed as the earth's outer crust moved over an active lava vent. Early Hawaiians thought Ni'ihau was the oldest island, naming it as the ancient original home of the volcano goddess Pele, who hopped from island to island with the active volcanos and now lives on the Big Island. But scientists say actually Kauai is the oldest island, and that Ni'ihau was formed by a side vent of the volcano that made Kauai.

Mysterious Ni'ihau lies in the distance. You'd love to go there. So you look for maps and pictures of the place. But what if you just have to go there? In fact, the Robinson family will let you come, for a healthy fee. A few helicopter tours to remote teaches are allowed now, as well as some hunting safaris to cull feral bighorn sheep and Polynesian boars. You can always scuba dive offshore, too.

Kauai is the gateway to Ni'ihau. It is also a great place to visit on its own. There are plenty of beaches to check out, and lots of activities. But what you won't want to miss is the Na Pali Coast on the northwest side of the island. a place of amazing beauty.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

If you love a mystery, you'll visit Kauai for a Kauai Hawaii vacation. You'll want to read all about Niihau, the forbidden Hawaiian island, as well as about Kauai, land of lush natural beauty, from writer Phyllis Wheeler.

If You want to use this article on your website then select COPY THIS ARTICLE in the Menu on the right side!

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated