Maui, Hawaii, 7 March 2015

This post is a novelty we haven’t seen for a while, not for ten posts back in fact.  It doesn’t contain any infrared images.  I understand there are some posts in other blogs like this too.

We took off along the south west road, past all the places we went to the previous day, towards Kahanu Gardens.  The first image is at the side of the road not long after we took off, a particularly overgrown patch of forest that caught my eye.

.

Past Hana, we have arrived at Kahanu Gardens and the huge expanse of grey stone in the background is Pi’ilanihale Heiau.  In early times. Maui comprosed three chiefdoms, at Wailuku, Lele (Lahaina), and Hana.  By 1550, Ali’i Nui (High Chief) Pi’ilani, based at Wailuku, ruled both Wailuku and Lele.  Then he acquired Hana by marriage to become ruler over all of Maui. Pi’ilanihale Heiau is named after him, Pi’ilanihale meaning “house of Pi’ilani “.

.

It is the largest heiau in the Hawaiian Island and we can get a better idea of the size of it from an aerial view taken from an information board.  It is said to be 15 metres high (50 feet) and 130 by 100 metres (415×340 feet) at the top.  The whole area is kapu so you can’t climb on it or get very close to it.

It was constructed mainly in the 16th century, on top of a smaller earlier structure from the 12th century.

.

A small place to rest built in traditional style but I doubt it represents a type of original structure.

.

Stands of ki in front of the heiau.

.

The edge of the grass is where the kapu area starts.

.

A grinding stone or hoana, probably used to sharpen and polish adze blades.

.

A glimpse of the coast.

.

Evidently a mortar and pestle.

.

Canoe house.

.

Canoe house.

.

Mary Wishard Coconut Grove.

.

Looking out at the Canoe house from inside, I think, a Pandanus tree.

.

At the bottom of the gardens was an old house, no longer inhabited.

.

Much of the gardens were a sugar cane plantation from the mid-nineteenth century.  The gardens were established in 1974 after gifts from descendents of Ali’i Kahanu and the Hana Ranch.  There are some family graves at the back of the house from the Kahanu family that speak of a sad untold story:

• Anekehawa Kahanu 1917-1922
• Kaapana Kahanu 1878-1919
• Ulunanele Kahanu 1909-1913

.

Sea view.

.

Seaside plants.

.

Canoe house and heiau.

.

Pi’ilanihale Heiau and background hills.

.