Trouble in Paradise
Written by Rick Archer
February 2014
The Road
to Hana on the island of Maui is a fabled tourist
destination that enchants tourists with an endless tableau of
winding roads, thick tropical foliage, sweeping seascape vistas,
warm beaches, roadside flowers and charming waterfalls.
There is so much beauty that no
one can possibly see it all in just a single day. Consequently
dozens of guidebooks have surfaced to suggest the "highlights" along
the Road to Hana.
One guidebook in particular -
'Maui Revealed' - is credited with creating tremendous
disharmony on the island, particularly in an area known as Nahiku.
Hidden within this jungle paradise is a seething cauldron of extreme
bitterness.
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The Nahiku area has
been a source of controversy for over 20 years.
There are some very angry people who live here.
I learned about this first-hand.
When Marla and
I first
traveled the Road to Hana in
2005, on a whim Marla and I
had decided to explore an isolated road somewhere
near the Nahiku area. On the way down,
we
encountered 6 rednecks on the side of the road who
stared at us with so much hate that I thought we
were in serious danger. I have never forgotten
that scary experience.
Marla and I drove down
Nahiku Road during our
2013 visit to the
Road to Hana. Although the road was
largely deserted, at the time I noticed several
residents who stared darts at our car. I did not
understand the frowns, but I definitely took notice.
Thanks to my
two encounters with unexpected hostility in the Hana-Nahiku
area, I was already suspicious. This explains why my
eyes stopped when I read this blurb:
Nahiku
Road has become a location that's WAY over visited,
so we don't advise people to drive down this road any
longer.
If you do go, don't expect friendly people to
necessarily greet you there. (Hawaii
Guide)
What a strange thing to say.
Marla and I
had specifically driven down Nahiku Road in
2013 because an Internet
website had recommended visiting. Now
another Internet website was recommending the exact
opposite. What gives here?
After a little more poking around
on the Internet, I came up with quite a story.
You will read about a hidden paradise that exploded
in anger when its well-guarded privacy was suddenly
ripped open by unwanted publicity. And it all started with George
Harrison.
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Blame it on
the Beatles
From the air, one can see a huge green jungle picture along the
northeastern Maui coastline.
This is the Nahiku area.
The canopy is so thick that one might think it looks like a pretty good place to hide from the world,
yes?
Well, indeed, once upon a time, someone famous did decide to
hide here.
George Harrison was known as the
"Quiet Beatle" and the "Spiritual One". He had a
reclusive, sensitive nature that recoiled from the demands put
on him by his intense fame. He came to the Nahiku area
in 1980 seeking solitude.
As you will read, it didn't quite work out as hoped.
Did you know that George Harrison was once attacked in his
home by a deranged man swinging a huge kitchen knife?
The attack took place just two days before the Millennium. Harrison narrowly avoided
death. In fact, Harrison was so badly hurt at the time, he thought his wounds were
fatal.
I had never heard of Harrison's horrible knife attack until
I began this story. I guess
at the time I
was too busy with the dance studio's big Millennium Party to
read the newspaper.
“They
used us as an excuse to go mad, the world did.”
This is
what
George Harrison said in the Beatles‘ 1995 ‘Anthology’
documentary. “And then they blamed it on us.”
Harrison
was referring to the fatal attack on John Lennon. Harrison could never
have suspected four years later
those words would ring true again. On Dec. 30,
1999, a mad man attacked Harrison in his own house,
nearly killing him.
At approximately 3:30AM, Michael Abram, a 33-year old
native of Liverpool, avoided security by scaling the
fence at the back of Harrison’s Friar Park estate near
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. He entered the
mansion by throwing a statue through a window, which
woke up the sleeping Harrisons as well.
Alarmed by the noise, Harrison went downstairs. Abram was armed with a huge
seven-inch knife. When
Abram saw Harrison, he began screaming and lunged at the
Beatle. The 56-year old Harrison ran at Abram to
try to tackle and disarm him. His attempt was
unsuccessful. Now as they wrestled, Abram began to stab Harrison
repeatedly in the chest.
Meanwhile, Harrison’s wife, Olivia, struck Abram
in the head with a lamp, causing him to drop the knife. Abram
then went after Olivia. He tried to strangle her with
the lamp’s cord, but she was able to escape.
Olivia Harrison was finally able to incapacitate the
assailant by striking him repeatedly with a poker and
the
lamp. His wife had saved his life.
Police
arrived after 15 minutes and arrested Abram. In so
doing, they found Harrison prostrate on the floor bleeding profusely
from serious wounds. Harrison had received more than
forty stab wounds in all. One stab had punctured a lung
and Harrison had also received serious head injuries
during the hand to
hand struggle.
The fact that Harrison survived was
something of a miracle. The
hospital’s medical director stated several wounds were
very close to major arteries. These blows would have been
fatal had they hit one inch right or one inch left.
Harrison
had been profoundly disturbed by John Lennon's murder.
He himself had been the target of death threats and
stalkers in past years.
From his hospital bed, Harrison
told the authorities that he did not believe the
assailant was a burglar.
Harrison
was right. It had
been a deliberate attack on Harrison. The prosecutor
said that Abram “believed The Beatles were witches
who flew around on broomsticks. Subsequently, George
Harrison possessed him. Now he had been sent on a
mission by God to kill the Beatle. He saw George as a sorcerer
and a devil.”
With his customary dry wit, Harrison would later say that his
would-be assassin “was definitely not a burglar, and he
certainly wasn’t auditioning for the Traveling Wilburys.”
''After
what happened to John, I'm absolutely terrified,''
Harrison had said in 1984. He had reason to be worried: in
1990, he was sent a series of death threats at home, and
two years later the police found an obsessed Beatles fan
lurking around his house, apparently with the intention
of burning it down.
His house
in England is set on 34 acres and has dozens of
rooms. The neighbors call it Fort Knox due to the stringent security measures there
such as
powerful lights, a razor-wire fence, video cameras, and
electronically controlled gates.
The irony
was that although Harrison had long been obsessed with
security and privacy due to Lennon's murder, in the end
his precautions didn't do him a bit of good.
All the security measures didn't help prevent Harrison's
worst fear - an attack by an irrational man.
There is a sad end to this story.
Although he regained his health after the knife attack,
Harrison would tragically die of brain cancer two
years later.
Some people spoke of Harrison's 'paranoia'. I suspect
the line between being paranoid and being a rock star is
smaller than one would expect. Harrison appeared to
have several good reasons to be paranoid... a condition which might help
explain Harrison's behavior in the story I am about to tell.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin published this very unusual
story the day after his death.
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While My
Guitar Gently Weeps
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By Helen
Altonn and Gary Kubota
Honolulu Star Bulletin, Nov 30, 2001
George Harrison bought a secluded 63-acre site in Nahiku
along the Hana Highway 20 years ago because he was so taken
with the "beauty and remoteness" of the area.
Nahiku resident Cynthia Allencastre says she will always
remember Harrison for his kindness. "We are saddened
by his death. I loved George. He was so happy to see you,"
she said. "He made you feel comfortable. "He was really
kind, open and hospitable."
Allencastre said she met Harrison and his family through her
husband Arnold who was a bulldozer operator. Arnold helped
in clearing the land on Harrison's estate when the former
Beatle first moved to Nahiku in the early 1980s.
She said Harrison hired local residents to care for his
estate and employed a lot of Nahiku people.
The Allencastres were invited occasionally to lunch at
Harrison's home, and Harrison spent several New Year's Eves
with them, playing guitar with their younger relatives and
singing Beatle and Hawaiian songs.
Allencastre said whenever Harrison would come to Nahiku, he
would call her husband and invite him over to talk with him
and catch up with what was happening in the neighborhood.
She said Harrison didn't talk much about himself, "but he
always wanted to know how our family was."
Former caretaker Dot Pua remembers Harrison as a sweet and
thoughtful boss. Pau tells a story
that still makes her blush.
One time when she
was cutting his hair, Harrison asked about her favorite
songs. Pua replied, "Oh, my
absolute favorite is
'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' by Kenny Rankin". Harrison
never said a
word.
It was only years later while leafing through a Beatles
songbook that Dot Pau discovered
that "While My Guitar Gently Weeps''
had
actually been written and recorded
by Harrison
himself.
"Oh my goodness, George must have
thought I was so dumb,'' Pau said.
Pua, now a beautician at the Hotel-Hana Maui
down the road from Nahiku, said her time
at the Harrison estate was a wonderful experience.
But at the same time, it was a weird existence.
"It made me appreciate my simple life,''
Pau said. "When
I was hired, Olivia told me my life will change — and it
sure did. Strangers kept coming
onto George's property
all the time. We got
a dog and locked the doors, something we never did before.
That poor dog barked 24 hours a day thanks to all those
unwelcome intruders. There was always someone walking around
nearby.''
Strangers were something Harrison worked hard to avoid.
That aversion exploded into a lawsuit with neighbors who
were allowing visitors to use a path over
Harrison's property to
get to the ocean. The lawsuit was finally settled
earlier this year
(2001).
Restaurant
owner Bob Longhi was introduced to
the former Beatle in 1977 and continued as a friend.
"George used to tell me that he wanted to be famous, but after
three or four months he changed his mind
and said it was the worst thing that
ever happened to
him.''
Controversy from Harrison's life on Maui
For 10 years George Harrison was embroiled in a fight with some
of his neighbors
to maintain his privacy. A very private man, his
low-key life was sometimes disrupted by people crossing his
estate on their way to the
shoreline and by others entering the grounds simply trying to catch a glimpse of the
ex-Beatle. Harrison objected strenuously; he
eventually put up barriers.
Certain neighbors sued the entertainer in 1991, claiming they
had the right to use a 10-foot easement running across his
property to the shoreline.
In 1993, Circuit Judge E. John McConnell sided with the
neighbors. Afterwards two Maui men filed a defamation lawsuit
against Harrison for remarks he made after the hearing.
Harrison appealed McConnell's decision. Last year
(2000), the
Hawaii Supreme Court ordered a new trial.
Harrison said he had chosen the secluded site in the first
place because it was
difficult to reach and that his deed didn't include an
easement.
Coming to his defense was lifelong resident and sometimes
Nahiku mayor "Uncle" Manuel Vares who said during the
controversy that Harrison and his wife were "nice people"
who didn't bother anybody.
Vares said it wasn't right that people wanted to go by the
former Beatle's house on a pedestrian path as close as 60
feet from Harrison's bedroom window. The man had come
to the area seeking peace and look how they treated him.
A secret settlement in the 10-year battle over the beach
path was reached on June 7, 2001. Afterwards, his lawyer
said, no one had the
right to cross Harrison's property.
Rick Archer's Note: A lot of good that easement
settlement
would do
him. Harrison would die five months later.
I
was fascinated by this story. My impression of George
Harrison has always been very high. Since
Harrison was my favorite Beatle, of course my initial
sympathy was with him.
Unfortunately I had no way of knowing who was telling the
truth. After reading the Judge initially ruled
against Harrison, I was very curious to know the details of
the case.
So I dug some more. I came across an absolutely
fascinating Hard Copy youtube video that explained both
sides of the case.
Youtube
Video Explaining the Story
According to the video, it turned out that Harrison was in
the wrong. There is a footpath that the neighbors have
a legal right to use. This blurry picture of the path
came from the video.
Hard Copy
had a dark sort of fun with this story. Thanks to
all the famous Beatle songs, they simply used Beatle music
to emphasize a point. When
describing Nahiku Road, the music in the background was "A
Long and Winding Road".
When describing the efforts to reach an agreement with the
neighbors, one could hear "We Can Work It Out" being
played.
Ha ha ha, the writers must have thought they are so clever.
While I watched the Hard Copy video, I recalled that Harrison also lost
the most famous plagiarism lawsuit in music history.
Turns
out Harrison was just as guilty as he could possibly be. The
music arrangement to "My Sweet Lord" was a near-perfect ripoff of
"He's So Fine". This 1:30 minute comparison makes this
perfectly clear:
He's So
Fine comparison to My Sweet Lord
At the time, Harrison spoke of 'sub-consciously' copying the
rhythm. Nonsense. Indeed, someone pretty close to
Harrison
threw him under the bus. From
Wikipedia:
In a 1980
interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon
expressed doubts about the "subconscious" plagiarism:
"He must
have known, you know. George is smarter than that. If he
had changed a couple of bars in that song, nobody could
ever have touched him. But he just let it go and
paid the price. Maybe he thought God would just
sort of let him off."
The sad thing is that John Lennon was dead a month
after he made that comment. It's not easy being a
Beatle, is it?
Indeed, Harrison would be forever haunted by the death of
Lennon. He spoke many times of expecting to meet a
similar fate which is probably a very good reason why he over-reacted to the
constant presence of strangers near his Maui home.
Harrison had every right to be paranoid. There were
some real weirdos in his life. In 1999 his
Maui home was invaded by a stalker. A disturbed woman named Cristin Keleher decided to break into Harrison's
empty Maui estate
and take up residence.
Before Keleher, 27, was arrested, she had found time
to do her laundry, cook a pizza and phone her mother in New
Jersey from Harrison's Nahiku home on Dec. 23, 1999.
The Maui home was empty because Harrison was in England at the
time. Seven days after Keleher was discovered,
Harrison was knife attacked in his English home. Talk
about a strange week!
George Harrison was always the reluctant Beatle.
Harrison never cared for all the attention. Harrison
made that very clear from the start. Harrison's public image
was summed up in the first Beatles song he wrote, "Don't
Bother Me," which appeared on the group's second album.
Harrison preferred being a musician to being a star, and
soon soured on Beatlemania - the sobbing, screaming girls, the
hair-tearing mobs, the wild chases from limos to gigs and
back to limos. Like John Lennon, his memories of the
Beatles were tempered by what he felt was lost in all the
madness.
Fame may be a blessing, but it is also a curse.
"There was never anything in any of the Beatle experiences
really that good. Even the best thrill soon got tiring,"
Harrison wrote in his 1979 book I, Me, Mine.
"Your
own space, man, it's so important. That's why we were
doomed, because we didn't have any. We were like
monkeys in a zoo on display all the time."
As for Maui, there was no Peace
in Paradise for Harrison.
Harrison was bitter to the end that his hidden retreat in Nahiku
failed to offer him the respite he sought. His solitude
was frequently disrupted by nosy fans who sought him out and
by neighbors who refused to protect him. Many of
Harrison's neighbors had no conscience where his privacy was
concerned.
Because
certain neighbors
had access to his estate that outsiders did not have, they assumed they had the right to
bring visitors onto the
estate to point out where his home was or to hide in bushes
to catch a glimpse.
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Believe it or not, there's a road down there. In fact,
there may be several roads. The dense foliage is good
at hiding things from above.
George
Harrison's home in Oxfordshire
Olivia
& George Harrison. He wasn't the devil; he was a gentle man.
Behold! Nahiku road appears! George Harrison's
island estate faced Pai Island which can be seen on the far
right.
When
Marla and I drove down Nahiku Road in 2013, I did not have the
slightest idea that George Harrison had once lived nearby.
This
road was
listed on Marla's "Hana Highlights", a page she had
printed out before the trip. We were taking this
lonely path because we expected a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean at the end.
George
Harrison's estate in Nahiku, Maui
Obviously not everyone's home in Nahiku looks like George
Harrison's. Some of the nearby dwellings seem very
humble.
When
Marla and I drove down Nahiku Road, we never saw a single
home that fit the "Trophy" description. There were a
couple of attractive houses, but nothing special.
Almost all the homes were modest dwellings such as the one
pictured here.
A
travel writer for the NY Times made this comment about
Nahiku:
The atmosphere between affluent expatriates and native
Hawaiians, some of them sharing 900-square-foot shacks with
a dozen relatives, can get highly charged.
Nahiku
Road is a narrow 1.5 lane, 2.5 mile road carved out of the
jungle. It is steep and marked by many twists and turns. It is an
uncomfortable ride that inclines sharply from Highway 360
down to the coast. In several places, there is not
enough room for two vehicles
to pass. Three times I had to pull over to the side of
the road and wait when I
encountered traffic from the other direction.
Seriously, there was absolutely no indication of wealth on
Nahiku Road. The only reason we drove down this road
at all is that Marla had read there were some pretty views
at the bottom of the road.
And it
is true. The view at the bottom of Nahiku Road is
indeed very lovely. Here is a picture of the area.
This is the type of scenery you will see at the bottom of
the 2 mile drive down Nahiku Road.
Like
George Harrison, many celebrities have homes in Maui.
For example, this ranch estate belongs to Oprah Winfrey.
It lies at the foot of Mount Haleakala in Kula, an area on
the Maui isthmus.
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The Curse of
George??
After Harrison's passing, a great irony would come to Nahiku.
Some have suggested Harrison's 20 year
presence left a strange curse over the Nahiku area. In
the end, all those nosy people who walked through Harrison's property would create a bizarre Karma that would
come back to haunt the entire Nahiku
area.
Shortly after Harrison's death, Nahiku was absolutely
inundated with teeming hordes of tourists.
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It
took some doing, but I finally located Harrison's former
estate by using Google Earth.
His
grounds are described as "arranged like a golf course".
I can certainly see how someone would imagine that.
I have
placed a small X
where the home is. The Y
arrow points to the easement footpath which aggravated
Harrison to no end. Notice the cliffs. That path was
the only nearby way to the sea.
We
assume that celebrities have a right to privacy, yet we
wonder why that never happens.
Paparazzi trail these people constantly and make their lives
miserable. What little privacy the stars have left is
usually robbed by the rabid fans.
George
Harrison was said to be a regular guy by most of his
neighbors. It is a shame the rest didn't cut him any slack.
However, karma work in very strange ways.
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The
Story of Nahiku Road
As Ye Do Unto Others, So Will be Done
unto You
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Curving to the right is the
Road
to Hana.
On the left is
Nahiku
Road.
It runs two and a half miles from Hana Highway down the
Pacific
coast.
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Since Nahiku Road has a certain dubious fame, a visitor
actually went to the trouble of creating a 12-minute
Nahiku
Road
Video.
I
knew you would be consumed with curiosity, so I decided to
capture some of the images from the video and share them
with you as you read my story.
If the reader has enough curiosity to actually watch the
video yourself, you will certainly be struck by the
overwhelming blandness of the road. Nahiku Road is an unassuming
little road with lots of twists carved out of a thick green jungle.
It is pretty, but not spectacular.
There are no highlights in this video: no people, three
passing cars, one passing truck, a few parked cars, nice vegetation and a brief glimpse of a couple farms.
One cannot help but wonder what all the fuss was about.
During my 2013 trip along the
Road to Hana, I did the driving while Marla did the
navigating. Like most everyone else, Marla worked off
a guide book she printed out off the Internet. That
guide book gave Marla the idea to drive down Nahiku Road in
the first place.
Please keep in mind these are not my pictures (they are from
the video). However they
do accurately depict exactly what Marla and I saw on our
visit to this same road in October 2013.
Now that you have a good idea what Nahiku Road really looks
like, you can see just how ordinary everything appears.
These pictures reflect the same sort of 'deserted road' that
Marla and I saw when we drove down Nahiku Road in 2013. As these video pictures
suggest, there was no traffic to speak of on the road.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that our 2013 visit in
October was in the off-season.
As you will read, there
are stories of bumper to bumper traffic on this road.
Can you imagine that?
As for houses, they were few and far between... every
600 yards or so. Some were heavily concealed by
foliage. The majority of the homes were in
the small Nahiku village at the bottom of the road. I saw
perhaps 4
people along the way and every one of them frowned at us. I thought
their frowns were kind of odd. What are they upset
about? This road is deserted. Why should they
care?
At the time, the unexplained hostility reminded me of
another
drive Marla and I took in 2007. We drove down a
different Maui road that was a virtual clone of Nahiku Road.
Although the 2007 mystery road was virtually identical to Nahiku Road in appearance, I have no idea what its name was
or even where it was located. When you drive the Road
to Hana, about every mile or so another unnamed road
identical to these pictures will appear.
In 2007, I remember driving along the
Road to Hana. Every time I passed one of these mystery
roads, I wondered what sort of hidden world existed
down there.
I was curious to learn what I would see if I drove down one of those
occasional roads. To be honest, I expected fabulous
trophy homes owned by the rich and famous. I heard
Oprah Winfrey and Woody Harrelson lived around here. I
couldn't wait to see the lifestyles of the rich hidden here
in the Maui jungle.
So with Marla's permission, I decided to explore. We turned off the highway and began
driving down. At the time, this jungle road was just
as deserted as these pictures of Nahiku. It didn't
take me long to realize how silly I had been. Instead
of incredible estates, I found nothing more than run-down
shacks, abandoned cars rusting in the jungle and a few
modest wooden homes that were closer to shacks than
mansions.
I
apologize in advance for the term I am about to use, but
much of this road was inhabited by 'white trash'. Many of the homes were
inundated with discarded junk strewn around the yards. I was
very disappointed. So much for my goofy fantasy tour.
Then in a flash my disappointment turned to fear when I
sensed danger.
Halfway down, I saw some men up ahead. They were standing next to
a pickup truck on the side of the road. They were all
drinking. We had just stumbled upon a redneck drinking party.
Boy, was I surprised at the reception we got! As we
passed by, the looks we got were so hostile that
I honestly worried these angry rednecks might try to
lynch us on the way back. And it would have been so easy
- just drive a car sideways across the narrow road and we were blocked.
At the time, it felt like a potential scene from Deliverance.
As you can gather, no one hurt us on the way back up.
But the realization of how vulnerable we had been shook us
both up.
Marla and I were very intimidated.
Later in my article, I intend to share more details of that
experience with the reader.
But first let's see if we can figure out the cause behind
all the unexplained hostility.
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These final pictures show a very pleasant view of
the ocean. This is what one will find at the end of the two
and a half mile
Nahiku
Road.
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The
Origin
of Nahiku Hostility
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While researching the George Harrison story, I ran across the
Guide of Hawaii web site.
The site had a section
entitled Nahiku Road and Landing.
Right in the middle of the web site's description of Nahiku
Road, the article changed from praises to warnings.
Now that seemed kind of weird. Please read for yourself:
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Guide of Hawaii:
Nahiku Road & Landing
Nahiku is a spot detailed in our Hana Highway - Road
to Hana Mile by Mile Guidebook. Our guidebook includes
over 70 of the Hana Highway's best waterfalls, trails,
state parks, beaches, and more.
Just a few yards past mile marker 25 on the Hana
Highway, around the bend from the previous stop, you
should see a steep downhill turn off for Nahiku Road
*makai*.
[*makai* -
'toward the ocean']
The road is lush and surrounded by a jungle
setting - even the trees have plants growing on them.
With 300 inches of rain a year, no wonder Nahiku is a
paradise for all things green. The road is lined with
rubber trees, remnants from a plantation that went
defunct nearly a hundred years ago.
You'll barely
notice passing Nahiku village except for the occasional
house and a variety of abandoned vehicles, now property
of the jungle around them. At the end of the road (about
2.5 miles down) you'll come to the gorgeous scenic bay
at Opuhano Point.
Looking to your left over Honolulunui
Bay, the coastal views are some of the very best on the
entire road to Hana.
You can see all the way back to Wailua.
As you visually try to absorb all of the
scenery, take a moment to listen too. Off to the right,
near the small ledge where the waves pound the shore
you'll find thousands of pebbles being rolled back and
forth in the surf. The harmonic sound of the rolling
rocks is quite unique, mother nature's own rock tumbler
in action.
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2008 Update:
Starting in late 2008, we have been hearing numerous
reports about access being restricted to the Bay at the
end of the road. You may encounter "Closed - Kapu" signs
before the bridge or even further up the road. It is our
suggestion that visitors now skip Nahiku Road as a stop
along the Hana Highway. Nahiku Road isn't meant to cater
to the masses, and its popularity amongst visitors has
exploded in recent years.
Like Helele'ike'oha Falls
(Blue Pool) on 'Ula'ino Road, this spot has become a
victim of too much publicity. We will be updating our 'Hana
Highway - Mile by Mile' book to reflect this change.
Rick Archer's Note:
Please compare.
Pre-2008:
the coastal views are some of the very best on the
entire road to Hana!
Post-2008:
this spot has become a
victim of too much publicity.
Don't go there!
So
what do you suppose went wrong??
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Enter
the Villain...
Maui
Revealed!
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Suddenly Guide of Hawaii isn't guiding
anyone to Nahiku Landing any more.
So why isn't it cool to go
there? So I kept on digging... or should I say 'googling'?
And now I found the villain.
I discovered the
source of the mystery was a best-selling guidebook titled Maui
Revealed, said by many to be the original source of the
Nahiku hostility.
As you will come to learn, the residents of the Hana area
absolutely despise this book. They blame this book for
all their miseries. Feel free to boo or hiss anytime "Maui
Revealed" appears again.
Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook Paperback was
written by Andrew Doughty with photographs by Leona Boyd.
Since I did not own a copy, I
was unable to determine exactly what was said about Nahiku.
However, I think we can safely assume that Mr. Doughty gave a stunning two thumbs up to
visiting the Nahiku area.... and countless tourists decided to take
his advice!!
Now when a best-selling book points out an obscure location,
suddenly that location isn't quite so obscure anymore.
Everyone... including "Guide of Hawaii"... jumped on the
bandwagon and started putting out the message that Nahiku
Landing was the coolest place on the island to visit.
As word got out, the Road to Nahiku suddenly became
as popular as the
Road to Hana. The tourists descended on little Nahiku
village like locusts for a pleasant glimpse of the ocean.
It must
have been a nightmare for the residents to have an endless
stream of cars motoring through their remote neighborhood
all day long.
Suddenly the locals were getting a first-hand taste of what
George Harrison went through his entire adult life... and
they weren't happy about it.
|
Nahiku Counterattack
|
As they watched
bumper to bumper
traffic disturb
their privacy, the
locals were
absolutely furious.
When they found out
a damn travel book
was responsible for
their misery, they
were even angrier!
They felt betrayed
for having some
writer make huge
profits in return
for revealing their
hidden paradise to
the world.
The locals watched
in fury as their
Garden of Eden was
disrupted by a
constant flow of
tourists to their
remote location.
Those familiar with
the eastern concept
of Karma will note
the parallels.
In a strange
turnaround, some of the same
people who had once
pestered George
Harrison to no end
were now being
endlessly pestered themselves.
Now that the shoe
was on the other
foot, no one was
laughing.
The locals were
appalled at the
never-ending invasion
to their
much-cherished
privacy. Nor do I
think they saw the
irony in their fate.
The locals began
fighting back by
posting "no
trespassing" signs
and "dead end" signs
right and left.
They did everything
in their power to
block access to the
ocean. Cars
would drive two
miles down the
jungle road only to
find barricades to
ocean and be forced
to turn around.
|
 |
 |
The outside world learned
about Nahiku's
anger in
an
unusual way.
Trip Advisor
is a
travel website that
allows people to
share information
and opinions on the
world around them.
Shortly
after a
Canadian
woman
returned
home from her
visit to
Nahiku in
February
2008, she
put this
comment on
Trip
Advisor:
"It is
very clear that the
people of the village do
not want tourists by the
car load coming through
their village each day."
This comment
struck a
nerve.
Slowly but surely, a
towering bonfire
developed on Trip
Advisor.
Over time, 114 opinions
were expressed.
There would have
been more,
but the Trip Advisor
editor got so sick
of it all she ended
the thread herself!
|
The Trip
Advisor
Dialogue
Regarding
Nahiku
Rick's Note: The "thread" as it
is called began in 2008 with
this post from a
Canadian woman who
had recently visited Nahiku. You can see this post yourself at
Trip Advisor.
If you do visit, you will also find 12 pages containing 114 posts in all.
Here is the original post. After it, I have listed 18 of the reactions I
found most
interesting.
|
00.
Trip Advisor:
Maui Revealed - Nahiku
(This
is the original post)
Feb 19, 2008, 12:34 AM
lovely2
Calgary,
Canada
We just returned from 16
days on Maui. It was
fabulous but I have a
request of those who use
and read
the
book
Maui Revealed.
In 2005 I purchased the
book and used it when we
went to Maui in 2006. At
that time we followed
the road down to the
coastline through the
village of Nahiku. The
views were spectacular
and we loved it.
This time we again took
the road down to the
coastline. We were
nearly at the bottom
when we came across a
dead end sign. There
were two roads so we
thought it was for the
road to the right and we
turned left as we had
remembered from 2006. We
then found another dead
end sign and another
sign saying to use the
road at our own risk. We
decided to turn around
and not go there.
Shortly after turning
around we came upon an
elderly lady out walking
her dog. She said to us
"Please stay out, this
is not a highway."
It is
very clear that the
people of the village do
not want tourists by the
car load coming through
their village each day.
We felt very bad about
going down the road and
also felt very bad that
such an elderly lady
found it necessary to
say this to us. I just
hope everyone that reads
this will remember what
I have said and what the
elderly lady said to us.
Please don't disturb the
peaceful calm of this
tiny little village even
though Maui Revealed
encourages you to do so.
Thanks.
|
PART ONE:
FIGURING OUT
WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN
NAHIKU
Rick's
Note:
After
the
Canadian
woman's
original
post, a
travel writer named
JC Derrick stepped
up to suggest this
was a random
incident.
Let's
see what JC Derrick
said.
|
1. Re:
Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008,
10:23 AM
JC
Derrick
Lexington,
South
Carolina
(In
response
to the
Canadian
woman)
Are you
sure
it
was
Nahiku
and
not Wailua
Town?
I've
never
heard
anyone
who
had
problem
with
folks
visiting Nahiku
Landing.
But
I do
know
several
folks
rather
like
Wailua
being
'off
the
map.' Residents
there
typically
do
not
like
visitors;
and
more
and
more
folks
head
down
that
way
to
see Waikani
Falls
(the
larger
falls
just
downstream
of
Upper
Waikani
- 3
Bears
Falls).
Most
all
authors
write
about
Nahiku
Landing
though,
myself
included.
And
I'm
usually
pretty
conscientious
about
that
sort
of
thing.
Just
curious
if
we
are
in
fact
talking
about
Nahiku.
4.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008,
12:14 PM
JC
Derrick
Lexington,
South
Carolina
Interesting. Nahiku
doesn't
receive
a
lot
of
traffic
and
unlike
the
issues
on
Ula`ino
Road,
there
aren't
any
private
property
issues
with
the
Landing.
It's
unfortunate
you
had
that
negative experience
there.
|
6. Re:
Maui
Revealed -
Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008, 1:12
PM
JC
Derrick
Lexington,
South
Carolina
To be sure,
I checked
again about
the property
at the end.
Nahiku
IS State-owned land.
That's
strange.
I know
plenty of
residents in
Hana who
always
encourage
folks to
stop by the
landing.
I have
included a
map of the major
property
landowners.
The
blank areas
are private
land owners.
|
Rick's Note:
In case you
are curious,
Alexander &
Baldwin
is a
Honolulu-based
company that
was once
part of the
Big Five
companies in
territorial
Hawaii. The
company
today
operates
businesses
in real
estate,
sugar cane,
and
diversified
agriculture.
It is also
the only
"Big Five"
company that
still
cultivates
sugar cane.
It remains
one Hawaii's
largest
private
landowners,
owning over
87,000 acres
throughout
the state.
|
Rick
Archer's
Note:
It took me a
while to put
two and two
together,
but JC
Derrick
is the same
man who
wrote the
Guide of Hawaii:
Nahiku Road & Landing,
the article
I listed
earlier
containing
the
flip-flop
opinion
about Nahiku.
Since JC
Derrick
played a
major part
in the
Nahiku
Travel
Advisor
dialogue,
I now
realize he
was tracking
the changing
attitude in
Nahiku right
from the
beginning.
The
following
dialogue
will explain
why JC
Derrick
changed his
mind about
Nahiku.
|
PART
TWO:
Staking
out
the
Battle
Lines
Rick's
Note:
This
next
post
came from
a
Maui
local
familiar
with
the
situation.
This
post
broke
the
'counter-attack' story
to
the
world.
|
8.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008,
1:34 PM
kaiwahine
Kihei,
Hawaii
Back
in
October
Kaikane
and
his
buddies
went
out
to
Nahiku
to
do
some
fishing.
They
never
did
fish
there.
They
said
the
place
was
wall
to
wall
rental
cars,
coming,
going,
parked,
speeding
up
and
down
Nahiku
Road.
They
turned
around
and
went
elsewhere.
He
did
not
say
anything
about
any
signs
then,
but
based
on
his
report
I
can
see
why
the
neighbors
would
close
off
access.
People
who
live
in
quite
rural
places
like
this
live
there
because
they
enjoy
a
quiet
rural
lifestyle.
Having
hundreds
of
visitors
come
through
each
day
kind
of
contradicts
this.
10.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008,
4:00 PM
adkboards
-
Saratoga
Springs,
Florida
These
are
direct
quotes
from
the
Frommer's
Maui
guide:
"At
one
time
Nahiku
was
a
thriving
village
of
thousands,
today
the
population
has
dwindled
to
fewer
than
a
hundred
-
including
a
few
Hawaiian
families,
but
mostly
extremely
wealthy
mainland
residents
who
jet
in
for
a
few
weeks
at a
time
to
their
luxurious
vacation
homes."
"Nahiku
was
forgotten
until
the
1980's,
when
multimillionaires
"discovered"
the
remote
and
stunningly
beautiful
area."
So
now
even
the
tourists
don't
want
tourists
around,
this
is
getting
ridiculous.
There
has
to
be
some
way
that
a
middle
ground
can
be
achieved
between
the
desire
of
tourists
to
take
in
the
beauty
of
the
island
and
the
private
property
rights
of
residents.
I
don't
know
if
what
this
guide
book
says
about
the
town's
population
is
true,
but
if
it
is,
I am
sure
these
"multimillionaires"
have
driven
down
this
road
in
the
past,
(how
else
would
they
have
known
about
the
beautiful
location
of
their
future
home!),
now
that
they
live
there
though,
the
road
should
be
off-limits.
11.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 19,
2008,
5:40 PM
kaiwahine
-
Kihei,
Hawaii
The
residents
of
Nahiku
are
mostly
families
who
have
lived
here
for
generations.
Other
landowners
who
may
visit
a
few
times
a
year
are
not
considered
'residents'.
But
even
transplanted
residents
have
the
right
to a
quality
of
life.
If
you
buy
land
and
move
to a
quiet
rural
village,
off
the
beaten
path,
accessed
by a
single
lane
dead-end
road,
with
no
visitor
attractions
or
accommodations,
you
would
not
expect
the
place
to
be
suddenly
overrun
with
tourists
from
nine
to 5
each
day,
nor
would
you
appreciate
them
parking
in
your
driveway
or
on
your
lawn.
Sadly,
the
tourists
are
out-numbering
residents
all
over
the
island
and
greatly
impacting
the
way
of
life
for
many.
If
you
do
not
understand
why
this
is a
bad
thing,
then
perhaps
you
should
find
another
place
to
vacation.
We
do
not
live
exclusively
to
entertain
visitors
and
our
home
is
not
Disneyland.
We
welcome
visitors
to
visitor
destinations...
but
I
don't
want
you
in
my
backyard,
literally!
18.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
12:28 AM
2irv
-
Fernandina
Beach
Interesting
issue.
One
that
hits
very
close
to
home
for
me.
For
the
past
40
yrs
I
have
lived
in a
town
very
much
a
tourist
town
in
the
summer,
though
not
nearly
even
on
the
scope
of
Hawaii.
However,
for
what
it's
worth,
I
will
throw
in
my 2
cents.
Public
land
is
public
land.
If
this
road
is
truly
public
or
state
owned
then
unfortunately
this
is
the
price
you
pay
for
living
in
paradise.
Locals
do
not
have
the
right
to
tell
others
not
to
go
somewhere
that
is
public.
In
turn,
visitors
should
use
common
sense
and
courtesy
when
visiting
a
place.
Especially
one
as
beautiful
as
Maui.
I
hate
every
summer
when
traffic
quadruples,
long
lines
every
where
and
you
can't
even
move
around
without
bumping
into
someone.
But
it
is
what
it
is.
I
love
where
I
live
and
I
will
gladly
pay
the
price
to
continue
to
live
here
and
to
deal
with
the
ever
increasing
crowds.
I
know
full
well
that
the
summer
tourist
season
in
IMPERATIVE
for
our
local
economy.
Businesses
need
the
business
and
people
needing
work
need
these
businesses
for
jobs.
I
definitely
feel
a
sad
longing
for
the
simpler,
less
crowded
days
of
old.
Damned if
you
do
and
Damned if
you
don't....
I
will
be
visiting
Maui
in
September
and
have
had
my
eyes
opened
to
the
local
issues
regarding
visitors
and
locals.
I
will
be
as
courteous
and
respectful
of
the
area
and
local
people
as
possible.
However,
traveling
and
staying
in
Hawaii
is
not
cheap.
I
will
be
sinking
A
LOT
of
money
into
the
local
economy.
So
expect
me
to
enjoy
the
local
roads,
restaurants
&
businesses
that
I am
entitled
to
as a
paying
tourist.
Rick's
Note:
Before
we
continue,
let's
take
another
look
at
what
"Battlefield
Nahiku"
actually
looks
like.
|
Here
are
3
pictures
Marla
took
of
Nahiku
Road
in
2013.
The
road
is
very
narrow
and
the
forest
is
very
thick. Homes
are
few
and
far
between.
I
never
did
quite
figure
out
why
that
plastic
was
placed
in
the
garden...
which,
incidentally...
was
the
only
interesting
thing
I
saw
on
the
drive.
PART
THREE:
Let's
Blame
it
all on
George
Rick's
Note:
The
arrival
of
Amberloo
into
the
discussion
heated
things
up
considerably.
|
19.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
1:46 AM
amberloo
-
Honolulu,
Hawaii
One
elderly
lady
out
walking
her
dog
down
a
quiet
country
road...
does
not
a
meaningful
sample
make.
Whether
Hawaiian,
local,
haole;
if a
pit
bull
or a
poodle.
Just
one
person,
one
dog,
one
opinion.
Island
folks
have
gotten
a
rep
of
late
for
getting
their
backs
up
(and
rightfully
so)
regarding
private
property,
trespassing,
parking,
and
traffic
on
private
and
substandard
roads;
but
few
will
hassle
anyone
respecting
the
law
on
public
thoroughfares
and
using
public
parking
spaces.
After
all,
we
depend
on
using
those
same
roads
to
reach
fishing,
hunting,
collecting
or
surfing
grounds
in
neighborhoods
other
then
our
own,
unfortunately
alongside
the
flood
of
visitors.
Just
as
other
residents
use
the
roads
in
our
neighborhoods
to
enjoy
the
resources
of
the
land.
Thank
George
Harrison,
Oprah
and
their
ilk
as
much
as
blame
"Maui
Revealed"
for
the
present
outcome
in
Nahiku,
Hana,
and
the
surrounding
district.
21.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
12:14 PM
addictedtomaui
-
seattle
I
agree
with
ADK...I
live
in a
very
secluded
dead
end
neighborhood.
A
few
years
ago
a
business
park
was
built
nearby.
We
now
have
people
who
walk
through
our
neighborhood
daily
during
their
lunch
hours,
this
means
if I
am
out
gardening
which
I
frequently
do I
cannot
have
my
dogs
out
with
me
as I
used
to.
But
I
don't
ask
them
to
leave
or
give
them
the
stink
eye,
I
wave
and
say
hello.
Our
area
used
to
be
very
wooded
and
very
quiet,
not
anymore.
But
it
doesn't
give
me
the
right
to
ask
anyone
to
leave
even
though,
yes,
we
were
here
first,
my
husband
and
I
both
born
and
raised
here.
22. Re: Maui Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20, 2008, 1:06 PM
amberloo
-
Honolulu,
Hawaii
Funny....
Never have seen a
situation where one
local resident is
breaking into a car and
suddenly it becomes a
feeding frenzy of other
locals breaking into
cars all over the place.
It's always just one or
two jerks who are plying
their trade being
thieves.
However, I have seen
countless situations
where one tourist does
something stupid
(trespasses, uses a
private road, parks on
someone's property,
places themselves in a
dangerous situation,
etc.) and suddenly there
are scores of tourists
following suit. "Hey, if
they can do it so can
we". So you end up with
dozens of carloads of
folks doing something
sketchy if not downright
wrong. Check-out the
area around Holualoa Bay
for a great example on
Maui on a daily basis.
Just because there is a
public road leading to a
parcel of public park
does NOT mean it is park
or necessarily open to
the public. And, even if
it is a "park" does not
mean there are places to
legally park your car.
You are all so
defensive, and of course
none of you would EVER,
EVER be anything but
totally sensitive to the
environment, I'm sure,
but the point I
previously stressed was
not the "unfortunately"
but the "FLOOD" of
tourists.
At no time did I say
anyone was doing
anything wrong, but you
are foolish if you don't
think that going from
ten outside cars
entering your
neighborhood each day to
hundreds isn't stressful
to a rural community;
particularly when SOME
are jerks who park
illegally, litter, make
unnecessary noise and
act in a manner other
than as a genteel
guest.
It is because of this
excess load of
non-neighborhood people
(locals and visitors
alike) that destinations
are being placed off
limits and/or the
welcome mat pulled back
inside by the local
residents.
Its "unfortunate"
because now there are
places I/we won't (and
in some cases can't) go
anymore out of respect
for the residents of the
area, and the shame from
the impacts of
un-restrained overuse.
24. Re:
Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
3:00 PM
rachellemb
-
Illinois
City
Like
others
mentioned,
Nahiku
is
going
to
be
mentioned
in
any
decent
Maui
guidebook
not
just
Maui
Revealed.
We
went
down
the
Nahiku
road
last
Jan
2008
and
I
have
to
say
I
had
a
feeling
of
discomfort
on
the
way
down.
First
of
all
the
road
is
not
marked
in
any
way,
so
we
past
it
the
first
time
we
went
by
and
had
to
turn
around.
My
gut
feeling
said
there
is a
reason
why
the
road
is
not
marked
and
it
was
later
confirmed
by
the
signs
along
the
public
road
that
read
"If
you
don't
live
here,
you
don't
belong
here."
Definitely
not
signs
of
welcome.
We
went
ahead
anyway,
got
to
the
end
stayed
maybe
10
minutes,
then
left.
I
was
uncomfortable
the
entire
time,
even
though
we
had
no
problems
at
all.
Nice
area,
but
certainly
not
worth
the
hostility
that
we
could
have
possibly
encountered.
Unless
I
hear
things
have
lightened
up,
I
wouldn't
go
back
again.
There
are
hundreds
of
places
equally
if
not
more
beautiful
on
Maui
that
I
can
enjoy
without
having
to
worry
about
stink
eye.
It
boils
down
to
tourists
need
to
be
sensitive
and
respectful
of
people
who
actually
live
in
beautiful
places
like
Maui
and
of
their
property
and
to
their
right
to
quality
of
life.
Hawaii
residents
need
to
remember
that
their
economy
depends
on
large
numbers
of
tourists
coming,
so
you
should
at
least
pretend
to
be
happy
to
see
us.
PART
FOUR:
Starting
to
Get
Ugly
Rick's
Note:
At
this
point,
people
began
to
lose
their
temper
on
this
issue.
Amberloo
from
Honolulu
defended
the
right
of
the
locals
to
deny
access
to
public
land
if
they
felt
like
it.
A
man
nicknamed
ADK
from
Florida
got
into
it
with
her.
|
25.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
4:22 PM
adkboards
-
Saratoga
Springs,
Florida
"Just
because
there
is a
public
road
leading
to a
parcel
of
public
park
does
NOT
mean
it
is
park
or
necessarily
open
to
the
public"
-
amberloo
So
let
me
get
this
straight:
Public
Road
+
Public
Area
at
end
of
Road
=
OFF
LIMITS
to
tourists.
So
despite
the
fact
that
my
vacation
dollars
are
in a
VERY
LARGE
way
financing
said
public
areas,
I
cannot
visit
them.
I am
no
longer
allowed
to
even
drive
by
them.
It
brings
me
back
to
my
previous
question:
How
am I
as a
tourist
to
know
which
public
roads
are
for
locals
only?
What
is
to
keep
people
from
putting
up
signs
telling
people
they
are
trespassing
when
in
fact
they
are
not?
I am
sure
there
are
hundreds
of
people
on
these
boards
that
have
watched
their
neighborhood
streets
become
more
and
more
crowded
with
each
passing
year,
it
is
not
a
trend
that
will
reverse
itself.
NO
ONE
should
be
harassed
for driving
down
a
public
road.
The
vast
majority
of
people
that
take
a
scenic
drive
down
this
road
do
not
speed,
park
in
driveways
or
walk
through
someone's
backyard.
26.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
4:40 PM
amberloo
-
Honolulu,
Hawaii
Man,
get
it
right
if
you
are
going
to
whine...
I
quickly
corrected
the
quote
you
used
and
replaced
"public
park"
with
"publicly-owned
land".
Just
because
a
parcel
of
land
at
then
end
of a
public
road
is
owned
by a
public
entity
DOES
NOT
mean
every
member
of
the
public,
resident
or
tourist,
has
the
right
of
access. Public
ownership
does
not
make
it a
"park".
There
are
tens
of
thousands
of
acres
of
lands
in
the
islands
which
are
publicly-owned
but
NOT
OPEN
to
public
use,
no
matter
what
any
person
or
book
says.
Most
publicly-owned
land
is
not
open
to
general
public
use.
Is
that
too
difficult
to
grasp?
And,
enough
with
the
money
arguments.
Hawaii
residents
are
not
hos
who
should
gladly
prostitute
themselves
and
their
lifestyle
for
a
few
tourist
dollars.
Everyone
wants
them
to
just
"roll
over
and
pretend
to
enjoy
it."
That
statement,
which
is
so
commonly
made
by
visitors,
is
incredibly
offensive
beyond
belief
to
local
residents.
Further,
it's
not
so
true
anymore
as
the
economy
has
widely
diversified
over
the
years,
and
those
who
make
comments
like
yours
are
exactly
the
type
of
tourists
no
one
in
the
islands
wants
to
host.
Hawaii
does
not
need
your
money,
please
take
it
to a
third-world
destination
where
your
unenlightened
attitude
is
acceptable
to
the
impoverished
and
you
can
bully
your
way
anywhere
you
want
to
go.
There
are
plenty
of
visitors
out
there
of
greater
sensitivity
who
will
take
your
place.
Not
littering
and
parking
in
designated
stalls
does
not
make
up
for
such
an
evil
perspective.
Lastly,
since
you
are
obviously
not
aware
of
County
financing
and
how
it
generates
monies
for
roads,
you
MAYBE
contributed
a
cent
or
two
(at
most)
to
that
street.
27.
Re: Maui
Revealed
- Nahiku
Feb 20,
2008,
5:10 PM
adkboards
-
Saratoga
Springs,
Florida
Since
you have
chosen
to
personally
attack
me, how
about
you try
getting
it
right?
I
was not
talking
about
about
visiting
parks,
or
accessing
lands
that are
off
limits,
be they
public
or not,
I was
talking
about
DRIVING
DOWN A
STREET!
A local
resident
does not
"prostitute
themselves"
when a
tourist
can
drive
down
their
road
without
being
threatened
or
harassed.
It is
not
"rolling
over and
pretending
to enjoy
it" when
a
tourist
can walk
into a
local
store
without
getting
stink-eye.
I live
in a
tourist
area and
deal
with all
the same
problems
that
Hawaiian
residents
deal
with.
However
I also
live in
the real
world,
and
despite
your
claims
to the
contrary,
the
money
that
tourists
pump
into a
local
economy
IS a
necessary
evil.
Compromises
need to
be made.
I take
offense
at your
comments,
you do
not know
me, or
anything
about
me, I do
not
"bully"
my way
wherever
I want
to go.
If there
is any
"unenlightened
attitude",
it is yours
towards
a person
you know
nothing
about,
but have
chosen
to
assume
the
worst
of.
PART
SIX:
The
Final
Say
Rick's
Note:
This
last
post was
written by a
person who
actually
lives in Nahiku.
Keep in mind
this last
post was
written two
full
years after
all the fuss
started in
2008.
|
108. Re: Maui
Revealed - Nahiku
Oct 27, 2010, 11:45
PM
menehunewahine
-
Hana,
Hawaii
I live on Lower
Nahiku Road, for a
short time in 2008
the bridge near the
bottom was out, and
a new sign was
posted about driving
at your own risk
right at the bridge,
below the church,
then a sign right by
the turn across from
the church showed up
saying only local
residents, while it
is true that the
landing is state
owned, the road is
very very narrow and
mostly a private
road now, we found
this out when we
asked the county and
the state to please
fix da
bridge...
Unfortunately
the amount of
tourist traffic on
this poorly
maintained very
narrow roadway is
causing noise and
other problems,
those of us who live
here full time, are
no longer able to
enjoy the peaceful
quiet place that we
have loved since keiki times. We
cannot fish because
of the noise and the
traffic, there is
nothing at the
landing no picnic
tables no restrooms,
most tourists just
look a minute and
then leave, but its
hundreds of cars a
day sometimes!
we
don't let the kids
play in the road no
more too dangerous,
too many tourists
drive way too fast
for this little
narrow road even tho
we have a sign 15
mile speed
limit...We used to
not mind but now
there are just too
many of you coming
down and just making
pollution and
noise...our quiet
enjoyment of our
home has been
disturbed...so no we
would rather you did
not come down our
road anymore.
And
blue pool is all on
private property so
stay away please.
Russell
get mad!
He
no like tresspassahs
and the litter and
the noise yikes!
Rick's
Note:
As
I said,
there were
114 posts.
This issue
had clearly
struck a
major
nerve.
As a
final
piece
to
the
puzzle,
here
is
this
2009
article
written
by
Sheila Beal
that I found
at
Go Visit
Hawaii
|
Notes
from our
Recent
Maui
Vacation
Sheila
Beal
Well, it’s time to mention the elephant in
the room. All in all, we had a nice time though we did have some
hostile encounters which has made it difficult for me to even
talk about it here with you.
One of my all time best memories
from Hawaii is the first time driving the Road to Hana.
Ironically, it is also now one of my all time worst vacation
memories.
As we were returning back to Kaanapali from the road to Hana, we
encountered some extremely hostile locals who decided that the
sound of their horn and shooting out curse words to “haoles” was
better than the sweet sounds of the rainforest and waterfalls.
Just like them, we were stuck in a long string of traffic.
Once
we were able to safely move off the road so they could pass us
(which we always do for locals anyway), we ended up following
them for about 25 miles into Paia.
The next day we observed some other unwelcoming local behavior.
A guy drinking beer in the middle of the day at Hookipa Beach
Park was trying his darnedest to get his middle finger captured
in another tourist’s photo.
One thing that you can always trust from me at
Go Visit Hawaii
is that I will be honest with you.
After my shock and dismay, I
felt that I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention
to you that not everyone in Hawaii is glad you visit.
Every
place has jerks and Hawaii is not immune. When we visit Hawaii,
we go out of our way to be very respectful to the people,
culture, and land.
Essentially, we walk on egg shells.
Sometimes, just our pure existence seems to make locals mad and
we have experienced a few other minor incidents during our many
visits to Hawaii.
Hopefully, it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter
hostility, but what should you do if this happens to you?
Look
for a way out and just try to ignore it.
Sheila
Beal
Trouble in
Paradise
Rick's
Note:
As far as
the argument goes about the privacy of the locals versus the
desires of the tourists to see the natural wonders, I would prefer to make up my mind
situation by situation.
As far as
the Nahiku
situation goes, I side with the locals
to some
extent.
While I found myself angry at the locals for the way they
treated George Harrison, upset with the strongarm tactics of
locals and
disappointed with the
rudeness of
amberloo, I
actually do sympathize with their point.
In the end, the argument that swayed me was the lady who
said she can no longer allow her children to play outside.
We city people understand that problem full well and have
grown used to the problem, but it has to be maddening to the
Nahiku locals who grew up with privacy and have had it taken
away.
Who can
blame a
mother for wishing
she could let her kids roam free
again in a place that was once totally free of traffic?
I have
little doubt
the American
Indians felt
the same way
as the
advent of
westward
expansion
encroached
upon their
ancient
homeland.
The truth of the matter is that while the view from Nahiku
Landing is nice, there are roughly a thousand similar pretty views
somewhere else on the island. After all, how many
different angles do you need to appreciate the Pacific
Ocean?
Furthermore, the long drive down to the Landing is not practical at all.
That two mile stretch from Highway 360 (the Road to Hana) is
no cup of tea. The only path down to the ocean is a steep,
narrow, poorly-paved "country" road. The condition of
the road is not good enough to sustain heavy traffic.
And the traffic snarls caused by the heavy two-way traffic
on what is essentially a wide "one-way road" has to drive
people crazy.
After
Marla and I had visited Nahiku Landing, on my way
back up the road to re-connect with the Road to Hana, my one overriding
thought was that this drive was a waste of time.
Mind you, I
kept that
opinion to
myself, but
to tell the truth I
wasn't
impressed at
all
considering
the hard
work it took
to get
there.
The long drive down the bumpy, rutted Nahiku Drive took us
20 minutes for 2.5 miles and 40 minutes for the round trip.
Then add 20 minutes to look around and take pictures.
That adds up to ONE HOUR.
Furthermore
it would have been even longer on a busier day. Why
bother? You can get roughly the same sight at a
highway viewing point one mile further down Highway 360 (the
Road to Hana) and save
an hour in the process.
I agree with
Sheila Beal:
Hopefully, it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter
hostility, but what should you do if this happens to you?
Look
for a way out and just try to ignore it.
|
I took
209 pictures on our 2013 Road to Hana visit. However, I had
no way of knowing what picture corresponded to what spot
except for "sequential" order.
I
wasn't sure if I had taken a picture of Nahiku Landing or
not, so I grabbed one from the Internet. When I saw
the 'wood post' in the picture above, it seemed
familiar.
I took
this picture. That
'wood post' in the picture above helped me identify my own set of Nahiku pictures.
So
there you have it. This is the view from Nahiku
Landing. Now you know what you are missing
I say
leave the Nahiku people in peace; this spot is pretty, but
you can see virtually the same thing from the highway above
and save yourself a long trip in the process.
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