Category Archives: Parks

Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

The final post on this week’s theme of the WordPress photo challenge, ‘Tour Guide.’

These photos are from Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, otherwise known as Place of Refuge. This National Park showcases important Hawaiian history with it’s royal grounds where the Hawaiian royalty lived, Hale o Keawe where the bones of 23 ali’i were housed, and for the Pu’uhonua where anyone who had broken kapu (sacred laws) could seek shelter and ultimately forgiveness.

Here are views from the ocean side (above), of a hālau (right) which houses canoes, and of a ki’i (below) representing an Hawaiian god.

For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm.

Birds bathing

Birds bathing in a pond at Place of RefugeBirds bathing in a pond at Place of Refuge

Two Japanese white-eyes and a yellow-billed cardinal take a dip in one of the ponds at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, also known as Place of Refuge. The ponds are very popular with birds and it’s a good spot to sit and watch them for a while.

For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm.

Birds bathing in a pond at Place of Refuge

Better Days: ’Aimakapa Fishpond sluice

’Aimakapa Fishpond sluice at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

’Aimakapa Fishpond is one of two fishponds at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. The other is Kaloko Fishpond, which is separated from the ocean by a huge rock wall, currently being restored. ’Aimakapa Fishpond’s barrier is made up of sand dunes.

A channel was dug to the ocean to allow water to circulate back and forth and, at the ocean end (seen here), a sluice gate (makaha) installed. The sluice gate helped keep predators out. These days it isn’t used and so the channel has silted up with sand.

Fishponds are different to fish traps. Ponds allow for the rearing of fish from small fry. Traps are shallow walled enclosures, which fish can cross at high tide, but cannot escape from when the tide goes out.

For more information about Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, go to www.nps.gov/kaho/index.htm.

Alakaha Ramp bench

At the top of the Alakaha Ramp, on the 1871 Trail from Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park to Ho’okena, is this little weathered bench. It offers shade and a lovely view to the north, the point of land being the park.

For more information about the 1871 Trail, and other hikes on the Big Island, go to bigislandhikes.com.

For more information about Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm.

Little fish hoping to grow

Little fish in a pond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

Along the Kona coast, there are several ponds a little way inshore. These are anchialine ponds containing a mix of freshwater and saltwater. The freshwater comes from a mix of rain, runoff, and the occasional spring. The saltwater intrudes from cracks in the lava.

These ponds often harbor a mix of wildlife from birds and bugs to the tiny fish in this photo. I’m not sure what these fish are, in one such pond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, but the ponds offer a relatively safe place to start out life. However, they will need to make their way to the sea before they grow too big to escape the pond. Once there, survival will become a chancier thing.

For more information about Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, go to bigislandhikes.com/kaloko-honokohau-park/.

Sriracha the Bengal tiger

Sriracha, a female Bengal tiger, paces at Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo.

This week’s WordPress photo challenge is to choose your favorite photo taken in 2017. I’m going with a photo that I haven’t posted before (though below I offer a few of my favorites that have run).

This is Sriracha, a female Bengal tiger and cousin of Tzatziki, a white male tiger. Both can be found at Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo. What I like about this photo is those huge paws, the quiet movement, and the sense of great power that could be uncoiled at any moment.

For more information about Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens, go to hilozoo.org.

As far as favorite photos already posted are concerned, I offer a few here:

Top. A gold dust day gecko drinking from a bird of paradise flower is a blaze of color (posted here).

Second. This photo captures the awesome spectacle of the lava firehose from Kilauea Volcano pouring into the ocean (posted here). Currently, while the flow is still active, lava is no longer entering the ocean.

Third. I was happy to snap the moment a passion vine butterfly laid an egg (posted here). This was taken on the same day as the gecko photo above, so a banner day for me.

Fourth. I like all the photos in this post for their color and how they capture something of this most Hawaiian of dance (posted here).

Finally, I love this gargantuan blenny for its name, and was very pleased to get this photo, since the fish is apt to dart away and the shallow water was rocking (posted here).