We had a car to ourselves today so we took the opportunity to go back to one of our favorite haunts on Kauai, the Lava Lava Beach Club, and have a chill lunch. Here you can enjoy a fresh meal and a cold one with your feet in the sand and watch the waves roll in.
Back at our rental near Koloa I decided to hike the shoreline. Makawehi Point was not my intended destination. I was trying to get to Kawelikoa Point or at least the limestone cave at Makauwahi but I took a wrong turn. Boy am I glad I did!
I took the Ainakoa Street towards Shipwreck Beach, a destination for walks, surfing and sunsets. Then I followed the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail which follows the shoreline.
Soon the trail climbs up the Makawehi Bluff.
You are immediately rewarded with a spectacular coastal view.
I climbed down to sea level and took the picture above. There were no other people in sight. I hope to eventually get to the point in the distance. Here the two oldest lava flows on the island reach the sea.
This video will give you a better idea of the beauty.
The trail continues along the top of the sand dune ridge that runs parallel to the sea, supported by sandstone rock, composed of sand of course, then solidified by the lime from shells.
According to Blay and Siemers, Kauai’s Geological History, referenced a few days ago, the sand that formed these lithified sand dunes accumulated during the last major interglacial sea level high stand about 125,000 years ago. At that time the sea level was 4-6 meters higher than today, and the temperature was 1 to 2 degrees C warmer. Ice Volume and Sea Level During the Last Interglacial
Sedimentary rock is common on continents, but not so much on volcanic islands in the middle of the Pacific!
Volcanic rock can be found buried in the sandstone.
Orion is almost out of sight now, with Castor and Pollux, the twins visible. I just heard that there are quite a few sea turtles surfing the waves near Koloa Landing! I hope to have some pictures and maybe a video of sea turtles tomorrow.
Mahalo for reading~!
Ruggedly beautiful—your photos. And the weather station, pure Hawaiian humor. Especially the last one.
I feel like I've been to that place in Hawaii but without all the expense and discomfort of getting there. Thank you for sharing all this beauty of the world. It certainly is very heartening how all over the world there are still a million places where you can go and walk,sit,explore and not see another person at all,or rarely. Even in crowded old Britain that is possible.