Chapter 4- Nawiliwili Harbor

Nawiliwili Harbor is on the western shores of Kauai Island, the northernmost of the Hawaiian island chain.  Nawiliwili Harbor is over 18 nautical miles and is about 2.5 kilometers southeast of Lihue, the island's second largest city with a population of less than six thousand people.  Nawiliwili Harbor is the main port on Kauai. Before Europeans came to Hawaii, the Nawiliwili Bay area was important to the island's inhabitants for its fertility.  Their subsistence-based economy depended on fish and the cultivation of taro.

The State of Hawaii's Harbors Division within the State's Department of Transportation manages Nawiliwili Harbor. The Harbors Division operates and maintains State water transportation facilities, including Nawiliwili Harbor.  Located at the mouth of the Hule'ia Stream, Nawiliwili Harbor is the port-of-call for cruise ships visiting Kauai Island.  There are two piers at Nawiliwili Harbor that receive or ship containerized and conventional general cargo and automobiles.  They receive petroleum products, bulk fertilizers, and cement and ship molasses and bulk raw sugar.  The piers are also used for passengers to board and deboard cruise ships at Nawiliwili Harbor.  The United States Coast Guard operates the US government-owned Nawiliwili Harbor Station Wharf to moor Coast Guard vessels.

Nawiliwili Harbor boasts two parks that residents and visitors enjoy.  Nawiliwili Beach Park and Niumalu Beach Park are both on the shores of Nawiliwili Bay.  Niumalu Beach Park is a popular location for launching kayaks, and campers need a county permit.  Located about less than two miles southwest of Nawiliwili Harbor is the Huleia National Wildlife Refuge.  The Refuge was established in to shelter the natural wetlands and habitat supporting several endangered species of Hawaiian waterbirds.  The Refuge is not open to the public, but can be reached from a nearby shoreline.

Chapter 5-Kauai's Industries

The County of Kauai has five major industries that help the island flourish.  The leading industry is tourism.  Although Kauai is ranked fourth amongst the Hawaiian Islands for total visitor arrivals a year, tourism contributes a considerable percentage to the county’s income.  The top two employers in the county are the Grand Hyatt Resort and the Marriot Resort. Because Kauai is an ideal getaway location, it draws enthusiasts from all over the world.  The county offers a range of locations from upscale and prestige to more family affordable.  In fact, in 2003 and 2004, Kauai was named the #1 Hawaiian Island by Time and Leisure Magazine.  Convenience, beauty and easy to navigate, no wonder tourism is undoubtedly the largest industry on the Garden Isle. 

Technology and defense play an important role in Kauai’s economy with the West Kauai Technology & Visitor Center (WKTVC) and the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).  The development of the West Kauai Tech Center began in September 1992, immediately following devastating Hurricane Iniki, in an effort to rejuvenate and expand Kauai’s economy, specifically in the fields of science, technology, and agribusiness.  Currently, the two-phase WKTVC facility has nine offices, a visitor center and a video-teleconferencing room.  Completed in February 1999, the 7,500 square foot WKTVC today provides a home for high-tech industry on West Kauai, as well as a Visitor Center designed to appeal to island visitors and residents with cultural programs, walking tours, exhibits, demonstrations and internet access. Exhibits and displays are centered on the theme of “Enduring Engineering,” bridging ancient Hawaiian cultural and traditional practices.

Pacific Missile Range Facility

Further west at Barking Sands, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) is the world’s largest instrumented multi-environment range facility for supporting, testing and training battle operations and national defense objectives for the Department of Defense and other government agencies.  PMRF provides fleet training for the U.S. Navy and the navies of allied nations and plays a significant role in the testing and evaluation of future systems, including the AEGIS ballistic missile defense system.  PMRF is one of Kauai’s largest employers with nearly 1,000 active duty Navy, government, civil service and contract civilians, and Hawaii Air National Guard members.  An active participant in the community, PMRF participates in the Mayor’s Adopt a School program, and is actively engaged in math and science programs and facility upgrade projects. PMRF is also the largest business contributor to the Kauai Food Bank and many of its employees serve as sports program coaches and mentors for Kauai’s youth.

It is no surprise that agriculture is a top leading industry in the county.  With year round conditions for growing, farmers and gardeners have all the opportunities to produce exotic fruits and flowers.  Kauai’s number one crop is seed corn, which is grown and exported to the United States mainland.  Coffee is also an important business with the Kauai Coffee Company being the largest estate.  There are over 3,400 acres dedicated to the production of over 3.5 million pounds of coffee a year.  Sugar was the leading crop for over 150 years but now is grown commercially in only two locations.  Kauai has the perfect climate and resources to support a thriving agricultural industry.  

Chapter 3- Settlement and Population

There are no known written records of the first settlers to Kauai, although its is believed that the first inhabitants of Hawaii may have reached the islands as early as 400 AD from the Marquesa Islands. Contact with and settlement by Tahitians began about 1000 AD.  The early Hawaiians lacked a written language so their culture was entirely oral.  Hawaiian culture had rich roots in myth, legend, and practical knowledge, especially of animals and plant life.

The material life of the island was hindered by the lack of metal, pottery, or beasts of burden, but there was great expertise in the use of wood, shell, stone, and bone, and the huge double and outrigger canoes were technical sensations.  Navigational methods were well developed, and there was an intricately developed calendar.

Captain James Cook

In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook landed in Kauai’s Waimea Bay for the first time. Cook’s discovery of what he called the “Sandwich Isles,” named after the Earl of Sandwich, introduced Hawaii to the world. A statue of Captain Cook stands today in Waimea Town.

During this era of western discovery, King Kamehameha I tried one's hand to unite the Hawaiian Islands under his rule. Kauai and the small neighboring island of Niihau (part of Kauai county) were the only islands to prevent his efforts. Eventually, Kauai’s King Kaumualii decided to peacefully unite with Kamehameha and join the rest of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Today, the population of Kauai is over 67,000 people.  The population density is about 94 people per square mile.  It is the least populous of the major islands of Hawaii.  The biggest towns in Kauai include Kapaa, Lihue, Wailua, and Wailmea.  Kapaa is a town known for its shopping, eateries and available water activities.  It appeals to tourists because of the variety of attractions.  Lihue is the center for business and transportation, but still home to beautiful beaches including Kalapaki Beach.  

Kalapaki Beach

Chapter 2- Kauai's Climate and Environment

Kauai is known for it’s superior climate features. They include the composed temperatures from day to day as well as season to season, the persistent northeasterly trade winds and the marked variation in rainfall from the wet to the dry season and place to place. 

The average temperature of Kauai’s winter is 75 degrees, while the average is 85 during summer.  The range in normal temperatures from the coolest month, February, to the warmest month, August, is less than 8 degrees. The daily range in temperature is also small, less than a 15-degree difference between day and night.  

The trade winds blow across the island during most of each year and the dominance of these winds has marked influence on the climate of the area. Completely cloudless skies are quite rare. On the average, clouds cover six tenths to seven tenths of the sky during the daylight hours. Trade wind showers are relatively common. Although heavy at times, most of the showers are light, at night and of short duration. The frequency and intensity of the showers increase toward the mountains to the west. Mount Waialeale receives 486 inches annually, the highest recorded annual average in the world. Mount. Waialeale has recorded annual rainfalls in excess of 620 inches.

Normal annual rainfall is over 40 inches. Three-fourths of this total, on the average, falls during the seven month wet season, which extends from October through April. Widespread rainstorms, which account for much of the precipitation, occur most frequently during this period. Normal precipitation in January, the wettest month, is over 6 inches.  The dry season includes the months of May through September. June, the driest month, receives only about 1.5 inches of rain, on average.

Hurricanes and other severe windstorms are quite rare. Strong winds do occur at times in connection with storm systems moving through the area, but seldom cause extensive damage.  Relative humidity, moderate to high in all seasons, is slightly higher in the wet season than in the dry.  During periods when the temperature and humidity are both high, the weather is seldom domineering.  This is due to the trade winds, which provide a system of natural ventilation during most of each year.

From sand dunes to bare desert plateaus, fertile river valleys, foothills, tropical rainforests and awe-inspiring mountain tops, Kauai is an exceptional geographical subject.  Kauai is the oldest island in the chain making it one of the most beautiful and diverse of the Hawaiian Islands. Nicknamed the Garden Island for its lush vegetation and abundant rainfall, Kauai is home to many indigenous plants and wildlife. The island of Kauai is circular in shape and covers approximately 550 square miles.  There are 69 beaches, which offers more beach per mile of coastline than the other Hawaiian islands.  The highest peak is Kawaikini Peak, with an elevation of 5,243 feet.  It is located in the center of Kauai and is surrounded by dense, swampy forests and steep cliffs.  

Some of the more spectacular physical geographical features include the Napali Coast and the Waimea State Park.  The Napali Coast has breath taking views that include razor sharp cliffs that rise sharply from sea to heights of 4,000 feet, enchanting hanging valleys, sea caves, lush green valleys and cascading waterfalls that travel to the sea from thousands of feet above.  Waimea Canyon State Park is a 1o mile stretch, a mile wide and more than 3,500 feet deep.  It contains more than 45 miles of trail and over 4,300 acres of land.  With its great climate and beautiful features, Kauai is one of the most remote places on Earth.

Kauai got it’s nickname from it’s varieties of exotic flowers, trees, fruits and other plant life.  The exotic vegetation is what attract visitors to the island.  The official flower of Kauai is the Mokihana.  Despite it being the island flower, it is actually a green berry found in the rainforests of Kauai.  The variations of trees on the island include the Candle Nut Tree, the Banyan Tree and the Royal Poinciana Tree.  The Candle Nut Tree is found all over Kauai.  It grows over 100 feet tall and produce small white flowers that are used in leis.  Kauai is also home to many fruit bearing trees such as avocados, bananas, mangos and guavas.  In fact, guavas are a leading crop in the agricultural industry.  Food plants grown commercially or in backyards for home consumption include sugarcane, pineapples, papayas, lichee, coconuts, breadfruit, macadamia nuts, limes, passion fruit, taros, and tamarinds.  The entire island of Kauai is a botanical garden that developed overtime by wind, animals and people.  Today, some plants have adjusted to Kauai’s unique climate and created new plant lineages. 

Chapter 1- Cultural Origins and Ethnic Diversity

Kauai and the other islands of Hawaii are unique because of the ethnic diversity of its residents.  The 2010 census had about 23% of the population reporting multi-ethnic backgrounds.  It is a mixed plate of ethnic groups with a make up of 40% Asian, 23% White, 10% Hawaiian, 9% Hispanic and 2% Black.  Since Kauai and the islands have become home to different ethnic groups in the last 200 years, it has helped shape the culture today. 

The culture of Hawaii has its roots in the culture of the Native Hawaiians.  The majority of Native Hawaiians today has less than 50% pure Hawaiian blood.  The Hawaiian culture is filled with customs, music, legends, traditions and values. 

A common and well-known custom is the Lei flower.  It is offered graciously with a kiss and considered rude to remove in public, especially if removed in front of the person who gave it to you. 

The hula is a common dance of the Hawaiian culture.  It involves swaying hips, descriptive hand motions and colorful grass skirts.  There are two current forms of the hula, the hula kahiko (ancient) and the hula auana (modern).  The hula kahiko incorporates the Hawaiian language and the dance is used for story telling or ceremonial purposes.  The music accompanying the dance started off as simple drum beats and chants and has evolved to different genres including luau, jawaiian and kolohe. 

The Hawaiian Language consists of only five vowels and eight consonants.  Hawaiian has the shortest alphabet in the world.  Many words have multiple meanings or hidden meanings.  The Hawaiian Language is taught in schools to ensure the tradition of Hawaiian culture.  Unfortunately only about 1% of the population can speak the native tongue.