Wailau

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Wailau Valley
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Wailau Valley
Hawaii
Floor elevation321 feet (98 m)
Area4 square miles (10 km2)
Geography
Coordinates 21°08′33″N156°50′08″W / 21.14250°N 156.83556°W / 21.14250; -156.83556 Coordinates: 21°08′33″N156°50′08″W / 21.14250°N 156.83556°W / 21.14250; -156.83556  
Rivers Wailau River, Pulena Stream, Waioke'ela Stream, Waiakeakua Stream

Wailau is an isolated valley on the North Shore of the island of Molokai, Hawaii,It can be reached by boat (only in the summer), helicopter or by Wailau Trail from the southeast shore of the island which is heavily overgrown and virtually impassable in places. [1]

Molokai island of the Hawaiian Island Chain

Molokaʻi, nicknamed “The Friendly Isle”, is the fifth largest island of eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Island Chain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles in size at its extreme length and width with a usable land area of 260 square miles (673.40 km2), making it the fifth-largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oʻahu across the 25-mile (40 km) wide Kaiwi Channel and north of Lānaʻi, separated from it by the Kalohi Channel.

Hawaii State of the United States of America

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States, having received statehood on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania, the only U.S. state located outside North America, and the only one composed entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.

The valley was an ancient ahupuaa, [2] and well populated until the 19th century, and contained many taro plantations. [3] The valley is nearly unpopulated today, although Molokai residents occasionally camp by the beach at the mouth of the valley in the summer.

Ahupuaa

Ahupuaʻa is a Hawaiian term for a large traditional socioeconomic, geologic, and climatic subdivision of land.

Geography

Wailau valley was formed by stream erosion of the Wailau River, after the massive collapse of the East Molokai Volcano enabled streams from this part of the island to flow north. Numerous major landmarks dominate the area, such as Olokui, Molokai's second highest peak, and the Kukuinui Ridge. Others such as Malahini Cave [4] are very difficult to access.

East Molokai Volcano An extinct shield volcano comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island of Molokaʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The East Molokai Volcano, sometimes also known as Wailau for the Wailau valley on its north side, is an extinct shield volcano comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island of Molokaʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Olokui

Olokui is the second highest peak on the island of Molokai, surpassed by only Kamakou. At 4,602 feet (1,403 m), it marks the divide between the Pelekunu and Wailau valleys. It is part of the extinct East Molokai shield volcano, which comprises the east side of the island. On the west it is bounded by the Kapapa Pali, and on the south and east sides, there is a steep drop down to the Pulena stream and Wailau River, respectively. The north side of the mountain was destroyed in a catastrophic collapse along with the majority of the northern half of the island 1.4 million years ago. The remnants of this event are 3,200 foot sea cliffs. At the summit of Olokui, much like the tops of other high mountains in Hawaii, is a remote bog. The name Olokui translates to "tall hill", and according to oral tradition, was the place the people of the village of Pelekunu retreated to in a battle between islands.

In the Hawaiian language wai lau literally means "many waters". [5]

The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaiʻi, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the State of Hawaii. King Kamehameha III established the first Hawaiian-language constitution in 1839 and 1840.

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Oloʻupena Falls waterfall in Hawaii, USA

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References

  1. ↑ Catherinebuchanan.com (19 February 2013). "Latitude Options: Wailau Valley Secrets, Molokai, Hawaii".
  2. ↑ Lloyd J. Soehren (2003). "A Catalog of Moloka'i Place Names" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  3. ↑ "Kalaupapa Settlement Boundary Study. Along North Shore to Halawa Valley, Molokai". National Park Service. 2001. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
  4. ↑ "Hawaii Topographic Maps by Topo Zone". TopoZone.
  5. ↑ Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel Hoyt Elbert and Esther T. Mookini (2004). "lookup of Wailau ". in Place Names of Hawai'i. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaii Press . Retrieved November 12, 2010.


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