The Idiots don’t usually feature lodgings… but their last two nights on The Big Island were at a small horse ranch near the northern coast. The horses and towering eucalyptus trees made for a lovely escape from more touristed parts of the island. A tree planted by their hosts demonstrates that no amount of effort will overcome the prevailing winds.
The northeast section of the island provides endless vistas and photographic opportunities.
The Idiot group visited one last historical site the afternoon before flying to Maui. Many ancient sites have been buried under modern development. Kona is expanding northward, and the resorts on the northwest shore are spreading southward. Hawaiian activists managed to get one site near the airport preserved as Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park.
Prior to European contact, a chief would typically have a slice of land that reached up into the mountains and down to the sea. This would provide hunting, agricultural land, and fishing resources for the chief and his dependents.
At Kaloko-Honokohau, freshwater springs provided water and the terrain allowed them to create giant fish ponds to provide a steady supply of food. This stark, beautiful landscape provided the residents with abundant resources.
One can be lulled by the beauty of Hawaii into thinking it is Paradise. Sometimes reality kicks in. Ranger Steve Makuakane-Jarrell was killed on patrol in Kaloku-Honokohau Park on December 12, 1999. Responding to the complaint of a visitor, he confronted a man with three unleashed dogs. The ranger used his pepper spray, but a struggle ensued and the assailant got control of the ranger’s service weapon and shot him several times. The man was eventually found not guilty by reason of insanity. He was placed in a secure mental facility. His case is reviewed yearly. In October, 2014, the review board once again determined that the killer is stil a danger to others and refused to release him.
An ancient spirit watches over the park… a modern sculpture at the airport representing the hula says “Aloha” to those arriving and departing.
