Hawaii: Kauai

A rainbow shines over cliffs above the Pacific Ocean at Kalalau Valley on the Na Pali Coast at Kalalau Lookout, Kokee State Park, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The scenic Koke'e State Park is in northwestern Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Perched on a plateau between 3200 and 4200 feet, the park gets temperatures at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than at sea level. Koke'e receives 50-100 inches of rain per year, mostly from October to May. Its forests are dominated by Acacia koa and ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees.

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Wailua Falls is a 173-foot-high waterfall on the South Fork Wailua River near Lihue, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

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The red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata, in the tanager family Thraupidae) was introduced to Hawaii around 1930. This bird was photographed in Princeville on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Paroaria coronata is found in subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and in heavily degraded former forest, in northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul and the Pantanal. (It is not closely related to the true cardinal family, Cardinalidae.)

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Puu Poa Beach and the St. Regis Princeville Resort. Kauai, Hawaii, USA. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping images.

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Adult nene & chick in Princeville, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The nene (Branta sandvicensis, or Hawaiian goose) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is the official state bird. This bird is found in the wild on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Hawaii (the Big Island). Nene DNA indicates that the species evolved from the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) which likely arrived here about 500,000 years ago, shortly after the volcanic Big Island emerged from the sea.

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An adult pair of nene birds guard their chick (not visible) by a fence in Princeville, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The nene (Branta sandvicensis, or Hawaiian goose) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is the official state bird. Nenes are found in the wild on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Hawaii (the Big Island). Nene DNA indicates that the species evolved from the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) which likely arrived here about 500,000 years ago, shortly after the volcanic Big Island emerged from the sea.

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Lodging in Princeville, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Orange flowers of the African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata).

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Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines and shrubs with colorful papery triangular to egg-shaped, petal-like floral bracts surrounding its small whitish flowers; native to Brazil. Photo is from Princeville, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

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Hibiscus brackenridgei (commonly called Ma'o Hau Hele, Brackenridge's Rosemallow, Native Yellow Hibiscus, or Pua Aloalo) is the official Hawaii state flower, a native shrub. The yellow flowers either have a solid red center or just small splotches of red at the base of each petal. Although it is cultivated in Hawaiian gardens, this legally-protected plant is endangered in the wild, where few plants remain due to overgrazing by non-native animals, competition with non-native weeds, fire, and land development. Photographed in hotel landscaping in Princeville, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

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Trailhead signs for Kalalau Trail. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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Hawaii's native Hala tree is also known as Tahitian Screwpine, Pu Hala, Screw Pine, Textile Screwpine, Thatch Screwpine, Pandanus, Pandan, Tourist Pineapple or Pineapple Tree (Pandanus tectorius, or synonyms: P. chamissonis, P. douglasii, P. menziesii, P. odoratissimus; in the Screw-pine family, Pandanaceae). Some people mistake hala fruit heads for pineapples, which are unrelated plants. Cultivated varieties of Hala differing from the native version were brought to Hawaii by the ancient Polynesians in their canoes. Hala was useful for medicinal purposes, and the fruit was eaten and used to make leis. Its roots could make cordage. Hala leaves served as thatch and could be stripped of spiny edges to be woven or plaited into mats, pillows, sails, baskets, hats, sandals, and fans. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS)

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Philippine Ground Orchid (Spathoglottis plicata), native to Southeast Asia, was introduced to Hawaii as an ornamental garden plant and it later naturalized in the wild. The violet-pink or magenta-purple flowers have 5 oval-shaped pink, purple, or white tepals (2 side petals and 3 petal-like sepals) and a similarly colored, spade-shaped labellum. The leaves emerge from pseudobulbs and are bright green, linear-lanceolate, and distinctively plicate (having fanlike folds along their length). It was photographed within the first mile of the Kalalau Trail in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

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A hiker admires sea cliffs above the Pacific Ocean along the beautiful Kalalau Trail in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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Hala tree / Pandanus tectorius, on muddy, slippery Kalalau Trail. Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Hawaii's native Hala tree is also known as Tahitian Screwpine, Pu Hala, Screw Pine, Textile Screwpine, Thatch Screwpine, Pandanus, Pandan, Tourist Pineapple or Pineapple Tree (Pandanus tectorius, or synonyms: P. chamissonis, P. douglasii, P. menziesii, P. odoratissimus; in the Screw-pine family, Pandanaceae). Some people mistake hala fruit heads for pineapples, which are unrelated plants. Cultivated varieties of Hala differing from the native version were brought to Hawaii by the ancient Polynesians in their canoes. Hala was useful for medicinal purposes, and the fruit was eaten and used to make leis. Its roots could make cordage. Hala leaves served as thatch and could be stripped of spiny edges to be woven or plaited into mats, pillows, sails, baskets, hats, sandals, and fans. A beautiful day hike along the challenging Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS)

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Admire sea cliffs above the Pacific Ocean along the beautiful Kalalau Trail in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR). This image was stitched from multiple overlapping images.

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Tropical plants frame a coastal view of where Hanakapiai Valley enters the Pacific Ocean. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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Signs at Hanakapiai Beach on Kalalau Trail warn of dangerous surf. Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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Signs where Hanakapiai Falls Trail branches from Kalalau Trail, on Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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The impressive Hanakapiai Falls (300 feet high) is a slippery side trip from Kalalau Trail, on Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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Beautiful Hanakapiai Falls (300 feet high) is a slippery side trip from Kalalau Trail, on Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A stunning day hike along the Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS). Bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR). This image was stitched from multiple overlapping images.

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Kee Beach seen from Kalalau Trail. Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. A beautiful day hike along the slippery Kalalau Trail goes from Ke'e Beach to Hanakapiai Beach, with a rougher side trip to impressive Hanakapiai Falls, in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. To reach Hanakapiai Valley's waterfall, follow the signed clay trails for a moderately strenuous 8.8 miles round trip with 2200 feet cumulative gain (measured on my GPS), and bring plenty of fresh water. I recommend boots with sturdy tread, hiking poles, plus water shoes for the several stream crossings. Arrive early to get parking at the trailhead in Haena State Park at the end of the Kuhio Highway (Hawaii Route 560). The gorgeous Kalalau Trail was built in the late 1800s to connect Hawaiians living in the remote valleys. No permit is needed for day hiking to Hanakapiai Falls. But hikers going onwards from Hanakapiai Beach to Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys require a camping permit from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR).

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See Opaekaa Falls from a roadside viewpoint in Wailua River State Park on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. In this waterfall, Opaekaa Stream plunges 151 feet over basalt formed from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, on land now managed by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HDLNR). From Kuhio Highway (Route 56) in Wailua, drive 2 miles up Kuamoo Road (Route 580) to the Opaekaa Falls parking lot on the right.

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Kauai Aadheenam Hindu Kauai Aadheenam Hindu Monastery, island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Address: 107 Kaholalele RD, Kapaa, Hawaii, 96746. Himalayan Academy, founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1957, is the non-profit educational and publishing arm of Kauai's Hindu Monastery.

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Aerial view of Nawiliwili Bay & Harbor in Lihue, on island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA.

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$See an intense rainbow through rain-spattered windows of a helicopter flying over the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. At times, I could see a full 360-degree rainbow from the helicopter, though didn't have the 16 to 18mm lens necessary to capture it all at once. Imagine a line drawn from the sun through your head to your head's shadow on the ground. Look up at a 42° angle from that line to draw a cone or circle in the sunlit mist, to anticipate a rainbow's position. To see a primary rainbow from a viewpoint on level ground, the sun must be less than 42° above the horizon — when your shadow is longer than your height — however, looking down from a height into mist can increase that viewing angle. For the some hours before and after noon, depending upon your latitude, the horizon or ground normally blocks a primary rainbow's creation or visibility, unless you get higher, as in a helicopter, or are looking down into a deep canyon with the right alignment. In fact, at any time of day, you can observe a full circular rainbow in a cloud of water droplets created by a garden hose sprayer while viewing from on a ladder in direct sunlight. Primary rainbows occur when direct sunlight refracts into suspended water droplets, bounces twice, then refracts back out to your eyes, making a 138° turn (that is 42° less than a 180° turn). Secondary (double) rainbows bounce three times inside the drops, are dimmer, and appear at a 51° angle to the line drawn from the sun through your head (a 129° turn) — encircling outside of the primary rainbow. Calculate the sun's position in any season anywhere (or Moon etc.) at Photoephemeris.com.$