Discovering Kaua’i – Days 3 and 4

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For Days 1 and 2 click here

Day 3: began with a purpose. I was determined to shoot the sunrise from Lydgate Beach Park and Dipali wanted to start her day with a run and some Yoga on the beach. So while I set-up my tripod and tinkered with the dials on my camera, Dipali completed a run around the park and started her Yoga stretches.

There is a reason professional photographers love to shoot during the golden hours, the fleeting window of time around sunrise and sunset. The light adds a touch of drama to every element of the cityscape/landscape being shot. While it presents it’s sets of challenges, related to setting the correct exposure, few things are more satisfying than capturing a gorgeous sunrise/sunset successfully. There are various techniques that can be employed to capture the high dynamic range of a scene successfully; I opted to use my trusted Lee filter set. I was in position well before sunrise and took a number of test shots to determine the amount of light in the scene . I settled on my 3-stop Lee Split-Graduated-ND filter to tame the fiery horizon, while still achieving the correct exposure for the sand and water in the foreground. The shot below is my favorite because it successfully encompasses the mood of the sunrise, from the golden reflection of the rising sun on the beach and ocean to the ethereal glow cast on the clouds above the rising. The waves crashing against the outer-lying reef add just the necessary amount of violence to the image.

Sunrise at Lydgate Beach Park, Kaua’i

We spent the rest of the morning at Poipu Beach Park, on the western shore of Kaua’i, catching up on swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. While renting snorkel gear in Kapa’a another tourist tipped us off on a beached monk seal and turtle at Poipu Beach. The turtle was gone by the time we got there but the monk seal lay on the sand, sleeping away the rigors of the Pacific Ocean. Monk seals often come ashore to rest and stay there for days on end. It’s not uncommon to see one of these creatures on the beaches in Kaua’i. The lifeguards build a roped perimeter around the sleeping seals for tourists to maintain a respectable distance. So I brought out my telephoto lens allowing me to get some great shots of the sleeping seal without having to get too close to it.

Beached seal at Poipu Beach Park

Whale watching was the other attraction we were really looking forward to while on Kaua’i. Much like tourists humpback whales cover thousands of miles for their winter getaway in the warm, shallow waters surrounding the Hawai’ian islands. While the warmer waters around Maua’i and Lana’i make them a hot-bed of whale activity, we saw our fair share of whales thanks to the good folks of Blue Dolphin Charters. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable and did their best to steer the Catamaran towards signs of whale activity. There were a few active whales during the early part of our ride, particularly the mother-calf duo we spotted within the first 40 minutes. I managed to get some great shots of them breaching against the green island backdrop and the sight will be etched in my memory for as long as I live. There was an endless supply of Mai-Tais and food for those who cared to indulge, which we did and we were treated to a gorgeous sunset on our way back to the shore.

A mother and calf duo frolic in the warm, shallow  waters off the shore of Kauai. Humpback whales cover roughly 4000 miles to find their way to the islands of  Hawai’i during winter. Making the trip from the waters in Alaska they stay for a period of 3 months, starting in December and use that time to feed, mate and produce calves before embarking on the long swim back north. Humpback whales are an endangered species and no boat is allowed within a 100 yards of these magnificent giants. Our crew did a great job of getting as close as possible to the whale activity. 

Gorgeous Hawai’ian Sunset on the way back

Although tired after our whale watching venture we made the rather long drive to Hanale’i on the north shore and ate at the Hanale’i Dolphin, in my opinion the best seafood I ate in Hawai’i.

Day 4: Carp’e Diem!! Time to seize another day on this gorgeous rock. This time it was hiking. We had explored the Na Pali coast by air, now it was time to get a glimpse of it from land, the little that you can see. We started early and drove a fair distance to Koke’e all the way on the west side of the island. We were introduced to yet another feature of this amazing landscape, the red mud of the canyon. In fact the Waimea River, one of two rivers on the island of Kaua’i and another example of the topographical diversity of this island, means ‘red water’. The drive to Koke’e lodge, where we planned to drop our car, took us through the town of Waimea, after which we started our ascent. Our progress was much slower thanks to the incline but we weren’t complaining because we were treated to some breathtaking views along the way. There were plenty of spots where I could pull off the main road and stop to take some pictures. One spot in particular afforded us a great view of the soporific town of Waimea.

The sleepy town of Waimea

After more than a few stops we made it up to Koke’e lodge. Roughly at an elevation of 4100 feet above sea level the air here definitely felt different than it did a few minutes ago, when we drove through Waimea. My out-of-shape body immediately started sending alarm signals to my brain that maybe I wasn’t quite ready for this hike. I don’t know what I was smoking but we had originally planned a 11 mile hike, spanning 3 trails in the form of a U. We quickly revised that to just one trail – the Awa’awapuhi trail, covering 3.1 miles in one direction. To make matters worse overnight rain had left the trail slippery in many parts and I was bogged down by at least 20 pounds worth of camera equipment. My legs screamed all the way through the descent; we went from an elevation of 4120′ to 2600′ in a 3 mile span. I was not relishing the prospect of the hike back

But like everything else on this island the view from the Awa’awapuhi lookout, at the end of the trail, stops your heart. The view of the Nu’alolo valley bordered by sheer cliffs, extending to the ocean beyond is remarkable. It was a hazy day so the horizon blended seamlessly with the sky, making it impossible to distinguish where the ocean stopped and the sky began. We sat there for a long time catching our breath and taking our time, blocking any thoughts of the arduous return trip that lay ahead of us.

A stunning view of the Nu’alolo Valley flanked by razor sharp cliffs from the Awa’awapuhi trail. This image is an HDR combination of 7 images of varying exposure

A stunning red crested Cardinal at the Awa’awapuhi lookout

Too beat to do anything after the hike we drove back to our hotel in Kapa’a and crashed for the rest of the evening. Dinner that night was a quiet affair at the reasonably priced but lip-smackingly delicious Korean Bar-B-Q.

Hope you enjoy this post. Watch this space for our last 2.5 days in Kaua’i.

-S

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