HAWAII
Maui
This beautiful isle was
born in a fiery explosion of
two volcanoes.
To one side of Maui is the 1764 metre Kukui
and on the other Haleakala, a 3055 metre
dormant volcano with a Manhattan size
crater that houses a vast desert of unusual
flora including the rare Silversword.
Add to this 190
kilometres of dazzling
coastline, both dramatic and diverse
for surfing, snorkelling and canoeing
plus waterfalls plunging 300 metres,
rainforests bursting with exotic vegetation
and a stark lunar landscape so barren
that the astronauts practised their
92 www.paradisesonline.com
moon landing here, and you have the
extraordinary island of Maui.
The dramatic variations in climate and
land formations are a large part of what
makes Maui so exciting. The West Maui
Mountains are rugged and verdant, with
jagged peaks and deeply grooved valleys
hiding waterfalls. Central Maui and the
slopes of Haleakala are agricultural areas
where the rich volcanic soil supports
sugar, pineapple and ranchlands. The
south shore, except where irrigated, is
desert and scrub because Haleakala
snags the rain clouds and empties them
before they cross her peak.
The second largest of the Hawaiian
Islands, Maui was settled by Polynesians
and had its own ruling family. King
Kamehameha's warriors overthrew the
kingdom of Maui to unite it with the other
Hawaiian Islands. He made Lahaina in
Maui his capital in 1802. Today Maui has
evolved into a peaceful agricultural island
of charm and rustic beauty, particularly
Lahaina which has been restored to its
previous colonial splendour.
The non-profit Lahaina Restoration
Foundation which began over 36 years
ago has preserved and restored a rich
collection of historical sites in Lahaina.
The Maui Historical Society Museum
in Wailuku is a delightful structure built
