Maui day 3

The decision on where to eat last night resulted in popping in two doors down – how convenient is that – to Flatbread, a pizza place with a queue and an organic reputation. We ordered takeaway and had a drink at the bar to wait for the pizza which really didn’t take too long. A wood-fired pizza oven was being fed pizzas in front of all the diners; pretty neat.

We took the pizza back to our hotel and enjoyed it on our verandah with a glass of wine.

Today we had a somewhat earlier start to the day. Ian had decided that his birthday would be spent driving the Mustang down the Road to Hana. This famous drive is such a Maui iconic day out. We did it last time we visited. On that occasion we stopped at almost every possible viewpoint and place of interest. So this time we decided we would simply enjoy the drive and make essential stops only as well as visit some other places we had not previously visited.

It was a Mustang muster on the road to Hana. Tops down taking the curves gently, everyone but us that is!! Ian was having fun at the wheel. Well it is his birthday.

We stopped in at Ke’anae Peninsula again to pick up some banana bread – a favourite treat, sold at lots of locations along the road. The sea was much calmer than when we last visited, the view was still amazing. Driving around to the other side of the peninsula I took time to wander over to the church which was built of lava rocks. This church was the only building left standing after a tsunami in 1946.

Lava stone church, Ke'anae Peninsula

In his element

The road moves inland and follows the line of the gulches, the deep valleys created by ancient lava flows. The sun is searing hot but it is cool in the shade of the trees.

It soon became apparent that the drought was affecting many of the previously popular stopping points. Many of the waterfalls were simply not flowing. We did, however, manage a photo op at the Three Bear Falls, which we had previously not managed due to the crowds and no place to pull over.

Three Bear Falls

On the road once again our next stop was not until just before we reached Hana. I had read about the Pi’ilanihale Heiau (a religious site), a 16^th century historic site and was interested to visit. It was certainly not what I expected. It was worth the bumpy ride off the main road.

A massive structure surrounded by beautiful gardens – all plants labelled and explained. The sheer size of the structure, built of lava stones, cannot be captured in a simple photograph. It would be better appreciated from the air I suspect. It is the largest of its kind in the Hawaiian Islands. Suffice to say, it was pretty impressive.

We called into Hana Bay for a drink but pressed on because we were going into uncharted waters – well roads untravelled by us at least. We were driving back to Pa’ia around the ‘backside’ of the mountain. This route is a bit of a taboo subject – it’s dangerous, not allowed by rental car companies – but these are myths. I wanted especially to visit the Oheo gulch and Charles Lindberg’s grave both of which are along this part of the road. 

Hana Bay

Outrigger canoes

Lots of 'Nike' swooshes in the sky

We found the Oheo gulch – hard to miss really just about everyone else out Hana way was there too!!! This site is within Haleakala National Park so we joined the queue to pay the entry. Parking was at a premium. Being a hot day, this was a popular spot for swimming.

We made our way down to the bottom of the gulch where lots of people were enjoying the cool waters flowing from the mountain to the sea. It’s a very pretty spot and lovely for families. We did not stay long however, as we were unsure how long the drive back would take.

The grave of Charles Lindberg is well hidden. Despite being mentioned on all tour maps, we missed it. Once we realised we were on the section of road that is ‘rough paved’ we knew we had gone too far. No turning back on this road – it is only just wide enough for two cars, only one in some parts, and a steep drop on one side. So we pressed on and continued through the lush tropical landscape which typifies the road to Hana until we passed through a place called Kaupo. Suddenly the landscape changed. The open slopes of the volcano started to dominate.

We thoroughly enjoyed our journey around the ‘backside’ of the island, despite the rough section of road. It was a very interesting experience and we are glad we did it.

We had another place recommended locally for dinner and it was a perfect end to the day.