Waipio Valley
By: William Shelleau
Medium: Photography
Waipio Valley, a landmark in Hawaiian heritage, features a rich landscape that boasts animals and natural beauty alike. From rushing waterfalls, rocky and sandy beaches, to monumental valleys, Waipio Valley stands tall as a glorious untouched wonder that serves as a reminder to what Hawaii once was. The valley served as the boyhood home for King Kamehameha, who later became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Today, it is one of Big Island’s major tourist attractions featuring a grueling hike or drive down a steep path that welcomes one to this flourishing ecosystem. Featuring a rocky beach and valleys to gawk at the landscape is much more than just beautiful scenery. This piece will focus on how the land was used in yesteryear compared to the modern age. History reigns supreme throughout this monumental beauty, and throughout my essay I will explore much of this history. While reading, I offer my own photos as reference to the discussed points that explore this landscape. These photos are not heavily retouched - light edits to bring out the natural beauty I observed when capturing the image. Waipio offers the viewer so much to see that photographs of it hardly require much editing. This article brings light too much of how the valley has developed over the years from the perspective of someone going through it. The awe inspiring landscape invites the viewer to gaze upon its lush forests, roaring waves and daunting cliffs.
There’s perhaps no greater wonder on the Big Island of Hawaii than Waipio Valley. The sheer magnitude of the landscape captivates the eye as one wonders at its colossal beauty. From a lustrous ocean that breaks its shores along a beautiful green coastline filled with illustrious valleys and roaring waterfalls, Waipio Valley is truly the valley of kings.
With a peak 2,500 ft above sea level, Waipio Valley, which name means “Curving Water,” not only flaunts great beauty but serves as a historical grounding point for the Hawaiian Islands. Many of Hawaii’s prominent leaders derived from this majestic land. Great leader’s including Hawaii’s first king who would later unify all the islands in Kamehameha the Great. At the time, the land featured Hawaii’s ancient grass palace of the Hawaiian Kings. The land also serves an illustrious role in Hawaiian folklore, as Waipio is thought to be an entryway to the Hawaiian underworld in Lua-o-Milu, which is said to be hidden deep below the ground. Many Hawaiian legends take place in this valley, as tales of refuge and gods are noticeably featured in Waipio.
In 2020, instead of neighborhoods, you’ll find horses roaming the land freely as they feed off of the local vegetation. Lush tropical fruits such as breadfruit, oranges and limes can be found in abundance while traversing the lands.
While the land was once home to Hawaiian royalty, few have called the valley home since a 1946 tsunami engulfed the east side of Big Island. Preceding the devastation, schools, churches, restaurants, hotels, post offices all had settled in the valley as it was on its way to becoming an established neighborhood. It’s said that up to 10,000 people once populated the valley prior to Captain Cook’s arrival to the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. The land was said to be the most fertile of all the soil on Hawaii Island.
Today, only about 50 people call this land home. The individual homes that do remain however are mostly taro farms where people run their local businesses out of. Many tourists frequent the land, giving their respect to the land through merciless hikes while enjoying the distinct black-sanded beach. The shores are rocky as local suffers and visiting campers alike share the water on cool, crisp mornings. Yet the historical significance is still felt when traversing the land, ancient burial caves are located throughout the valley’s steep cliffs which many of Hawaii’s past kings now call home.
When aweing at this landscape today, much is hidden without prior research. Traversing through this valley, much of the land appears to be untouched, giving off a feeling of a natural sanctuary, giving an appearance of another era. This untouched beauty is hard to find but in Waipio it is in an abundance. Life has returned since the tsunami hit in 1946, while remnants of a past village is all but gone new life has grown over it. Grass and trees have grown over as wildlife rules the valley. The beaches are as tranquil as ever as locals flock daily to these shores. Shores where the silence of the waves crashing can take you back to another era.
William Shelleau
Will Shelleau grew up in Montreal, Quebec where he has been writing articles and taking photos for over seven years. He is in currently his final semester at California State University San Marcos where he is majoring in Art, Media and Design. Most of his work can be found on his website https://willishelleau.wixsite.com/mysite or on the Curiosity Shots and Recruit Scouting websites. Most of his writing focuses on interviews, cultural events and sports, while his photography likes to emphasize the natural beauty of a landscape.
