Kauai is a wonder among Hawaii's islands

In acknowledgement of the exciting fact we can now board a plane in Kelowna and disembark in Hawaii, we continue our mini-series with Kauai - The Garden Island.
The most northern, the first populated, geologically the oldest, Kauai is nearly circular in shape, 25 miles long by 33 miles wide at it's most extreme points.
Only three per cent of the 533 square miles of land has been developed commercially or residentially, with the remaining 97 per cent divided between agriculture and conservation.
The first settlers came about 200 A.D., 500 years before the rest of the islands were inhabitated.
The island prospered under a succession of kings. Captain James Cook landed on Kauai at Waimea on the east coast in 1778. Kauai was the only island to resist bowing to King Kamehameha (kah-may-hah-may-hah) as he tried to unify the islands under one rule - his own.
Kauai had its independent king, who finally buckled to pressure and agreed that upon his death, the island would fall under Kamehameha's rule, which happened in 1810.
Today, there are over 55,000 residents living and working in the coastal areas mainly, leaving most of the interior of this gorgeous tropical isle in a pristine state, the center of which is formed by Mt. Waialeale, the watershed of Hawaii and the fountainhead of all seven major rivers of the island.
Abundant warm rain falls in the evening and early morning hours, predominately over the mountain ranges.
Ocean water temperature ranges from 68 F to 80 F.
The year-round daytime temperature is near perfect ranging from mid-70sF to the mid-80s F, a little warmer in summer.
Kauai has the only navigable rivers in Hawaii; it has 43 white sand beaches; it has been the location for 60 major movies and television films - most recently Jurassic Park III, Lilo and Stitch and To End All Wars.
No structure can be built over four stories high, approximating the height of a mature coconut palm tree; with 480 acres of guava orchards it is the undisputed Guava Capital of the World. Crops grown here also include coffee, taro, papaya. And tourism is a major contributor to the local economy.
The principal city is Lihue (lee-hoo-aye), on the south east coast, where the airport sees 45 regularly scheduled round-trip flights to and from Honolulu and the other islands daily.
It is a 25-minute jet flight from Honolulu, serviced by two air carriers.
There are five major visitor areas with a range of accommodations - B&Bs, cottages, spacious condos, and modest to luxurious hotels and resorts.
Poipu
A 20-minute drive south of Lihue Airport is this sunniest region of the island, with smaller but good beaches. In days gone by, this was considered the playground of Hawaii's ali'i (chiefs).
I have a story about Poipu:
Many years ago I had booked several parties to condos in Poipu. A hurricane picked it's way across the Pacific with it's "eye" on Kauai. (Relax, this is a rare event in Hawaii).
I pulled a non-stop night and following day, making frantic phone calls for safe housing in other areas of the island for clients that were already there and ones about to fly over.
I got refunds on credit cards from the condo building I had to cancel (I got the manager out of bed) a few hours before the storm hit. Hours later that building was totally obliterated, and so followed the company that owned it. Seeing the newsreels of the building with one partial wall standing left me goggle-eyed and grateful. I had been blessed with a strong hunch (surely a guardian angel whispering) when watching the weather patterns and got in ahead of the pack to re-house folks. None of my people suffered a loss of vacation or personal damages - it was just a bit more eventful than planned! Such is the climate of Poipu, its flora, fauna, and people, that it recovered its gracious beauty in a few months.
The West Coast: Much of it is unreachable by road. In the northern region is Napali Coast State Park, with rugged cliffs to the water in many places. South of there, backing onto Napali is Waimea (why-may-ah) Canyon State Park. Inland, Kokee State Park has awe-inspiring canyon vistas and drop-dead gorgeous colors against stark blue skies. The southwest coast is sparsely populated although highway 50 goes north from Poipu to Barking Sands Beach - named after the sound made by sliding sand as it slips down the 60-foot high dune. South of that is Waimea town, where you might want to take a peek at Russian Fort, built in 1817 by a German doctor named Scheffer who was on staff with the Russian Fur Company of Alaska. The quaint Waimea Plantation Cottages, Waimea Hawaiian Church, Salt Pond where ancient salt pans date back to the 1700s, are also of interest.
Spouting Horn just outside Poipu - waves pressured through lava tubes emit ferocious weird noises while beautiful fountains of salt spray and foam come from another opening close by.
Wailua/Kapaa Area - mid east coast offers up the magnificent Fern Grotto which you can visit via river boats; long beaches, and coconut plantations. Up one branch of the Wailua River is Kamokila, a recreated folk village illustrating ancient Hawaiian lifestyles.
Hauola, at Lydgate State Park at the mouth of the Wailua River, was one of the ancient places of refuge on Kauai, near which can be seen petroglyphs on the large black rocks.
Kilauea (kee-law-way-ah) - easterly north coast is where you'll find the town by this name, and also the Kilauea Lighthouse, a national historic landmark that boasts the largest clamshell lens in the world, all surrounded by a lush wildlife refuge.
Kalihiwai Bay and Anini Beach Park near Princeville on the mid northshore is where you'll find good windsurfing.
Hanalei Bay on the northshore (where South Pacific was filmed) offers sandy Waikoko Beach, nicely tucked against the west side of the bay. The lush Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge has nesting birds, taro fields, simple homesteads, old rice mills, wildflowers and terraced fields. The town is charming, where the mountains make a stunning backdrop, with waterfalls, mists and rainbows. Rent a kayak and explore the Hanalei River or visit an aquamarine lagoon awaiting snorkelers. Nearby are wet and dry caves, steeped in ancient lore and easily accessible. The Princeville Hotel and Hanalei Bay Resort are situated on the eastern side of this breathtaking bay.
The North Shore - some of the most spectacular scenery in all Hawaii. Visit the
Na' Aina Kai Botanical Gardens to see an abundance of hardwood trees, a maze lined with mock orange shrubs and over 60 amazing bronze sculptures.
Throughout the island you'll also find farmer's markets, sugar plantation tours, Hula shows, museums, helicopter tours, hang gliding, dining from casual to sophisticated, shows, ATV tours, shopping , polo, outrigger canoe races, rodeos, golf, spas, cultural and craft exhibits. A cornucopia of things to do and see on lovely Kauai.