Ni`ihau, the smallest major island and the only one that preserves authentic Hawaiian culture without outsider influence (the language is still spoken there), is visible in the distance from Lele Rd. west of Hanapepe. It's also called the Forbidden Island because tourists are not allowed there without a special reason. Lele Rd. may or may not also be County Route 543 - signs say yes, official records say no.


Salt Pond Park at the end of Lokokai Rd., off of Lele Rd., is uncrowded even by Kaua`i standards. Officially, this is the last natural pond in Hawai`i where salt is still evaporated from ocean water in the traditional manner, but unofficially, the ponds look like they've been in disuse for a few years. Since they weren't very photogenic, I instead photographed the high surf and plentiful cats. Like the roosters on the Rooster Island, cats were brought over by settlers and either escaped or were set free, and have set up a stable native population. The rooster in the upper left corner of my photo was unintentional (just noticed him while editing), but reinforces my point.

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I'm a civil engineer. Trust me, it's safe. Despite the wavy railings and bridge deck, the suspender cables are securely tied to the bridge cables, and the wooden beams underneath the bridge are securely connected to the suspenders. That's all that counts, and the deck just has to be strong enough to carry your weight to two of those beams. It's fun to watch people try to cross who aren't armed with that knowledge.


Downstream (west) and upstream from the bridge. Most of Hanapepe lives on the ridge above the Hanapepe River in the second photo, but the downtown is to the southwest on HI Route 50.

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