Hawaii Real Estate | Hawaii Relocations | Hawaii Home Buying & Selling

I appreciate the history surrounding Oahu and if one is relocating to Hawaii or just coming to visit, I strongly encourage to seek out the historic sites. There is more to an area besides the stores and malls and the history of an area will provide insight into the past to present.

The Waianae Range spreads the length of the West Coast of Oahu (Nanakuli, Maili, Lualualei, Waiane and Makaha are a few of the communities along the way) and separates it from the rest of the island. To get to the West Coast of Oahu you can just go down Farrington Hwy around the mountain range.  The Waianae Coast was named after the mullet that was once farmed in the area.  To break down the word, Wai (pronounced why) means water and enae (eh na ee) means large mullet.  This community was known for it's agriculture, sugar mill, fishing and religion.

As any other state in the nation transportation evolved from saddle to wheeled carriage and eventually to steamer that left each Friday from Honolulu to Waianae (West Coast of Oahu) and Waialua (North Shore).   By 1888 the service increased  to twice a week.

By 1889 the construction of Oahu Railroad started and by November 16, 1889 was open to Aiea and on January 1, 1890 it reached Pearl City and serviced the vicinity of Ewa and Honouliuli.  During the 1890's the railroad service extended to the West Coast through Kaena Point to Waialua and Kahuku.

To this day fishing is a huge part of every day life for many residents on the West Coast of Oahu and most recently I had the opportunity to meet a commercial fisherman who turned out to be a wonderful client.  Life on the West Coast is not for all but for him it's just a simple but hard working way of life.  If he's not out fishing he's taking care of his one acre lot home he bought last November.

Needless to say, the Waianae Coastline is breathtaking with clear blue oceans to lush valleys.  Truly, the West Coast of Oahu is a local area with living the simple life with many beach parks filled with family and friends having beach parties for the baby's first birthday luau or just to get together. Definitely a place minus the hustle and bustle of city life.  (a few of the stops to consider along the coastline are Kahe Beach Park, Tracks Beach Park, Nanakuli Community Park, Maili Beach Park, Waianae State Park, Lualualei Beach Park, Pokai Bay Beach Park, US Army Recreational Center Waianae, Maunalahilahi Botanical Garden)

A couple of other posts to see what's happening on the West Coast of Oahu.

Preservation & Conservation: Military Land Use on Oahu Hawaii's West Coast (Waianae) which is about  the history and current land use on the West Coast with regards to the military.

The Legend of Makua Cave: Northwest Coast of Oahu, Hawaii is only a smidgen of the history surrounding the islands.  This cave is known as "the cave of man". Read about the legend.....

Bottom lines, every part of Oahu (Honolulu County) has history and many points of interest ....

.....and the Waianae Coast is just one of them.

Another Hawaii Relocation tidbit of information that may come in handy if you're relocating to Hawaii and may be sightseeing along the Northwest Shore of Oahu.  

Located right past Keeau Beach Park on the Waianae Coast of Oahu is Makua Cave.  Long before it was "nicknamed" Makua Cave it was known as Kaneana(Ka knee ah na) or better known as the Cave of the Kane(Ka knee or man; male) 

At 150,000 years old and once was underwater...carved by the sea.
Sanding 100 feet high and 450 feet deep we really didn't feel it necessary to walk into the depths of the darkness that enfolded us immediately after passing the mouth of the cave.

Okay. It was  just plain spooky. I heard noises and thought it was bats but it was really little birds who made their nest in the little crevices. Then I smelled something dead. Okay. That was it..time to go!

To continue on with the "legend". For one: In ancient times it was forbidden to enter the Kaneana Cave because this was the home of the shark man of Kaneana.

Okay, so now what? I just read the plaque of the picture I took and am I safe now? I didn't go all the way in. Does that mean I should not have stepped foot in it at all? Oh, geez.

Anyway, as the legend tells it it is a story of a period in ancient times about a "shark-man" that made his home in this cave under the ocean. Kaneana. He would disguise

himself as a man to bait humans into coming into the cave. And for what you ask? Duh. Dinner time!

The alternative story is it was a "shark-woman" Goddess who lured the human into the cave with her charm. And then ate them for .....lunch. (okay I made that part up)

There are smaller tunnels inside the cave that you can venture into but when the cold air from the depths and soul of this cave hit me I thought better of it. Right. If you read correctly earlier, I was afraid before I even got to the mouth of the cave. Remember now, these ancient Hawaiian legends and stuff are not to be messed with. I learned this early on in my life. :)

Gary took this picture with his camera and I tell you what  ... I was really

In any event, it's been years since I went near the cave and it was Gary's first time there. It proved to be an interesting spectacle to look at and just to show you the size of this massive cave here's a picture of the mouth of the cave taken from the inside out. Uh....that's little ant thing is me and beyond is the ocean and faintly you can see the end of the line on this side of the island: Kaena Point.

To get to the Northwest Coast of Oahu follow the H-1 freeway that turns into Farrington Highway. Keep following this highway all the way down the coastline from Nanakuli to Maili, Waianae, Makaha and to Makua Cave and Yokohama Beach.