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Nā Kalai Waʻa Sites

Nā Kālai Waʻa owns, leases or manages several sites along the Kohala/Kona coast. These sites are used for Nā KālaiWaʻa and Community programs.  Here is a list of our sites and their accessibility.

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Hale Hōʻea is a ten-acre parcel of land located in Hāwī, Kohala. It has been donated to Nā Kālai Waʻa by Kimball Smith, a long time resident of North Kohala. The donation was made to Nā Kālai Waʻa because of its dedication to the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture and land stewardship in Hawaiʻi.  Hale Hōʻea is currently being developed to be a community resource center.  The two-bedroom house is currently used for educational gatherings along with a Quonset hut that is used as a workshop.

Hale Hōʻea - Hāwī, Kohala

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Māhukona is a significant land area for navigation practices. It is around this area that the winds shift from the heavy channel winds to lighter leeward breezes.  Although this wind line can be found as far north as ʻUpolu Point or as far south as Puanui ahupuaʻa, just north of Kawaihae, it is most commonly found around this area of Māhukona. There are several significant sites in this area that are managed through the partnership of the Solomon family, the Friends of Kohala Preservation as well as the

Nā Kālai Waʻa Organization.

Māhukona, Kohala

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Koʻa Holomoana is a navigational heiau located on the bluffs of Kamanō bay in Māhukona. It is a cultural piko for our organization and the beginning and end of every voyage that the organization makes. Caretaking for this site has been shared with the Solomon family, lineal descendants of the heiau, Friends of Kohala Preservation as well as the Nā Kālai Waʻa organization.

Access to the site is gained through the Nā Kālai Waʻa organization, the Surety Kohala Management Office or directly with the family.

Koʻa Holomoana - Māhukona, Kohala

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Hale Pāpaʻi is a small resource structure built on the southern end of Kamanō bay, where it’s panoramic views include Koʻa Holomoana heiau. The hale was dedicated to the Solomon family as the caretakers of the area. I was built with materials that closely resembled natural materials for house construction found in Hawaiʻi. This is meant to minimize the visual impact of this building on the surrounding cultural sites.  Hale Pāpaʻi is used as a community resource site for activities focused on Koʻa Holomoana heiau and surrounding areas and is not available to the public for camping.

Hale Pāpaʻi - Māhukona, Kohala

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The Māhukona Warehouse is a large industrial-sized structure located just off the remnants of the old railway and pier system in Māhukona bay.  The warehouse currently houses our escort vessel, maintenance projects, and drydock space for Makaliʻi.  It is a shared space with Surety Kohala Corporations' work projects. 

Warehouse - Māhukona, Kona

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The Railway Station was constructed to facilitate the rail system that ran from Māhukona all the way into Niuliʻi, Kohala loko. It has been added to the National Register of Historic Sites because of its historic significance to Kohala’s Historic Sugar Production.  The Station housed many educational programs at one time for Nā Kalai Waʻa but has mostly been in disuse since the 2006 Puakō earthquake. 

Railway Station - Māhukona, Kona

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Hālau Kukui was originally constructed for a T.V. series in the 1990s. Nā Kālai Waʻa leases this property and structure to house the majority of their programs from dry dock work on vessels to facilitating education and community programs. 

Hālau Kukui - Kawaihae, Kohala

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Our star compass and hālau waʻa are being relocated to Kalaemano.

Shorty Bertelmann is leading this transition and reports that “everything is going pretty smooth so far, considering all that’s involved with partnerships and construction challenges at this new site.” The star

compass has been installed and the canoe house is scheduled to sit alongside the star compass at the new location.  County construction permits, which entailed a massive amount of engineering calculations and fire regulations, have been approved and Shorty will be monitoring the progress of the construction.  All of the material for the hale are on site and construction will take at least of couple of months to finish.

Star Compass at Kalaimano Interpretive Center - Kalaimano Kona

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