State finalizes sale of Lumaha'i Beach
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau
HANALEI, Kaua'i — The state has completed the purchase of one of the most famous beaches in the state — the cove at the eastern end of Lumaha'i Beach.
Photo courtesy of The Trust for Public Land
The crescent of white sand served as a backdrop as Mitzi Gaynor sang, "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair," in the movie "South Pacific."
Lumaha'i Beach gained fame as Nurses' Beach in the 1958 movie "South Pacific."
The beach is set off by a lava outcropping that disappears under sand in the summer and becomes an island in the winter surf.
It is backed by a 40-acre forest of pandanus.
The Trust for Public Land acted as an intermediary, helping the Wilcox family, which owned the land, subdivide the beach area from a larger parcel. The trust then arranged its conveyance to the state.
State officials were not available yesterday to provide the financial details surrounding the acquisition.
Although the land leading to the beach, including a steep, narrow dirt trail from the highway to the sand, has been privately owned, it has long been used by the public.
"As much as our family has cherished Lumaha'i Beach over the years, we have long recognized that this beach is important to all the people of Hawai'i," said Pam Dorhman, a member of the Wilcox clan.
The state's motive in taking title to the area is the protection of open space and coastal areas, said Gilbert Coloma-Agaran, head of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, in a news release. There have been no announced plans for development of the area or whether it will be turned into a formal beach park.
