HAWAI'I WAYS, HAWAI'I DAYS
School year's end signaled summer fun at Honoli'i
By Edwin Lei Kaukali
I remember very well the waters of my beloved Honoli'i Stream, about three miles north of Hilo on the Hamakua Coast. From Hilo Intermediate School days, 1957-1960, I longed for the last day of school and looked forward to the lazy summer ahead to play.
Finally, it arrived and the school bell rang. Many students would walk downtown to the Palace Theatre for a movie and cartoon: a way of celebrating the last day of school. We cheered when another cartoon came on prior to the main feature.
Auwe! Honoli'i Stream keeps calling to me, even to this day, to play. It's a magical place for me. The fragrance of the yellow ginger growing along the bank would permeate the air. The wild guava, banana, 'ulu, purple liliko'i, starfruit and sometimes mountain apple were abundant. After playing and swimming in the river, this was the lunch we shared with friends who also grew up in the area — Anthony, Herkie, Kerry, Dennis, Sammy, Moke, Mike and Reynold. In the middle of the stream, and only at low tide, a large rock would protrude out of the water. We called this vanishing rock "Sun Rock." After playing in the river, we would lie upon it and drink in the sunshine.
We made kickboards and used them to surf at the beach. A few Wainaku kids played there, too. Otherwise, we owned the beach and stream, hardly anyone around except occasionally a few fishermen.
We made spear guns out of wood, clothes pins, rubber bands, bamboo and wire hangers. As each summer came, we improved our spearing skills and equipment and we ventured into the surf. If you speared a papio, you were good.
My father was an avid fisherman and the catch of the day was our meal on the dinner table. Sometimes I would stand on the top of Honoli'i Bridge to help watch for the mullet as he got ready to throw his net from the riverbank. I tried to learn this technique, but I failed, although cousin Herkie learned it well.
Every summer, my father would get a permit to gain access to sugar plantation roads. We would drive the car and go mauka of the Honoli'i Stream. When the location was found, we would have to use knives to cut through the cane field and then climb down the gulch to the stream. There we set bamboo fishing poles with fresh caught 'opae for bait. Next we set out using Hawaiian style nets to catch 'opae to take home. Wi (freshwater hihiwai) was also caught from the stream. Our lunch consisted of rice balls and canned Vienna sausage. Whenever Mike joined us, I was amazed at the delicious lunch his mom always made for him. Thirsty? Well, I just picked a likely spot near the rapids and drank the fresh spring water. Ha!
I learned a lot from this place where I grew up and it was all free. My father taught me many things about this stream, its environment, and also the Hawaiian traditions and etiquette of fishing. I am just happy today to be able to blaze a trail down the gulch to go fishing for aholehole or to swim or just to enjoy the memories it always brings back to me.
Aloha pumehana Honoli'i!
Edwin Kaukali lives in San Francisco but spends part of the year on the Big Island.
Hawai'i Ways, Hawai'i Days is a column of essays by readers on what makes Hawai'i unique. Send your article of 500-600 words to: Hawai'i Ways, Hawai'i Days, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; e-mail islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com; or fax 525-8055. Sending a picture of yourself is optional. Articles and photos submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
Correction: Edwin Lei Kaukali lives in San Francisco but spends part of the year on the Big Island. Other information appeared in a previous version of this column.
