Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wailoa River Reflections, 2



Sleepy river
Tranquil as a dream
Life pulses
Beneath
Reflective beams







The name comes from wai ākea in the Hawaiian Language meaning "broad waters", and applied to the estuary now known as Wailoa River. It stretches for miles and ends at Waiākea-Uka (the area on the slopes of Mauna Loa).
When William Ellis visited in 1823, Waiākea was the main settlement on Hilo Bay. The Waiākea Mission (now called Haili Church) was the first church in eastern Hawaiʻi island, founded in 1824. Several eruptions of Mauna Loa (the most recent in 1984) have threatened the area. Tsunamis devastated Waiākea-Kai (along the coast), with the largest in 1949 and 1960. A clock found in the rubble set to the exact time when it stopped in 1960 serves as a memorial.
(you can see the clock in the first link)
The people who survived Hilo's tsunamis built a memorial to their loved ones near the banks of the Wailoa River in a palm-shaded park. There, also, is a black-and-gold statue of
King Kamehameha the Great-
Wailoa River State Recreation Area (away.com), encompasses 130 acres in downtown Hilo between the city and the Pacific Ocean. The park surrounds the Wailoa River.
The park contains memorials for tsunami victims and Vietnam War veterans, as well as a cultural center. Facilities include a boat ramp, picnic tables, restrooms & information center.


(Wailoa River 1 here)

18 comments:

Mari said...

Thanks for stopping at my blog. Your photos are beautiful!

Lisa (Mountain Photog) said...

That looks like such a beautiful place! You'd never know it had been hit so hard by Tsunamis. The earth is miraculous.

JTG (Misalyn) said...

Great captures Regina. That place really looks like a wonderful place to visit. Lovely reflections of the trees on the water. Lush green environment, so soothing in the eyes.

Thanks for sharing the info. I learned something today. Wish I could visit Hawaii.

Flat Creek Farm said...

Regina, Dreamy-beautiful pictures... ahhh, wish I were there today! Wonderful history this area has as well. Thank you for lifting me out of our midwest fog for a few moments :) -Tammy

Kilauea Poetry said...

Welcome Mari..glad you came to visit-
Thanks MP and Tammy..our climate sure is different for each of us and Misalyn, yours is more hot right? Anyway, hope you have a great day..ha, I'm just getting up)

Anonymous said...

What a lovely place. I would love to visit.

Regina said...

I love to visit this lovely place oneday.
Fresh and so green.
Beautiful photos dear friend.
Nice reflections too.

PS. We have only two season dry and wet.
We are moving to dry from December to June.
Its colder in the evening because of the Siberian wind. January to March is the best weather temperature here.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Thanks and Welcome CambridgeLady..
Wow Regina..that is interesting because the last time you had seem to speak of Summer without a hint of Spring..you said Siberian wind? Well, thanks for letting me know! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend-

Unknown said...

Awesome spots!

Girl Tornado said...

Just stunning, Regina! I regret that I didn't get to the Hilo side of the island back in 2007. I sincerely hope I can visit Hawaii again in the future!!! :)

The Write Girl said...

Beautiful pictures Regina...I am sorry to hear of the natural disasters on the island. My how breathtaking Hawaii is!!

Anonymous said...

very beautiful photography. well done

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

How so poetic of you to express the beautiful river. The photos are really beautiful!

The Day

Calico Crazy said...

It's fun to learn about different places, and your pictures are so gorgeous.

ruma said...

The serenity that Nature hid huge power in.

I sometimes forget it.

Tania said...

Beautiful shots and a great reflections:-)
Have a nice evening!

Kilauea Poetry said...

Thanks to all of you friends for stopping by for this series..I will be visiting you soon- Aloha-

Rune Eide said...

It looks peaceful though it obviously hasn't always been so. Thank you for the info!

Let's be perfectly clear- the war on free speech is spiritual!