The Road to Hana

By Callum Snape

Nestled on the eastern coast of the island of Maui sits a beautiful town called Hana. Seemingly trapped in time, life is slow and relaxing in Hana. The landscape here consists of lush tropical forests, rugged coastlines and a towering volcano called Haleakala.

Perhaps more famous than the town itself, is the road to Hana. It's considered one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Not for the faint hearted drivers or the road sickness sufferers, this road winds its way along the ridges of Haleakala along the coast. You will never drive anywhere with more bends and curves anywhere else in the world! I wanted to fly out to Maui with my Oru Kayak and drive the road to Hana, finding places to kayak along the way.

Despite it's rocky coastline and rough waves, Maui actually has some incredible places to kayak if you're willing to hike a little! I had my eye on one area in particular, the volcanic red sand beach. A twenty minute hike on a narrow unstable trail brings you to this hidden gem that few people visit because of the short challenging terrain you have to navigate over to get there.

Every step along the way brought with it incredible views! Speechless... it was like being on another planet. The rocks absorbed the power of the waves, creating this semi-calm area to kayak and swim in. My favourite part was riding the swell that the crashing waves created.

In between kayak missions and when the weather got gloomy, we hiked some of the beautiful trails off the side of the road, taking us deep in to the forest. Powdery golden sand beaches made the perfect place for a sunset paddle, watching the sun disappear below the horizon in the distance.