The Hawaiian Island of Niihau

Niihau is the smallest in terms of area among all the populated Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of roughly 69.5 square miles and it is on this island that a person could find Lake Halulu, which is the state’s only natural lake.

The entire island of Niihau in Hawaii was previously sold for a mere sum of $10,000. These days, one would not even be able to purchase a house for that little money. During 1863, the monarch back then called King Kamehameha IV placed Niihau up for sale for the said amount. Elizabeth Sinclair, who was a local of the nearby island of Kauai, chose to buy the island and it was said that she decided to purchase Niihau instead of other properties such as Pearl Harbor or Waikiki. At the moment, the Robinson family particularly Keith and Bruce Robinson, who are Elizabeth’s descendants, are the proud owners of this tiny Hawaiian Island. They are dedicated in preserving the island of Niihau and to also uphold the Hawaiian heritage. Nowadays, Niihau is considered as the epitome of the Hawaiian Islands and it is the sole island where Hawaiian is the primary as well as the chief language used.

The island of Niihau is also dubbed as The Mystery Island and The Forbidden Island since people who are not native Hawaiians are not permitted to visit there. This exclusive island could only be visited by kin of the Robinson family, government officials, U.S. Navy personnel, as well as invited guests. These days, there are around 250 native Hawaiian citizens living on the island of Niihau and what is fascinating is that their lifestyle has not changed throughout the years. One would not be able to find any shops or restaurants on Niihau. There are also no paved roads, no cars, no hotels, and even no electricity. Life on this island is truly simple and the only means to travel around here is either by foot or by using a bike.

The lone work available on this island is at the ranch of the Robinson family and this is where most of the locals work by raising some cattle. Of course, they also get their food from the Robinson ranch. Moreover, Niihau’s residents also produce some fruits and vegetables on their own. They also do activities such as fishing as well as hunting using spears, knives, ropes and nets. Their hunting equipment is mostly self-made and they also purchase some tools from the island of Kauai.

This island is really dry so one could not expect to see some tropical and lush landscapes just like the other islands of Hawaii. Instead of the flower leis that are typical with the other Hawaiian Islands, the people of Niihau make some amazing shell leis made from the unique shells that could only be found on the island’s beaches. Because these kinds of shells are truly rare, there are collectors who are prepared to pay a huge amount for the shell lei of Niihau.  http://www.bluehawaiiweddings.com/molokai_package.html

 

Tourists could still  have a close up view of Niihau since there are snorkeling and helicopter tours that are available. Since disembarking on any island beach is not permitted, they would only be allowed to snorkel in one of Niihau’s bays without stepping on the island’s soil.

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