Niihau Island - "Forbidden Island" of the Hawaiian archipelago (USA). Jewelery Charm of Magical Niihau Island Niihau Island in Hawaii history

The Hawaiian archipelago consists of several islands. One of the most mysterious and interesting is the island of Niihau. This island is the seventh largest among all the islands of this archipelago, its area is almost one hundred and eighty square kilometers. At the same time, the island is one of the most sparsely populated. On Niihau, according to official figures, only about two hundred and fifty people live. This number of inhabitants is due to the fact that only native Hawaiians can live on the island.

The history of Niihau Island is interesting, so in 1863 Queen Kamehameha IV decided to sell the island and it was acquired by Elizabeth Sinclair, who lived on a neighboring island, for only ten thousand dollars. Subsequently, the heirs, the Robinson family, began to own the island. It is the owners of the island who are trying to preserve the traditions and cultures of the Hawaiian people. At the same time, it is here that the Hawaiian language is not only the first language, but also today the only one.

The main mystery of Niihau Island is that the island is closed, that is, only native Hawaiians or people invited by the inhabitants of the island or members of the Robinson family can visit it. Niihau Island in Hawaii is called the "Forbidden Island", which is how it became known throughout the world. If you do not have an invitation from its inhabitants, you can only see this island from a distance, that is, during a helicopter ride or while snorkeling. You can also take a boat ride near the island, but you cannot approach it up to a certain distance. If you are a snorkeller, you can enjoy the beauty underwater world around the island without the ability to go ashore.

The vegetation of Niihau Island is not as diverse as on the other islands of Hawaii, as the island is rather dry. On the beach of the island you can find shell Leia. This shell has a high value among shell flower collectors. One sink can be valued up to several thousand dollars. The inhabitants of the island mostly work on the ranch of the island's owner, Robinson. Livestock is raised here, fruits and vegetables are grown. Also, the inhabitants of the island are engaged in fishing and hunting. For hunting, they use ropes and nets that they weave with their own hands, spears and knives. At the same time, there are absolutely no shops, cars and hotels on the island. Residents of the island of Niihau travel exclusively on bicycles or on foot.

On clear days with west coast Kauai overlooks a small island. It is only 17 miles away, but for most people in the state, this is the only way to see Niihau Island. He is known as forbidden island in Hawaii, and that nickname fits him perfectly.

Despite being very close to the Kauai resort, Niihau remains surprisingly isolated from the outside world. There are no roads, cars, shops or internet on the island. His sandy beaches seen a lot more wildlife than human footprints. Sleepy Hawaiian monk seals dot the coast, and sharks swim alongside the empty shores. But the island is inhabited by people.

History of the island

When Niihau was bought by the Sinclair family in the 1860s, the inhabitants of the island, known as the Niihauan, were allowed to stay, but access to the island was limited to outsiders. Until now, only niihauans, Robinsons (descendants of a titled family) and invited guests are allowed to be there.

In 1864, King Kamehameha V sold Niihau Island to Sinclair's ancestors for $10,000 worth of gold and reportedly required the family to promise to preserve Niihau's indigenous and unique way of life.

These promises afforded the Nieehauns a luxury that most modern travelers look for in the world: a truly secluded and untouched island.

Modernity

The Niihauans are fiercely protective of their island. In 2013, a group of residents discovered intruders fishing on their coastline. They recorded the attackers on a digital camera and went to court, asking for help in protecting their resources.

There are, however, several sanctioned ways to see Niihau. From here you can go to the coastal waters of Niihau and go snorkelling. Of course, without the opportunity to go ashore. You can also dive into Lehua Crater, a volcanic cone that lies north of Niihau Island.

Is it possible to get to the island?

If you want to go ashore, the Robinsons offer organized tours and hunting safaris, ferrying curious tourists in their private helicopter from Kauai to the backcountry of Niihau. The tour consists of an air tour and then tourists are taken to a remote beach for lunch and snorkeling. Long hunting trips can cost upwards of $1,700 but offer a bit more freedom to move around the island.

The Robinson tours help support Niihau economically, but deliberately avoid contact with local residents. The village remains out of sight to protect the integrity of the Niihauan.

For Bruce Robinson, who is married to a native islander, maintaining Niihau's unique culture and lifestyle is a priority.

In 2013, he gave an interview in which he said that the islanders have "a sense of inner peace and renewal that we do not understand in the outside world. Western culture has lost it, and so have the rest of the islands. The only thing left of him is the island of Niihau in Hawaii."

On the opposite side of the last of the Hawaiian straits, Kualakahi (Kauai Island), another, the last, westernmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a small Niihau, seems to be floating on the sea, but the path there is closed.

On this island, as well as on the very tiny Kahoolave, "foreigners are strictly prohibited from entering."

The two islands are inaccessible to foreigners for various reasons

1. Kahoolawe

The smallest of the eight Hawaiian Islands. It has Lake Halulu, the only lake in Hawaii. The television series "Lost" was filmed here.
The island was killed by soldiers and goats. This small, rather dry piece of land was taken over by two white tenants in the 19th century and began to breed sheep and then goats on it. Insatiable animals in a short time completely destroyed all the vegetation of Kahoolawe, gradually turning it into a real desert with dry, reddish sand.

When the pastures of Kahoolave were exhausted, the island was taken over by the american military aviation and the navy. United States Air Force pilots and United States Navy gunners have been using Kahoolawe as a target for their bombing exercises for decades.
So the island, eaten by goats, was finally devastated. I don’t know if there is any hope that Kahoolawe will ever rise from the “dead” and become like the rest Hawaiian Islands. In any case, it is quite clear why it is strictly forbidden to visit this unfortunate, now so inhospitable island, littered with hundreds and thousands of unexploded bombs, grenades and torpedoes.

And although it is currently still uninhabited and access to it is prohibited, Kahoolawe was returned to the state in 1994. On March 18, 1981, the island was added to the US National Register of Historic Places.
At that time, there were 544 sites of archaeological Kahoolave on the island - the island of rains, which washed its rock down to relic saprolite plateaus, which provided Kahoolawe truly extraterrestrial landscapes that attract trekking lovers to its shores.

2. Niihau

The second of the inaccessible Hawaiian Islands is Niihau.

And, unlike Kahoolawe, this "forbidden island" is in private ownership. That is why visiting the island is strictly limited. The population of the island is 230 people.

I saw him across the Kualakahi Strait, and he did not give the impression of being dead at all. The tragic fate of Kahoolave did not befall him either. Rather, it can be said that rock played a strange joke on the island.

Once upon a time, the entire Niihau became the property of one woman, and under rather unusual circumstances. The woman's name is Elizabeth Sinclair Robinson. She hails from Scotland. This energetic captain's widow successfully raised sheep. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth loaded everything she had on the Betsy sailboat: children, grandchildren, sheep and goats, as well as a piano - a memory of her parents! - and a chest of gold coins. Mrs. Sinclair took the helm of the sailboat and set off on her journey. Yes, even in what! From cold Scotland she headed for the distant warm seas Oceania. At first, the Betsy anchored off the coast of New Zealand, but Mrs. Sinclair decided to cross the entire Pacific Ocean on her ship. In 1863, the Betsy arrived in Honolulu.
The widow of the captain liked the Hawaiian Islands at first sight. In turn, she immediately endeared herself to the then ruler of the archipelago. Deep mutual sympathy formed the basis of the sale of Niihau. Widow Sinclair purchased the entire island for a mere ten thousand dollars!

Moreover, the king offered her the southern coast of Oahu, including the port areas of Honolulu and Waikiki, in addition. However, for this vast territory, the ruler, despite his sympathy for the Scottish woman, demanded fifty thousand dollars. But since, as countless anecdotes say, the Scots are known for being miserly, the price seemed too high to Mrs. Sinclair, and the deal did not take place..

Only a hundred years have passed since then, and the price of this land has increased by at least a million times. And for fifty billion, hardly anyone could buy the famous Waikiki today, not to mention Honolulu with its port. However, for the economical Mrs. Sinclair, the amount of fifty thousand dollars was too much, so she was satisfied with the island of Niihau.

Niihau, view from Kauai

After the death of an enterprising woman, Niihau remained the private property of her family. The Robinsons (surprisingly fitting last name for a Pacific island owner!) are still the owners of this westernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. And, I must say, fortunately. The Robinsons banned visits to Niihau. First of all, in order to protect its inhabitants (only purebred Hawaiians live here) from the fruits of the so-called “civilization”, which are so generously reaped on other islands of this archipelago.

At the time when the enterprising Elizabeth acquired Niihau, the Hawaiians living on it were already converted to Christianity. They dressed "in a Christian way", but in everything else they continued to observe their customs. Nothing has changed since then. The strict ban is still in place, and thanks to it, only purebred Hawaiians live on Niihau today. Everywhere on the island only the Hawaiian language sounds, moreover, its old dialect.

Niihau, located next to Kauai, is the most humid area on earth, suffering - what an irony! - from lack of water. Therefore, the inhabitants of the island do not cultivate the land, but breed sheep (thirty thousand heads), cattle and, in addition, Arabian horses. Such an achievement of civilization as a car, fortunately, did not take root on Niihau: there is not a single car on the entire island! There are no cops here, no jail.

Niihau

The inhabitants of the island completely voluntarily gave up such "joys of life" as alcohol and tobacco (there is only one exception: a foreigner, the director of a local school, the inhabitants of Niihau Island are allowed to smoke cigars in his own office). Niihau has no televisions or a cinema. Until the end of the Second World War, there was not a single telephone and radio! Those receivers that the population uses today are battery operated. Communication with the outside world (that is, in this case with Kauai) until recently was maintained (and this is in the 20th century!) in an absolutely amazing way: signs were transmitted using fires lit on both sides of the strait separating the forbidden island from Kauai. Recent Times marked by some progress in Niihau's relationship with the inhabitants of the neighboring island: messages to Kauai are now sent with carrier pigeons.

This "proud loneliness" of Niihau was broken - fortunately, only for a few short hours - during the war. Fighting in the Pacific broke out, as you know, after a surprise Japanese attack on the Hawaiian Islands - on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. At that time, the Polynesians living on Niihau did not have a single radio. It is not surprising that they had no idea about any bombing of the capital, especially about declaring war.

In turn, the residents of Kauai were so shocked by the news that the radio brought that they forgot to inform their neighbors about what had happened (this could only be done with the help of fire). The news of the war was not long in coming on Niihau. Saving his life and the plane, one of the Japanese pilots who took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor landed on the island. More than once in Hawaii I heard stories about the adventures of this Uninvited Guest Niihau, the first foreigner to enter the forbidden island. In fact, the story that happened to the Japanese on Niihau has already become a legend known throughout the archipelago. I know so many variants of it that I would not even dare to defend the one that seems to me the most truthful and tells about a kind of “battle for Niihau” in full accordance with historical reality.
However, back to the beginning of this amazing story and to its hero - a Japanese pilot, a participant in the treacherous attack on Pearl Harbor. When the fuel ran out, the pilot at the last minute made forced landing on Niihau. During the landing, he lost consciousness. The Hawaiians looked at the intruder with interest and seized his tablet with maps and other documents.
Having come to his senses, the pilot was surprised to find himself on an unknown island belonging to the Americans. He realized that a small area was inhabited only by Polynesians, who at first glance seemed to him very primitive, but decisive creatures: they took away his tablet with documents. The Japanese immediately realized that on the whole island, perhaps, not a single gun, not a single pistol could be found! He, a warrior of the imperial army, had a machine gun in his hands - in this situation, the weapon is very formidable. He demanded:
- Give back the cards, otherwise I will shoot!

However, neither his words nor the gun made any impression on the Hawaiians. Then the pilot put the muzzle of the machine gun to the chest of the old woman, but she calmly began to read a prayer. The Japanese chose a person in the crowd who, as it seemed to him, was probably involved in the theft. The suspect's name was Kanaele. The pilot attacked him with abuse, but Kanaele, like the rest of the Hawaiians, did not understand a word of Japanese. Then the imperial warrior became furious and shot at the disobedient islander. The bullet hit the thigh, but the Polynesian did not move an eyebrow. The pilot fired again and wounded Canaele in the groin. The third shot hit him in the stomach. Only then did the pilot force Kanaele to draw attention to himself. The Hawaiian, grabbing the pilot by the throat, threw him with all his might against the stone wall. The pilot died immediately. What happened to Canaele? Before losing consciousness from the pain, he managed to say:
“Never shoot a Hawaiian more than twice, he might get angry on the third!”

So the inhabitants of the island of Niihau, professing the peaceful philosophy of aloha, won their first victory over the Japanese. After Kanaele smashed the pilot's head against a stone wall, peace reigned on the island again. From that moment to this day, when I write these lines, four decades have passed, and during this time, uninvited guests on Niihau no longer appeared. True, in 1960, another pilot disappeared in this area of \u200b\u200bthe archipelago along with his plane. On this occasion, a carrier pigeon was sent from Kauai to ask if the missing pilot had happened to be on Niihau. The inhabitants of the island sent with the same pigeon a lapidary telegraph-style reply. It contains the whole philosophy on which their existence is based: “There is not a single stranger on the island. We are not waiting for anyone."

Even in our time, when people have already visited the moon, it is impossible to set foot on the land of Niihau. I must say that I took this strict ban especially hard. The fact is that this is not my first book about Hawaii. Many years ago I wrote the story of a young Hawaiian and it was set on this island. As far as I know, this is the only book that takes place on Niihau. Nevertheless, even its author does not have access to it.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the ban on visiting Niihau gives rise to all sorts of legends and rumors about the mysteries of this island. There were always people who, by all means, sought to unravel the secret of the island, to penetrate it in any, often completely incredible way: they sailed here on private submarines or tried to land on the shore in small inflatable boats, but all attempts were unsuccessful. Niihau Island still stubbornly keeps its secret.

However, its solution is not so complicated: the desire to faithfully preserve one's traditions, one's customs, one's language, one's way of life is quite understandable. This "secret" could be adopted from the inhabitants of Niihau by the peoples of some other, much more developed and progressive countries, for there is no loyalty more true than loyalty to oneself.

Niihau

Today, Niihau is still the same ecologically clean island with bicycles and solar panels, inhabited by representatives of the indigenous population. The village of Puuavi is a great place to learn about the ancient culture of the Hawaiians, and the shores of the picturesque Lake Halulu will decorate your stay on Niihau with their beauties.
However, you can only visit the island if you have an invitation from a member of the Robinson family or a native Hawaiian living on Niihau.

/the article uses excerpts from

books by M. Stingl "Enchanted Hawaii"

On this island, as well as on the very tiny Kahoolave, "foreigners are strictly prohibited from entering."

The two islands are inaccessible to foreigners for various reasons

1. Kahoolawe

When the pastures of Kahoolave were exhausted, the island was taken over by the American military aviation and navy. United States Air Force pilots and United States Navy gunners have been using Kahoolawe as a target for their bombing exercises for decades.
So the island, eaten by goats, was finally devastated. I don't know if there is any hope that Kahoolawe will ever rise from the "dead" and become like the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. In any case, it is quite clear why it is strictly forbidden to visit this unfortunate, now so inhospitable island, littered with hundreds and thousands of unexploded bombs, grenades and torpedoes.

2. Niihau

The second of the inaccessible Hawaiian Islands is Niihau.

And, unlike Kahoolawe, this "forbidden island" is in private ownership. That is why visiting the island is strictly limited. The population of the island is 230 people.

Once upon a time, the entire Niihau became the property of one woman, and under rather unusual circumstances. The woman's name is Elizabeth Sinclair Robinson. She hails from Scotland. This energetic captain's widow successfully raised sheep. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth loaded everything she had on the Betsy sailboat: children, grandchildren, sheep and goats, as well as a piano - a memory of her parents! - and a chest of gold coins. Mrs. Sinclair took the helm of the sailboat and set off on her journey. Yes, even in what! From cold Scotland, she headed for the distant warm seas of Oceania. At first, the Betsy anchored off the coast of New Zealand, but Mrs. Sinclair decided to cross the entire Pacific Ocean on her ship. In 1863, the Betsy arrived in Honolulu.
The widow of the captain liked the Hawaiian Islands at first sight. In turn, she immediately endeared herself to the then ruler of the archipelago. Deep mutual sympathy formed the basis of the sale of Niihau. Widow Sinclair purchased the entire island for a mere ten thousand dollars!

Moreover, the king offered her the southern coast of Oahu, including the port areas of Honolulu and Waikiki, in addition. However, for this vast territory, the ruler, despite his sympathy for the Scottish woman, demanded fifty thousand dollars. But since, as countless anecdotes say, the Scots are known for being miserly, the price seemed too high to Mrs. Sinclair, and the deal did not take place..

Niihau, view from Kauai

Niihau, next door to Kauai, the wettest area on earth, is suffering - what an irony! - from lack of water. Therefore, the inhabitants of the island do not cultivate the land, but breed sheep (thirty thousand heads), cattle and, in addition, Arabian horses. Such an achievement of civilization as a car, fortunately, did not take root on Niihau: there is not a single car on the entire island! There are no cops here, no jail.

Niihau

The inhabitants of the island completely voluntarily gave up such "joys of life" as alcohol and tobacco (there is only one exception: a foreigner, the director of a local school, the inhabitants of Niihau Island are allowed to smoke cigars in his own office). Niihau has no televisions or a cinema. Until the end of the Second World War, there was not a single telephone and radio! Those receivers that the population uses today are battery operated. Communication with the outside world (that is, in this case with Kauai) until recently was maintained (and this is in the 20th century!) in an absolutely amazing way: signs were transmitted using fires lit on both sides of the strait separating the forbidden island from Kauai. Recent times are marked by some progress in Niihau's relations with the inhabitants of the neighboring island: messages to Kauai are now sent with carrier pigeons.

In turn, the residents of Kauai were so shocked by the news that the radio brought that they forgot to inform their neighbors about what had happened (this could only be done with the help of fire). The news of the war was not long in coming on Niihau. Saving his life and the plane, one of the Japanese pilots who took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor landed on the island. More than once in Hawaii I heard stories about the adventures of this Uninvited Guest Niihau, the first foreigner to enter the forbidden island. In fact, the story that happened to the Japanese on Niihau has already become a legend known throughout the archipelago. I know so many variants of it that I would not even dare to defend the one that seems to me the most truthful and tells about a kind of “battle for Niihau” in full accordance with historical reality.
However, let's return to the beginning of this amazing story and to its hero - a Japanese pilot, a participant in the treacherous attack on Pearl Harbor. When the fuel ran out, the pilot made a last-minute emergency landing on Niihau. During the landing, he lost consciousness. The Hawaiians looked at the intruder with interest and seized his tablet with maps and other documents.
Having come to his senses, the pilot was surprised to find himself on an unknown island belonging to the Americans. He realized that a small area was inhabited only by Polynesians, who at first glance seemed to him very primitive, but decisive creatures: they took away his tablet with documents. The Japanese immediately realized that on the whole island, perhaps, not a single gun, not a single pistol could be found! He, a warrior of the imperial army, had a machine gun in his hands - in this situation, the weapon is very formidable. He demanded:
- Give back the cards, otherwise I will shoot!

However, neither his words nor the gun made any impression on the Hawaiians. Then the pilot put the muzzle of the machine gun to the chest of the old woman, but she calmly began to read a prayer. The Japanese chose a person in the crowd who, as it seemed to him, was probably involved in the theft. The suspect's name was Kanaele. The pilot attacked him with abuse, but Kanaele, like the rest of the Hawaiians, did not understand a word of Japanese. Then the imperial warrior became furious and shot at the disobedient islander. The bullet hit the thigh, but the Polynesian did not move an eyebrow. The pilot fired again and wounded Canaele in the groin. The third shot hit him in the stomach. Only then did the pilot force Kanaele to draw attention to himself. The Hawaiian, grabbing the pilot by the throat, threw him with all his might against the stone wall. The pilot died immediately. What happened to Canaele? Before losing consciousness from the pain, he managed to say:
“Never shoot a Hawaiian more than twice, he might get angry on the third!”

Niihau

/the article uses excerpts from

books by M. Stingl "Enchanted Hawaii"

Niihau Island is one of inhabited islands Hawaiian archipelago, it is located 29 km northwest of the island of Kauai.

The history of this island is interesting. In 1864, the Hawaiian monarch Kamehameha IV put the island up for sale for $10,000. It was purchased by Scottish Elizabeth Sinclair, who lived next door on the island of Kauai. Currently, Niihau is privately owned by the Robinson family, the heirs of the aforementioned lady.

Niihau is also known as the "Forbidden Island" as entry to the island is by invitation only.

The island is a stronghold of Hawaiian culture, the benefits of civilization are not used here - there are no cars, no shops, no restaurants, no hotels, no paved roads.

About 200 native Hawaiians live on the island, and the Hawaiian language is the main language of communication.

Most of the islanders work on the Robinson family ranch. The main activities of the inhabitants of the island are fishing, hunting, growing vegetables and fruits.

The island is currently open to visitors. Safari tours and exclusive helicopter tours are organized here.

Helicopter tour is designed for half a day. During the helicopter flight to the island, the pilot will tell you about the history of the island, and then land on one of the secluded beaches, where you can sunbathe in the company of a monk seal and swim in warm waters ocean among tropical reef fish.

The safari tour is designed for hunting lovers. Hunters have a unique opportunity to hunt the Polynesian boar and hybrid sheep, and take the trophy with them.

On the island, everyone can buy unique necklaces made from rare shells that can only be found on the beaches of Niihau.

Helicopter tour

duration - half a day

price - 385 $ per person

the minimum number of people is 5.

The tour includes food and drinks.

Safari Tour

duration - 1 day

one hunter - 1750 $ (maximum number - 4)

one observer - 500 $ (maximum number - 3)

rifle rental - $120.

The tour includes: lunch, snacks, soft drinks and juices, a guide, transportation around the island, packing skins and transporting trophies.