Wailua River State Park
Wailua River State Park and the Wailua Complex of Heiaus, which it includes, are located on the eastern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The park consists primarily of the Wailua River valley, which is the only navigable river in Hawaii. Visitors to this park can kayak, take riverboat cruises and explore the rainforest. Even motorboats and water skiing are permissible on the river.
Wailua Complex of Heiaus
The Wailua Complex of Heiau, a National Historic Landmark, was once the center of chiefly power on the island. It contains the remains of several important structures: places of worship, places of refuge, and sites related to royal births. The historical value of these sites are irreplaceable to the Hawaiian culture. They worked with each other, and other heiau on other islands, such as Puu O Mahuka Heiau on the island of Oahu. The most important sites are:- Hikinaakalā Heiau, which includes the Hauola place of refuge and the Ka Pae Kii Mahu O Wailua ancient petroglyphs, is located at the mouth of the Wailua river adjacent to Lydgate State Park. Legend says that ancient Kauaʻi ruler, Ola, asked the menehune to build this heiau and name it Hauola, after his father's city of refuge in Kekaha, Kauaʻi. It was constructed prior to 1200 AD. This heiau is tied to Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau and other Polynesian islands.
- Malae, also known as Malaea or Makaukiu or Mana Heiau, was a walled and paved luakini heiau totalling a little over two acres. It is currently the largest heiau on Kauai, after the destruction of Kuhiau Heiau at Kalapaki. Kuhiau Heiau had a companion heiau that was used in tandem by Kahuna in its heyday, and so did Malae Heiau. The companion of Malae Heiau was Poliahu Heiau, that sits on a northern bluff across Wailua River.
- Holoholokū Heiau, also known as Kalaeokamanu, adjacent to the pōhaku hoohānau and pōhaku piko, where women of high rank would give birth and bury their afterbirth and umbilical cords. This heiau is the oldest heiau on Kauai, built well before 1200 AD, and was the site of the first sacrifice. Just like Hikinaʻakalā Heiau and Hauola, Holoholokū has associations with other Polynesian islands. Originally included an ancient cemetery and coconut grove for an area totalling over thirteen acres, today it is classified as less than an acre.
- Poliahu Heiau, a walled and paved large luakini heiau, over one acre, high on the narrow ridge between Ōpaekaa Stream and Wailua River. It had a view of other heiau in the complex, and its companion Malae heiau especially, was in plain view. Poliahu Heiau, Wailua Bellstone, Holoholokū Heiau, Pohaku Hoʻohanau, and Pohaku Piko are all in the vicinity of Puʻuki Ridge and are also a part of Poliahu State Park.
- Bellstone, used to announce important events, such as royal births, a royal procession approaching, or war canoes are entering Wailua Bay. It was believed to have been destroyed in ancient Hawaiian times but it was photographed in 1988 by Helene Dunbar.