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See the Last Newsletter: January 2005
See the Next Newsletter: March 2005

February 2005 - Volume 3, Issue 2

Welcome to the Altraverse Travel Newsletter. This month, we have a number of features:

We're also looking for articles about places around the globe - if you're a traveler and want to share your experiences, or an innkeeper with intimate knowledge of your area, let us know - we'd love to put you into the next newsletter!

That's it for now - enjoy!

-- Mark & Scott & the Altraverse Staff

Maui, Hawaii Part One: Central and Eastern Maui

Click here for Maui Accommodations on Altraverse.com
http://www.altraverse.com/rg/usa/hawaii/himaui.html

While we lived in Kaua'i for a year, we've never been to Maui before, and it was with great excitement that we looked forward to our first visit to the Valley Isle.

We thought we knew what to expect. "Maui is bigger than Kaua'i." "Maui is more developed than Kaua'i." "Maui is very expensive." "Maui is all strip malls." "Maui is the best of the islands." We heard all of these things from friends and acquaintances in the past. And so we were surprised to find that Maui was all of these things, but also none of these things.

Maui has a bit of a split personality. The island sits in a cluster of five islands in the middle of the Hawaiian Islands chain - Lanai, Molokai, Molokini, Kaho'olawe, and Maui. Each of the outer islands was once part of Maui, but time and erosion have melted away the land bridges or valleys that once connected these five islands. And now the last big valley connects two peaks - Haleakala and Pu'u Kukui - to each other across a wide flat valley filled with sugar cane. More about that later.

But first, let's take each of the myths above and explore them:

Maui is bigger than Kaua'i: Maui is bigger than Kauai, physically - about one and a half times as big. And it has about twice as many people. But most of them are concentrated around Lahaina on the west coast, the south shore, Wailuki/Kahului, and Upcountry, The heart of the west side is utterly uninhabited, filled with steep-walled valleys and magnificent vistas. The center of the island, the valley, is filled with sugarcane, owned by HC&S. And most of the eastern part of the island is taken up by Haleakala, a magnificent 10,000 ft high volcanic peak riven in half by a huge, desolate valley. So although the South Shore (Kihei and Wailua) and Kapahuli have a fair population, there's not a big city on the island, and much of it ls lightly inhabited.

Maui is more developed than Kaua'i: See above. Lahaina is mostly a cute little plantation town, with one major north south street and five exits off the freeway. Wailuku/Kahului is a working town - here you'll find Home Depot, Costco, Kmart, Starbucks, Borders - all the things you may need when on island. Kihei is a quintissential beach town - lots of motels and small rental properties and a Safeway, while nextdoor Wailea is a big resort town with one upscale shopping center. Upcountry is essentially the bedroom community for Kahului/Wailuku. Beyond these areas, you can go for miles without seeing a house or shopping center. And the road to Hana is like the North Shore of Kauai, minus Princeville, and extended about four times the distance - so if you want solitude, Maui may also be the place for you.

Maui is very expensive: Ok, so this one is basically true. It's very easy to spend $50 for lunch at any beachside cafe, and gas here was running $2.68 a gallon for regular. Resort rooms here at the Four Seasons, Fairmont or Grand Wailea can run you $350-$6,500 a night in low season. And there were new, oceanfront condos offered here for $20 Million Dollars... and selling. But you can keep your costs down while visiting. Buy the cheapest gas you can find - it's not your car. Get a copy of 50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants from Watermark Publishing (see our Reads section at the end of this article for more info) and try some of the less expensive restaurants - as a typical rule of thumb, the farther they are from the beach, the cheaper the meals are (of course, do treat yourself to at least a couple really nice meals while you're here - you did come for the ocean views, after all). Take advantage of whatever coupons you can find - Hilo Hattie gives out some of these, as do many of the rental car companies. And pick up some fresh fruit and have it for breakfast in your room, or stay at a place that includes a free breakfast,

Maui is all strip malls: There are many shopping centers here - Kihei has its share of strip malls, and this is probably where Maui gets the reputation. But there's a nice mall in Kahului, and upscale shopping centers in Wailea, Ka'anapali, Ma'alea, and Kapalua, and cute downtown shopping districts in Lahaina and Pa'ia.

Maui is the best of the islands: Well, each island has its plusses and minuses. On the plus side, Maui has some great shows (in Lahaina - reviews below) wonderful restaurants, that small town feeling, and the amenities of a large town (all the basics in Kahului). But Maui also has some areas that are subject to strong winds, a fair amount of traffic in the high season, and high octane prices. If you want a quiet, more natural vacation, consider Kaua'i or the Big Island. For lots of nightlife and a "Los Angeles on an Island" feel, pick Oahu. But if you want world-class resort amenities and a mix of the natural and nightlife, Maui may have the right mix for you.

We'll cover each of the major areas of Maui below - The Hana Road, South Maui, West Maui, Central Maui, and Haleakala, including accommodations we visited and stayed at, restaurants we ate at, and the many activities and sights we took in while on-island.

Thanks to Roxanne and Keli'i at the Maui Visitors Bureau (http://www.visitmaui.com) for helping to set up many of the activites for us on-island.

The Road to Hana

Click On Any Picture To See More

Ok, so there are a lotta myths about the Road to Hana too. Here's the real story.

If you've been to any of the other islands, especially the warm, lush parts, you've seen most of what you'll see on the road to Hana. The drive is absolutely gorgeous, but it is basically a lot of green on a loooong, winding road.

That said, it is probably worth the drive, once. If you can, plan a night in Hana - that'll take the edge off the long drive. But be aware that Hana is the place to go to relax - there are very few shops and restaurants there, so don't expect a fantastic resort atmosphere or a great shopping mall. Just lots of green, lots of ocean, and lots of quiet.

If you start out at Kahului, count on about three hours. Start out really early, or late morning, to avoid the swarms of cars that take this fabled route mid-morning.

On the way, you'll go through Pa'ia, a cute two street plantation town with an eccentric cast of characters. Pa'ia is kind of the Berkeley of the island - a little hippie, a lot colorful. In Pa'ia, there's a great computer cafe called the Livewire Cafe - stop in here to check your email.

Rates are reasonable and they provide the computers, so you don't have to lug a laptop around if you don't want to.

But they also have wifi and ethernet plug-ins, so if you need your laptop, you can connect here with it as well.

Where to Eat

Jacques

120 Hana Highway, Paia, 808-579-8844

Also here is Jacques - half sushi bar, half open-air restaurant. The decor here is beach-kitsch - and it affords great people watching. The food was good, and reasonably priced - this is a good choice if you're in Pa'ia, or in Haiku or Huelo Point and want something good, close.

What to See

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm

1100 Waipoli Rd., Kula, 808-878-3004

Not technically on the Road to Hana, but above Paia in Kula, the Lavender Farm has 312 varieties of lavender, and is well worth a stop. Also offers many lavender products for sale - a unique gift to take back home to family and friends.

On past Pa'ia, and you start to pass out of town and into the jungle. You'll pass the outskirts of Haiku, and bit by bit the houses start to drop away. Huelo Point is probably the last of the little inhabited areas (though there are pockets of houses here and there on the way from here to Hana).

After Huelo Point, there's little in the way of civilization. If you get the Maui Revealed book from Wizard Publications (more info at the end of this article) youll get the skinny on all kinds of natural wonders you can see on the way from here to Hana. But we'll cover just a few here:

What to See

Ke'anae Peninsula

The first is Ke'anae Peninsula. This flat peninsula is visible from the highway, and is accessible via a narrow road that leads down to sea level. This is the rough end of a historically recent lava flow. The story here is that one of the Hawaiian Chiefs had his people cart down dirt by hand to the peninsula to make it suitable for living and farming.

The peninsula today is home to a small community - the original town was demolished in the early 19th century by a tidal wave in 1946, except for a small stone church that still stands in the middle of a green field.

The waves here crash upon the black rocks in a powerful rhythm, sending up huge streamers of sea spume. This was one of the most awesome sights we found on the entire Eastern Coast - and maybe on the whole island. The sound of the surf, the feel of the sea spray on your skin, just the sense you get here of the power of the sea - it's well worth the stop.

Also found here is the best Banana Bread on the Eastern Coast - at the Ke'anae Landing Fruit Stand. Served warm, it's a little slice of heaven. Banana Bread seems to be a BIG THING on Maui - why, we can't say, except they gotta do something with all those Bananas. Chalk it up to another Islands mystery.

Wailua Valley State Wayside

A little ways past the Peninsula turnout, we stopped at the Wailua Valley State Wayside (just before the 19 mile marker) - here you'll find great views of the land and water below, and the Ko'olau Gap above, one of three erosion valleys that descend from the Haleakela Crater above.

There's a short staircase that climbs up to the lookout point. The parking lot is small and there's not a lot of visibility around the turn on the highway, so if you can, turn the car around when you park here so you can easily enter the highway again.

Nahiku

A little farther on, another turn-off takes you to Nahiku - what our Maui guidebook described as the place plants go when they die. It's lush and beautiful, but to our minds not so much more so than the main highway that it's worth the extra drive. The narrow road winds all the way down to the beach at a nice enough spot, but if you're already getting tired of driving the highway, you can safely skip this turn-off.

Keep in mind that you're sharing the road with lots of tour buses, and they make frequent spots - some of the best little places along the way may be (or may be about to be) swarming with other tourists.

Eventually, we reached Hana itself. Hana is a small town with just two main streets, and there's little here besides a couple restaurants, a few inns, and some nice beaches - oh, and lots and lots of green. There's a really nice little tropical hotel resort here, not listed on Purple Roofs, but they have a restaurant with a great view, and it's a good place to stop for breakfast or lunch before starting back (or continuing on around the island).

Past Hana are the seven sacred ponds and the edge of Haleakala National Park where it comes down from the mountain thru the Kipahulu Gap - we didn't stop here, but were interested to hear that Charles Lindburgh was buried here, in a private ceremony with just a few family and friends as onlookers.

On past Kipahulu, the road narrows and runs about 10 miles as a gravel and then often patched single lane paved road. At worst, it's a twisty, narrow gravel and firm dirt trek around blind corners close to sea level, but that's a fairly short span. For the rest, it's just mostly bumpy. This is the faster way back, and takes you through the drier south side of Haleakela. If you're lucky, look north around mile marker 40 and you'll see a tropical valley with lots of waterfalls.

As you enter the drier area, you'll find a very different Hawaii - it has a harsh beauty that's hard to describe. There are few "sights" here, but it's an amazing place nonetheless. You'll see a lava arch, an erroding gully filled with lava rocks, wide open expandes of wind-eroded cliffs, and an amazing emptiness - other than a couple other cars, the only civilization we saw was a little jewelry stand on the side of the road, and even that was before we reached the drier part of the drive.

Eventually the road swings around the southwest corner of Haleakala, and turns northward into Upcountry Maui. At this point, you're just a couple miles from the South Shore resorts, but there is no road connecting the two. This struck us as one of the strangest things about Maui - they have a very innefficient highway system. Everything runs through Kahului up on the north shore - to get from anywhere to anywhere, you usually have to pass by the airport.

In this case, there's a landowner who owns a lot of property between the shore and upcountry. The owner once allowed access across their land, by way of a private road that connected the two highways. But liability issues forced them to close the road, so now you have to drive about 20 miles north, then another 20 south, to traverse the two mile or so distance between the highways. In a way, this is probably a blessing, as it limits development of this area of the island. But it's a little maddening to be able to see the place you want to go right in front of you, and then have to detour 40 miles to get there. :::think good Hawaiian thoughts... think good Hawaiian thoughts:::

Driving north, you'll pass through Keokea, Kula, and Pukalani - we didn't spend much time up here, but the Maui Revealed book will clue you in to things to do in the middle of Maui.

Haleakala

Another long drive on Maui is the road up to the Summit of Haleakela. There are many myths and stories told about this place - this is where Maui lassoed the sun to slow it down and extend he length of the day for the Hawaiians.

From Kahului, allow a couple hours to make it from the sea to the 10,000 foot summit. Wear long pants, socks and shoes and a sweater or jacket - we went up on a warm day, and it was probably in the mid forties at the summit. Also take lots of water, as it is easy to dehydrate at that altitude, and also take sunscreen - you burn a lot faster too at 10,000 feet.

There are several companies that offer biking tours from the top - they haul you up, and you ride down. But beware, as these rides are not for the faint of heart - you ride at about 20 mph, and many turns don't have guard rails. You also won't see much of the scenery (tho the tours do stop at several spots coming down the mountain) because you'll be busy watching the road ahead of you. As a driver, be aware that these tours start early, and come down at about 10 minute intervals.

We also saw a horseback tour at the top of the mountain.

There are several endangered species to be aware of here - the Nene is a descendent of the Canadian Goose, but is flightless, and is an accomplished beggar. They also have very little fear of humans, so do not feed them - this will only encourage them to frequent the places where people stop to see the views. And, unfortunately for the Nene, they're not particularly bright, and have often been run over by cars as they back up out of the parking lots up here, so be very careful.

There's also the silver sword, another mainland plant that evolved here in Hawaii - these look like yucca plants - small succulents with a silver sheen. These bloom just once in 50 years, and then die, and were almost harvested to extinction i if you see one in bloom, consider yourself lucky - we saw two. There's not a very large fine for harming one of these endangered plants.

The drive up the mountain starts at the Haleakela Crater Highway in Kula - from here, the road traverses the mountain side in a series of switchbacks covering about 20 miles.

Leleiwi Lookout

There are many turnouts where you can see spectacular views of the valley below, West Maui, and the four neighbor islands in the distance. But the hands-down best place to stop is the Leleiwi Lookout - there's a full parking lot here. Park the car, and then (carefully) cross the highway at the crosswalk. You can see clearly up and down the highway, so you should have ample notice of any approaching cars.

The trail is not paved, but is well maintained, and as you drop below the road level, you may notice something you're probably unaccustomed to - absolute silence. When there are no cars passing by above, the trail can be astoundingly quiet - you don't realize how much white noise there is around you all the time until you find a place like this.

Follow the trail around the hillside and take some great pictures of the valley below. But save some film for the view as you cross over from the valley to the crater side. All at once, the whole central crater is laid out before you.

There's a sheltered lookout here, but you can also step around it to see the unfiltered view. The landscape below you is so stark and desolate, it's hard to reconcile it with the Hana Highway that rings this mountain crater.

Thanks again to the Maui Revealed book - it told us the story of the formation of this natural wonder. The dormant volcanic peak eroded into several valleys over thousands of years, eventually meeting one another in the middle and splitting the original mountain in half. Then the mountain awoke, and lava flows filled up these central valleys, building them up into a wide, flatter valley inbetween the two ridges. You can still clearly see one of the last lava flows from this vantage point - a stark, black river against the volcanic sands around it.

The valley has little to no plant life, just harsh volcanic flows, cliffs, and softer dunes of volcanic sand in reds, greys and blacks - it reminds you of nothing so much as a place on another planet - perhaps Mars.

Shortly after this you'll enter the park itself - theres a $10 entrance fee, good for a week, if there's an attendant there to collect it. There's a visitor's center just inside the park with restrooms; there's another three miles farther up the road with better views, and a small gift shop with books for sale about the mountain and Maui in general.

Just before you reach the second visitor center, you'll see an observatory perched on the edge of the mountain. This is Science City, and while it's not open to the public, you can find more info on it here.

We stopped at the second visitor's center, and the views here were also impressive - looking down the valley instead of up it. We also saw a horse riding tour readying to depart here. And there are cabins to rent down in the crater itself, but they are assigned by lottery, so contact the Park Service early.

As we drove the last mile or so from here to the summit, the clouds started to race in across the top of the mountain, and it seemed to drop another 10 degrees or so in temerature.

The summit (at 10,023 feet) is accessible from the parking lot by both an ascending staircase and by a long ramp suitable for wheelchairs. There's nothing at the top but a viewing room and a handrail-protected loop, but the views are enough.

Coming back down from the summit, take your time - it may be tempting to rush back down the hill to get to the next thing, but remember two things - the switchbacks can be extremely dangerous at highjer speeds, and you're on aloha time - slow down. Otherwise, you may do a Thelma and Louise re-enactment, but without the accompanying fame and cultural icon status.

Central Valley

Every one of the major islands in Hawaii needs a place that has all the practical things - groceries, furniture stores, hardware stores, and everyting else folks living here need in their day-to-day lives. Wailuku and Kahului provide these things. As the county seat, Wailuku has the government buildings, and Kahului has Home Depot, Costco, Kmart, Starbucks, Borders Books, the Mall, and the airport.

You'll see a lot of Kahului as you criss-cross the island, because all the highways converge either here or at the southern end of this Central Valley. As mentioned above, most of the valley is taken up by the sugar plantation. Wailuku and Kahului hug the north shore, though neither makes particularly good use of their waterside location. The Sugar Plantation also burns the cane fields periodically - they set fire to a field to clear off all the extra plant matter, then harvest the sugar cane that's left behind. This is a bit messy, and much of the central valley is covered in smoke for a few hours - if this happens, flee to the south, east or west to get out of the smoky air, but don't worry - it clears fairly quickly.

The Maui Tropical Plantation is also here, nestled against the West Maui mountains overlooking the central valley - more information below.

This is also where the cruise ships dock for the interisland cruises.

Where to Shop

Kahului and Wailuku Shopping

We spent relatively little time in Kahului and Wailuku. We frequented the Dairy Road Starbucks (one of seven on-island - there are two here, two in Lahaina, two in Kihei, and one more somewhere else in a Foodland grocery store), and we stopped by the Queen Kaahumanu mall. It's a nice clean mall, two story in part but with an outdoor feel - the "roof" is a series of tents that let in the outside breezes. The best thing about the mall is the performances that take place in the central courtyard. Come at the right time and you can see free hula dancing on the stage there. Check here for an events schedule.

There's also a Mailboxes Etc. store at the corner of Dairy Road and the Hana Highway that's handy for shipping back home all those little things you bought on-island - but be aware that there's no "ground" shipping from Hawaii - you can ship air top the mainland and then ground from there via UPS, which is a little cheaper, but a single box cost us $75 to send home. You might be better off packing an empty duffle bag that you can then take home full as a carry-on.

There's a Safeway here (there's also one in Kihei at the Piilani Highway and Pi'ikea Rd. and one at the Lahina Cannery center) - stock up on snacks and drinks for your room.

On the south side of the central valley, where West Maui meets the valley at the ocean shore, Ma'alaea Village sits on a natural harbor, and there's a small shopping center here, along with the Maui Ocean Center (see below).

Island Soap & Candle Works

Ma'alaea Ocean Center, Ma'alaea, 800-300-6067

http://www.handmade-soap.com/store_maui.html

One of our favorite Hawaiian stores, these stortes can be found on most if not all of the major islands. We had one in Kilauea, just a few milles from our home on Kauai. They have a great selection of tropical soaps and candles, and very friendly staff. They can ship for you, or you can take their delectable scents with you on the plane home. There are a few other shops in this center, along with the Ma'alaea Grill (see review below).

Where to Eat

Manana Garage

33 Lono Ave, Kahului, 808-873-0220

We did have dinner here at a great little restaurant called Manana Garage (that's actually a Spanish word - threw us off a bit too at first <grin> with Keli'i from the Maui Visitors bureau, and Jim, his partner. It's a cute industrial-looking restaurant with a great menu - serving nuevo Latino cuisine, and we highly recommend it. No view, but reasonable prices, fun atmosphere, and great food.

Ma'alaea Grill

Maalea Ocean Center, Maalea, 808-243-2206

Our friends at Maui Sunseeker took us to dinner at this ocean-front restaurant, and we were extremely pleased. The food was terrific, the staff was a kick, and the view across the water to Kihei and Wailea was fantastic. A great place to eat when staying in Kihei, Wailuku or Ma'alaea.


What to See

Iao Valley

One of the most spectacular natural sights on Maui, and also one of the easiest to get to, is the Iao Valley Needle. Drive up Main Street in Wailuku towards the west Maui Mountains. As you pass out of town, watch for the split in the road, and take the right-hand fork. Another couple miles will bring you to the park parking lot.

This valley you find yourself in, with its majestic steep walls and amazing shades of green, was the sight of one of the bloodiest battles in Maui's history. King Kamehameha The Great, determined to conquer all the Hawaiian islands and bring them under central rule, landed in the central valley below, and battled up into the valley with the local warriors. Thousands were killed, damming the stream waters with their bodies.

Kamehameha chose this difficult approach to what is now Lahaina (on the far side of the mountains) because of it's spiritual importance. New things start in the east, and it was important to approach and take Lahaina from that direction.

This valley and the one on the Lahaina side also have an important place in Hawaiian mythology. Iao Needle is seen as the male member, while a valley on the Lahaina side is the female, and the space between is a mystical region where the powers of male and female mix.

The needle is actually the end of a long, thin ridge. The hike from the parking lot may seem a little daunting - the sign says it takes half an hour, but you'll actually make it to the end in 5-10 minutes, and half an hour will allow you to explore most of the site.

You may encounter a Hawaiian at a bridge here who will dive for a small payment into the pool below - we didn't pay him, but someone else did, and it made for a kewl shot.

You'll also see many wild house cats here - when we came up the valley the first time, they were clustered under a tree on the side of the road in what can only be described as a pride.

Maui Tropical Plantation

1670 Honopiilani Hwy, Waikapu, 808-244-7643, 800-451-6805
http://www.mauitropicalplantation.com

Off the Honoapi'ilani Highway (Hwy 30) in the Central Valley, just south of Wailuku and nestled against the mountains of West Maui, is the Maui Tropical Plantation. On 60 acres of land, the plantation offers a wide variety of tropical fruits, snacks and other items for sale at their huge country store. They can also ship your purchases home for you.

Behind the store are the gardens themselves. A broad lawn stretches away from the building to several walkable acres of tropical plants, a beautiful lagoon, and a nice restaurant (the Waikapu Grill) with beautiful lagoon views.

But the real draw here is the tram tour. The tram takes you in a loop through the working parts of the plantation, and the guide explains the various fruit and flower plants you see along the way. The plantation grows an amazing variety of tropical plants, including Sugarcane, Heliconia, Ti Leaf, Starfruit, Coffee, Papaya, Bananas, Taro, Mango, Guava, Macadamia Nuts, and more. Who knew pineapples grew on the ground, or that a ton of water is required to produce a single pound of sugar?

By far the best part of the tour is the demonstration about halfway through. Your guide starts with a whole coconut, and uses a sharp metal spike to pry the outer hull of the coconut, explaining as she does how the Hawaiians utilized the coconut in their daily lives, using every part for something.

It was amazing to watch as she strategically used the spike to shred the heavy outer casing, then cracked the inner "nut" apart to reveal the coconut meat.

Entrance is free, but the tram tour costs a small fee. The tram departs on average every 45 minutes.

Maui Ocean Center

192 Ma'alaea Rd., Ma'alaea, 808-270-7000
http://www.mauioceancenter.com/home.html

A fantastic place to spend a morning or an afternoon is the Maui Ocean Center. Although relatively small, this aquarium is very well done and laid out. There are a few outdoor displays, including hammerhead sharks, a tide pool, and sea turtles, but this is one of the windier parts of the island, and thankfully there are some terrific indoor displays as well.

Pick up an audio tour (just $2 at the front desk) and use it to get more information about each of the displays as you go.

The largest display, the 750,000 gallon Open Ocean Exhibit features a huge wall of windows and a seatring area - a diver periodically comes to the window and gives the gathered visitors some first-hand information on the fish in this huge tank. There are sharks, multicolored tropical fish, and several different varieties of sea rays. The rays were what fascinated us the most - they're so graceful as they glide through the blue water. Fans of Finding Nemo will recognize the Spotted Eagle Ray.

There were strange snake eels that attached themselves to the aquarium floor and swayed eerily in the current like an animal version of seaweed. There were beautiful, translucent jellyfish that swarmed in one tank, gently undulating up and down through the water. And there were Humuhumunukunukuapuaa - formerly the Hawaiian State Fish (apparently the legislature can't agree on an extension of this fish's title - must have more important issues to legislate).

You exit this exhibit vis a glass tunnel that fills your whole world with the prismatic blue waters of the aquarium. It's truly an amazing experience to walk down this tube while sharks, rays and fish glide past and over you.

All of the marine life here is from the Hawaiian Islands region, and all tanks have below-water views for great viewing.

The glass in the tanks is specially polarized to allow flash pictures - you'll get better results this way.

This was one of our favorite Maui attractions, and is well worth the time. Tickets are currently $20 for adults, $13 for children and $17 for seniors.

What to Read

Here are a few resources we found helpful during our visit to Maui. Please remember that the advice in these resources is AYOR - use caution when visiting the harder-to-reach parts of the island, and respect property owners' rights.

Maui Revealed

http://www.wizardpub.com/

One of the Wizard Publications books about the Hawaiian Islands. We've loved these guidebooks ever since we used the Kauai book for our first trip to the island. Wizard is a local outfit based in Kauai, and their books are full of color photos and are extremely easy to flip through and find great things to do. They also seem to have the skinny on all the secret spots on the island, and the book is full of detailed maps that show everything in relation to mile markers along the highways - a definite help when trying to find some of the out-of-the-way places.

Get a copy of this book and read through it before your Maui trip - then take it and use it religiously on the road. A must-have.

50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants

http://www.watermarkpublishing.net/catalog.html#thrifty

A great guide to some of the less expensive (and often lesser known) places to eat on Maui.








The Ready Mapbook of Maui County

http://www.geckofarms.com/hawaiimaps/MauiOverview.htm

Kind of a Thomas Guide to Maui - this book shows the island's streets in terrific detail - great if you need to get around some of Maui's back roads.






Maui Visitors Bureau

http://www.visitmaui.com/

These folks were hugely helpful to us in setting up a number of the tours and events we were able to enjoy while on-island. Check their website for great Maui info, and don't hesitate to email them if you have any questions about the Valley Isle.

The Tweed - Jewel in the Crown of the Northern Rivers Rsfion on the Far North Coast of NSW, Australia
by Clive & Tracy Parker, Hillcrest Mountain View Retreat
Email Hillcrest | Visit the Hillcrest Website

Nestled up against the NSW/Queensland Border and stretching down the coast and hinterland,  the Tweed is frequently overlooked as people travel the Highway from the Gold Coast to Byron Shire. This is a huge mistake, for the Tweed boasts unsurpassed beauty with the largest sub-tropical rainforest remnant and the biggest extinct shield volcano in the world ~ ok so the Hawaiians think they have a bigger one, but as most of theirs is under-water you tell me, does that really count? Many of the beautiful posters you find promoting the rainforests in other parts of Australia, were in fact taken in one of the World Heritage Listed National Parks in the Tweed Shire. You’ve seen the adverts promoting Byron Bay as being close to Mt Warning? Well Mt Warning is actually in the centre of the Tweed Shire, a good 45 minutes drive from Byron and away from the overcrowding of that more well-publicised destination.

From the Tweed coastal region ~ an unspoiled 37 km strip of pristine beach, dotted with small towns offering a range of eateries and resorts ~ to the beautiful hinterland valleys and mountains with quaint villages, sidewalk cafés, galleries, arts and crafts, the Tweed has something to satisfy all tastes and pockets.

The Tweed is the most bio-diverse region in Australia, with cultural diversity and a terrific climate ~ the summer mean temperature range is 18 to 30C and winter is a marvellous experience with mean temperatures ranging from 7 to 22C, which means log fires at night and t-shirts and shorts during the day. 

The Tweed is home to five World Heritage listed National Parks, including the famous Mt Warning ~ the eroded central chamber of the world’s largest extinct shield volcano and the place where the dawn sun first touches Australia. You can marvel at pre-historic rainforests with rivers and creeks meandering through lush green valleys, relax on pristine beaches, enjoy galleries, villages and all manner of activities, from golf and guided rainforest tours, to horse-riding and scenic joy-flights for the more energetic.

Visitors from Sydney or Melbourne take a 1 hour flight to Gold Coast airport and hire a car for total freedom to enjoy the area.  From Brisbane the Tweed is a 90 minute drive South.  As you take the Tweed Valley Way turnoff on the Highway from the Gold Coast to Murwillumbah, you’ll know that you’re nearing your destination when you see Mt Warning towering over the cane fields that line the road.  Named Wollumbin, meaning “Cloud Catcher” by the Bundjalung people who lived in the area before European settlement, it stands like a huge reminder that we’re nearing the hub of the Tweed Shire.

Just off Tweed Valley Way, nestled in a small park by the Tweed River is the Murwillumbah Rainforest and Information Centre.  It’s here you learn Murwillumbah means “place of many possums" and find a fascinating display of how the erupting volcano formed the area’s unique topography. 

A short drive across the bridge and you’re in the centre of Murwillumbah, a picturesque town that spreads along the western bank of the Tweed River and up into the hills of the McPherson Ranges.  Surrounded, as it is, by the rim of the volcano and bordering the Tweed River, you can’t help but notice that almost every street has magnificent mountain, river and valley views.  

Murwillumbah is a place where the lifestyle is relaxed and informal, the people friendly and welcoming and a perfect place to stop for lunch.  You can choose from one of the many al fresco cafés and restaurants in town, or maybe you’d prefer to dine at one of the several pubs and clubs.  Whichever you choose, your meal is bound to include fresh, local produce as well as a friendly chat on the best places to visit during your stay.

As well as pristine rainforests, impressive mountains and beautiful countryside, the Tweed is a haven for local craftspeople and you’ll enjoy discovering the many galleries and craft shops which display their wares in the various picturesque villages dotted around the hinterland. Try to find time to visit the new multi-million dollar art gallery. Just 2 minutes south of Murwillumbah, the art gallery is home to the richest portrait prize in Australia, the Doug Moran prize.  Later on you can dine at one of the local restaurants, have a flutter at one of the regular thoroughbred race-days at Murwillumbah Race Track, visit the Tweed Coast for some of Australia’s best beaches, enjoy one-day river and rainforest cruises ~ or catch your own crab lunch with Catch-a-Crab tours, browse the various regular local markets, or just relax at your chosen accommodation with a good book.

Golfers will enjoy a round at beautiful Murwillumbah Championship Golf Course, arguably one of the finest in Australia. Close to Mt Warning National Park, the towering mountain peak is ever-present as you traverse the spectacular layout.  The natural beauty and serenity of the course has to be experienced to be believed and no keen golfer should miss the opportunity to play here.

 Whatever your choice of holiday, whether you’re looking for a romantic and peaceful getaway with spectacular views to the mountains, to be tucked deep in the forest, a fishing and boating holiday, family fun or somewhere to take a large group for on-site activities you’re bound to agree that the Tweed is the undiscovered jewel in the crown of the beautiful Northern Rivers area.

Only 10 minutes from the Golf Club, you’ll find Hillcrest Mountain View Retreat.  Perched atop a hill on 5 landscaped acres, surrounded by the rolling hills of a 200 acre farm, Hillcrest enjoys panoramic views from Mt. Warning in one direction to the rainforests of Springbrook Ranges in the other. Multi Tourism Award-winning Hillcrest offers a choice of accommodation types ~ two air-conditioned bed and breakfast suites, one with luxury double spa, in a private guest wing of the main residence, or a completely separate, fully self-contained cottage set in it’s own secret garden.

An oasis of peace and privacy, everything at Hillcrest has been chosen with guest enjoyment in mind, from comfortable air-conditioned rooms with every imaginable convenience and solar heating for the large salt-water swimming pool, to huge breakfasts with home-made bread and their own free range eggs, from complimentary port in the evenings, to extensive on-site tourist information. Rated 41⁄2 Stars, Hillcrest specialises in quiet and peaceful getaways for couples of all ages, so does not cater for children or pets. For more information call Hillcrest on (02) 6679 1023 or visit their website at www.hillcrestbb.com.

These accommodations have great full page previews on the Altraverse site - click on Details or any picture for more information. Innkeepers - to be included in his section, sign up for an Expanded Listing on the site - see http://www.altraverse.com/mn/ik/expandedlisting.html for more info.

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