| Goat
Island has three beaches on its untrammeled shores. The first,
toward the right of the welcome sign as you come ashore,
faces south along the Oahu shore. It is sandy and narrow; at its eastern
end the shore bottom is sandy with some rocky places. At the western end,
there is submerged reef. The second beach is adjacent to it on the open
ocean side of the point that divides them. It has a very rocky shore
in winter, but a nice, sandy, often windy upper beach, away from the
water.
The third beach --and best of the lot-- is an
Eden-like, first rate, sandy beach known as MOKUAUIA. It faces the
shore to the north, and lies to the left of the welcome sign
as you come ashore. Efficiently protected from ocean waves by a prominent
barrier point, the shore bottom is sandy and gradually sloping. The beach
itself is clean, white and free of rocks. Its an ideal and placid place
for a solitary swim. Goat Island is reachable by foot at low tide by
walking over the reef that extends from Cooke's Point to the point
of Goat Island that extends closest to shore. You can see the
welcome sign from shore: head toward it. Check your tide table printed in
the daily paper. Wear old sneakers to protect feet from coral cuts, and
please, leave nothing behind on the island.
Easier than wading, though, is to paddle or float
over on an inflatable beach mat, raft, inner tube, surfboard, belly board
or kayak. The first few times we made this trip, we were lucky to be
blessed with relatively placid conditions. The last two times though were
rougher. Waves hit us from both sides, left and right, as we made our way,
making keeping our footing difficult on the rocky bottom. The ABC Stores's
that are located all over Waikiki have good prices on these inflatables.
Look for coupons and specials in the free visitor magazines available at
kiosks on Waikiki streets. If unsure, talk about conditions with those on
the beach who are about to head over to, or are just returning from, Goat
Island.
The area known as Maleakahana Park KAHUKU
is located northward from Cooke's point, if you're on the beach, or north
along the Kam Highway after the entrance to Malaekahana State Park. Large,
spacious tent cabins have been built and are available for rent for
phenomenally low prices....$35.00 per night for up to 6 people...but there
may be quite a waiting list. Beach houses, a couple with 3 bedrooms that
sleep 10, are $60.00 a night. Camping permits for tent spaces are $5.00.
This location is unparalleled for beauty, but in
our guidebook, Driving & Discovering Oahu, we wrote that
the cabins were a disgrace, and indeed they were as of that writing. But
now, the Friends of Malaekahana have done a wonderful renovation
of the area, including extensive plantings of trees and flowers, hot water
outdoor night-lit showers and the addition of the aforementioned tent
cabins. |
