Mahalo to Cisco for inviting and picking up the admission for Analyn and myself to a semi-guided tour of the backlot of Hawaii. Paradise is not free anymore.

Kualoa Ranch

We joined the teeming crowd of over a hundred hikers from the Hawaii Hiking Group as we headed into the ranch land that are home to three valleys.

Kualoa Ranch

Analyn standing next to a row of four tiki statues.

Kualoa Ranch

Passing the pua’a in ahupua’a.

Kualoa Ranch

Our first narrative of the day overlooked the 125 acres of Moli’i Fishpond where fish and oysters are being farmed for commercial sales to sustain the ranch as part of their business model. Also described was the tale of how the island commonly known as Chinaman’s Hat came into being as part of the tail of a giant lizard that was ripped asunder by the Hawaiian goddess Hi’iaka and thrown into the waters where it rests to this day.

Kualoa Ranch

Rounding the bend in the trail as the pyramidal peak of Pu’u Ohulehule loomed ahead of us.

Talk Story

Our last narrative for the day where it was explained to us that there are only four paniolo (cowboys) that tend to the 3,825 acres of undeveloped land that are owned by the Morgan family. We soon left to hike up to the top of the ridge before the next wave of tour buses deluged the area.

Ka’a’awa Valley

Trying to fit in our group photo with everybody else at the scenic point, left to right: Cisco, Analyn and myself.

Kanehoalani

Property pass you say?

Kualoa Ranch

Going down the muddy trail, where the kids were faster than their parents.

Zipline

Thrill seekers being pushed by gravity against the backdrop of True Manamana. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Kualoa Ranch

We couldn’t find the Kong bones, so we settled for location movie signs.

Kualoa Ranch

Some folks just don’t like getting wet.

Kualoa Ranch

At least we found these dinosaur eggs nestled in the grass next to a termite hill. I don’t know which one was more scarier. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Battery Cooper

Entering the coastal defense revetment that burrows over 150′ deep into the mountain. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Jurassic World

The bunker rooms are now used to house props and artifacts from the multiple movies that have filmed on the ranch.

Galaga

Apparently Locke did not blow up the submarine, but moved it to drydock.

Battery Cooper

Passing through the gate whose electric bills have not been paid in a long time. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Battery Cooper

Giving birth.

Battery Cooper

Giving birth by C-section. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Battery Cooper

I must be stronger than I thought or Kong had osteoporosis. Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

Battery Cooper

Analyn and Cisco checking to see if they’re real or fake. The jury is still out.

Battery Cooper

What happens when somebody takes too long on their photo shoots. Photo by Analyn Baliscao.

Battery Cooper

Leaving the bunker as we straggled back onto the trail as the group had long gone ahead of us.

Pua’a

When all that separates you from a couple of interested pigs is an electric fence, something that a hiker found out the hard way. Photo by Cisco Quintanilla.

Happy Birthday

A couple days late but nothing a sloppy Reese’s Peanut Butter Ultimate Doughnut can’t fix.

All pau

Relaxing day spent on our fun exploratory hike that meandered its way through picturesque valleys and a WW2 bunker chock filled with more movie props than you can say lights, camera and action. Post hike meal at Waiahole Poi Factory. Thanks to Analyn for treating us to an ono Hawaiian lunch.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.