Kayaking the Wailua River

I hope you all are doing well, especially those of you on the East Coast! Out here in the middle of the Pacific, the sea is calm and peaceful, and the images of the Atlantic during Hurricane Irene come as quite a contrast. I pray you and yours are safe and dry.

We've been stuffing August with as many adventures as we can before the collapse of summer results in busier schedules and less free time. One thing we knew we wanted to do was kayak up the Wailua River. Imagine a sunny blue day with a quiet lazy river stretching out before you. No rush. Worries are pushed aside. With a paddle in your hands and nothing but water around you, the day stands still as you go upsteam into the secluded valley fringed with jungle.

Since I was in a kayak myself, I wasn't able to take many pictures of the kayaking part, but I was able to capture the waterfall.

One of the river branches led to a water hole complete with a rope swing and a convenient cliff ledge.

The other branch of the river led to a trail that took us to Secret Falls.

We swam out to the not-so-secret falls, the water pelting our heads like hail.

The shade was cool and green on our hike back to the kayaks. From there we kayaked back down the river and stowed our paddles to wait for our next adventure.