Discover

(Redirected from Pali Lookout)


'Nuuanu Pali' is a section of the windward cliff (''pali'' in Hawaiian) of the Koolau mountain located at the head of Nuuanu Valley on the island of Oahu. Today, it offers one of the best panoramic views of the windward (northeast) coast of Oahu. A main highway (Hawaii State Highway 61) connecting Kailua/Kāneohe with downtown Honolulu runs through tunnels bored into the cliffside.
The 'Nuuanu Pali State Wayside' is a lookout above the tunnels where visitors are treated to a panoramic view of the Oahu's windward side with sweeping views of Kāneohe, Kāneohe Bay, and Kailua. It is also well-known for strong Trade winds that blow through the pass, forming a sort of natural wind tunnel.

Contents

History

History

Main articles: Battle of Nu'uanu

The Nuuanu Pali was the site of the Battle of Nu'uanu, one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian history, in which Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oahu, bringing it under his rule. In 1795 Kamehameha I sailed from his home island of Hawaii with an army of 10,000 soldiers. After conquering the islands of Maui and Molokai, he moved on to Oahu. The pivotal battle for the island occurred in Nuuanu Valley, where the defenders of Oahu, led by Kalanikupule, were driven back up into the valley where they were trapped above the cliff. More than 400 of Kalanikupule's soldiers were driven off the edge of the cliff to their deaths 1,000 feet below.
In 1898 a carriage road was built over the Nuuanu Pali to connect Windward Oahu with Honolulu. This road was later replaced by the Pali Highway and the Nuuanu Pali Tunnels in 1959.
Hawaiian folklore holds that one should never carry pork over Nuuanu Pali, especially at night. In olden days, motorists reported that their cars mysteriously stopped and would not start until the pork was removed from the car. Jimi Hendrix wrote a song with the title ''Pali Gap'', a name he made up but presumably meant to refer to the Nuuanu Pali, which includes both a gap and a cliff (''pali'').