Dole Maze and
Polynesian Center
Summer Vacation 2018 - Hawaii
(created Sun. July 29, 2018; updated Sun. Aug. 19, 2018)
The Dole Plantation and it’s World’s Largest Maze
The Polynesian Cultural Center
There were only two activities that Ann Marie wanted to make sure we enjoyed when we were on Oahu:
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-snorkel in Hanauma Bay
and -
-visit the Polynesian Cultural Center
We visited the Polynesian Cultural Center first, and on the way there visited the Dole Plantation.
Pineapples are still grown at the Dole Plantation, and there are many things to do when you visit. We did learn that while most of the pineapples we get back home are grown in Central America, they are still grown in Hawaii and you can get some Hawaiian pineapples at the Plantation, and elsewhere in Hawaii.
While you can take garden tours and train rides, we focused on the world’s largest maze, the Pineapple Garden Maze. It’s made from hedge rows about seven feet tall, which you can partially see through.
“In 2008, Dole Plantation’s giant Pineapple Garden Maze was declared the world’s largest maze. The maze stretches over three acres and includes nearly two and one-half miles of paths crafted from 14,000 colorful Hawaiian plants. Walk through the flora of the islands as you seek out eight secret stations that each lead you closer to the mystery at the heart of this larger-than-life labyrinth, one of only a handful of permanent botanical mazes in America.”
There are eight stations in the maze, where you go to learned about each of the main islands, and which you need to visit to complete the maze.
You can complete in your own time, but there is a challenge to complete it in an hour or less. Thanks to Matt and Abby leading the way, we completed in 45 minutes.
The Plantation has some rainbow eucalyptus trees in their parking lot... such colorful bark!
We had hoped to see more of the Polynesian Cultural Center, but we were on island time so we only arrived just in time for the luau dinner. So we enjoyed that and fun in the Samoa and Tonga villages, and then the main show, called HA.
The Polynesian center exists to share the cultures of the peoples who live in the islands of the Pacific. They focus on six island nations: New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, Marquesas, and Tahiti.
To work at the Center, you need to be descended from the islands. They get to go to school at the Center in return for performing/working there, through which visitors learn about the culture.
Each nation has its own area, to showcase its cultures, and you can walk around all afternoon to see those areas. We just arrived too late to do so... next time.
During dinner, the luau dancing was interesting, as was the fire dancer.
After dinner, there were two shows, one in Samoa and the other in Tonga.
The Samoan show featured a very funny host, and others “performers,” from Samoa. They shared how God provided almost everything they need to live on the island through the coconut - fire, thread / cloth, hardness for tools, and much more.
In Tonga they had a similar show where people in the audience performed a silly drum dance to many laughs from the crowd.
The main show, called HA, which means “life” was very interesting and featured nine fire dancers at once. They did not allow photos, so there are none to share.
Pina coladas in a pineapple!
At the luau we saw they were serving non-alcoholic drinks in pineapples and confirmed they were virgin pina coladas and we were informed that they were available in the main show, HA. But they weren’t served in HA after all... BUT thanks to the helpful lady in Customer Service, named Miracle, we got one... Miracle worked to confirm where they are made, walked me over to that stand, called Fia Fia Farms, where the nice lady there made us a pina colada-in-a-pineapple just before she closed.
To get the drink in the cup, she cut off the top, then uses a pineapple puncher slicer to remove the inside, creating the round pineapple slices we’ve seen in stores, and leaving only the very center of the core still in the pineapple... one slice of a knife and that was removed and the pineapple became a large drinking cup... pour in your virgin pina colada and you have one happy family. Thank you, Miracle, and the lady in the Fia Fia Farms stand for helping us get that awesome pina colada!
We drove home through the coast, then on the H3, which cuts through the eastern Ko’olau mountains, and returns you north of the airport.
Hawaii Revealed shares that “this 16-mile road cost almost $100 million per mile to build and took a mere 37 years to complete. ... this is the next best thing to taking a helicopter ride along the [Ko’olau] mountains.”
source: Hawaii Revealed, Oahu app / book / edition, “H-3” article.
They report that the highway cost about $100 million per mile due to environmental studies. I thought that may just be an exaggeration. Then, as we drove it, through the tunnels, and along the elevated road, most of which is elevated... little was on the actual ground, it seemed almost like one of the fictional tracks in Mario Cart, that number seemed less and less of an exaggeration and possibly a reality... and worth it... what views, even at night!
The skies in Hawaii were more cloudy than we expected on the trip, which was ok, but it did mean that we didn’t see the stars too often. But this night I was able to see three of four of the bright planets currently visible in the night sky (Venus had already set, to the west / right), and captured this view from our balcony.
Links to the rest of this travel journal:
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17)Oahu - Dole Plantation Maze and Polynesian Cultural Center
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26)SLUH in HI
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28)Postcards
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29)Reviews
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30)Hawaii 2000
