Dec 12: Coffee, blowholes, potholes, and beaches

One Dec. 12 we headed to see some sights of the south shore of Kauai.  Heading south from the main road took us through the Tree Tunnel, which was planted with Eucalyptus trees in the early 1900's.  Hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 damaged the tree canopy though, so that it doesn't quite close into a tunnel the way it used to according to the guidebook:

We took a self-guided tour of a coffee plantation:

A patch of sugar cane planted at the coffee plantation to show us tourists what it looks like up close:

Next we went to see the Sprouting Horn blowhole:

We then headed east to a secluded beach and cliff hike that was past the resorts at a place called Maha'ulepu, according to the guidebook.  It involved a longish drive down a very potholed bumpy road that this photo does not do justice to:

Here are some photos of that hike, starting from the beach and heading east:

I forget what this crop-circle-like stone pattern was about:

I'm always a sucker for a nice cloud:

Some lithified sand along the shoreline in the next 2 photos:

We hiked back to the beach and then started hiking the other way and got some photos as we went:

I love this black lava contrasted with the beige sand:

We had to wade across this little creek that was flowing out to the ocean.  It was very scenic and tropical, but also kind of smelly with some fecal agricultural runoff due to all the rain:

Eroding lava rocks in the sand:

There was a patch with these eroded marble-like rocks that looked like brains:

Back at the beach:

More beach walking coming up tomorrow ...