Unpredictable is Good

There’s nothing quite like Maui’s rainy season. 

My photographer carefully packed all his gear just like he always does. He knew the weather might be unpredictable for the sunrise shoot at 61 S. Honokala just at the edge of the rainforest. “Unpredictable is good,” he said excitedly. “That means we’ll either get that indescribable sunrise, morning rainbows or both!” Little did he know he’d be describing his experience as a trip through Jurassic Park just a few hours later.

The property is located just off Maui’s famed Hana Highway, tucked away in a stealthy little corner so cleverly hidden that even the photographer who has lived here for 12 years couldn’t find it although he’d been there before.

He made his way down the Hana Highway with the light morning rains and several miles later decided that he’d missed the Batcave of a turnoff. He decided to turn inland, figuring all roads lead to the top of Haleakala (our dormant volcano), and he could work his way back down to a more familiar area again.

Such a plan was not to be. The rain got harder. His little dog was not happy with the hyperactive windshield wipers, and the foliage began to cling down over the road with all the extra water weight. Still, that trusty Honda Element made its way through the narrow tropical roads with hairpin turns and one-lane bridges.

If you know anything about Maui, you know that the windward side is one of the wettest spots on the planet. That means that the gulches that have formed over thousands of years have cut deeply into the landscape, perfect for draining off all the upcountry water that formed them in the first place. The photographer knows that fact well. Still, he didn’t quite know what to expect around every little bend.

At the height of his drive, he came across a gulch so filled with rushing water that the road surface itself threatened submersion. Not wanting to become a statistic, he pulled over, turned off the car’s engine and waited.

There’s nothing quite like the raw rush of nature on Maui. The greens in a rain like that are so green they’re almost otherworldly. The sound of the raindrops on the roof of the car are like nowhere else on earth. The rush of the water under the bridge teetered somewhere between awesomely menacing and beautifully efficient. 

As time went by and the rains slowed, he wandered around and got lost in the beauty and could not have cared less that he wasn’t able to get those morning shots he’d envisioned. The power and beauty of Maui’s nature was plenty for the morning. 

He did eventually make his way back to the Hana Highway and drove off into the sunrise, happy dog in tow.

Nary a dinosaur in sight.

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If a Hawaiian property perched at the top of a ridge overlooking a tropical gulch with panoramic ocean views appeals to you, give me a call. I’ll be happy to take you on a private viewing. No dinosaur repellent required.

Rhonda Smith Sanchez
808-205-2175