Kuka'au'au Cave and Kamaile Heiau PhotosThe following photos were taken by me, (Nathan Yuen) on Saturday, March 21, 1998 with a handful of SCHers (Mahealani, Susanj, Norman, and Dave) during an exploration of Kuka'au'au Cave and Kamaile Heiau on Kamaile'unu Ridge, that massive ridge with a sparse covering of low dry grasses which descends from Mount Kaala to the Waianae Coast and divides Makaha Valley from Waianae Valley.
Kuka'au'au Cave overlooks a Board of Water Supply Pumping Station which we speculate taps an ancient spring that no longer exists but is identified in "Sites of O'ahu". Here is a closer shot of the entrance of the cave which is about 20 feet wide and 10 feet high.
Here is a shot of the inside of the cave which is sprayed with graffiti. Here is a shot of the surrounding area outside the cave from within the cave.
Leaving the cave, we followed an ancient pathway up the side of the ridge that connected the cave to the heiau. Here is the Waianae-Makaha Coastline featuring Mauna Lahilahi at the edge of the sea. Here is a shot of the Waianae-Maili Coastline with the twin dome-like formations of Puu O Hulu. Here are seaward and mountain-ward shots of Makaha Valley from across the valley on dry parched Kamaile'unu Ridge.
Climbing ever higher, here is a snapshot as we approach Kamaile Heiau. Finally reaching the level of the heiau we leave a puolo and a fragrant puakenikeni lei as hookupu (offerings) of our respect. Here is a picture of Kamaile Heiau from above I took about 6 weeks ago during a hike to the top of Kamaile'unu.