Maui

Maui, with an area of 1883 km ², the second largest island of the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific. Because of the damages caused by erosion flat land bridge ( isthmus ) between Mauna Kahalawai ( "West Maui Mountains " ) and the Haleakala is Maui also known as " The Valley Isle " means (Eng. Valley Isle), since the land bridge from the two mountain regions like a valley looks.

Maui is part of the U.S. state of Hawaii and is the largest island in Maui County. The latter also includes the islands of Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui counted 144 444 inhabitants, which lies behind Oahu and Hawaii ( island). The largest cities are on Maui Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina and Kihei. Maui is named after the Polynesian demigod Maui.

  • 3.1 Haleakala Crater
  • 3.2 Road to Hana
  • 3.3 Kihei and the South Coast
  • 3.4 Lahaina
  • 3.5 Paia
  • 3.6 Iao Valley
  • 3.7 Sugar Museum
  • 3.8 Maui Tropical Plantation
  • 3.9 Maui Historical Society Museum

Climate

At sea level, there is one in Maui over all months of the year across stable, tropical climate. The average temperature in summer 23-31 ° C, in winter at about 18 to 27 ° C. The water temperature of the Pacific is located at 22 to 27 ° C. The most rainy season is from November to March. The annual rainfall varies considerably due to the topography of the island. So the summit region of West Maui Volcano is one of about 10,000 mm of rainfall per year of the wettest places on earth, while, are recorded only 250 mm of rainfall annually in Kihei, which lies in the rain shadow of Haleakala. The hurricane season in Maui enters from late summer to autumn. The last Hurricane " Iniki " (1992) grazed Maui only. The far more frequent tropical winter storms usually come from the southeast. Such storms are called Pineapple Express referred. Maui is tsunami risk. A good warning system existed for decades. Every tourist should inform himself on the spot about it.

Economy

The dominant economic activities on the island are agriculture and tourism. A large part of the fertile plain between the West Maui Volcano Haleakala and is used by sugar cane and pineapple plantations. But the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar operates on Maui sugarcane plantations with a total area of 150 km ². A peculiarity of the cane on Maui is the deliberate burning of fields just before harvest. The tradition goes back to a laid-off plantation worker who burned out of sheer frustration the fields of his employer. When this then the harvest but still caught up, it was found that the yield of raw sugar was higher than usual. Since then called by locals " Maui snow " ash belongs to the daily life in the south of the cane fields nearby towns, such as Wailea. Close to Kaanapali also coffee is grown.

Since 1974 is in Ulupalakua on Maui, the only winery, the Tedeschi Winery.

The largest airport on the island of Maui is Kahului Airport ( IATA: OGG, ICAO code: PHOG ). From here, there are links to the other islands of the archipelago of Hawaii and the American mainland, such as Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver.

Research

On Maui is also the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site is located ( AMOS ). The corresponding Maui High Performance Computing Center ( MHPCC ) in Kihei operates some of the world's fastest computer. On the Haleakala is the AEOS telescope (Advanced Electro- Optical System ) is the largest military use telescope in the United States. It has an opening diameter of 3.67 meters and is provided as one of the first instruments of its kind with adaptive optics. This technology allows the compensation of the atmospheric fibrillation. On the Haleakalā also include several more telescopes ( 0.4 to 1.6 meter aperture diameter ), which contribute as part of the U.S. Space Surveillance system to maintain a catalog of currently around 13,000 artificial space objects. Since the 3,055 meter high summit of Haleakala one of the world's five major astronomical sites is also many other monitoring tools are here, such as a solar observatory of the University of Hawaii

Tourism

In 2002, Maui counted a total of over two million visitors. The most important tourist resorts on the island are the coasts between Lahaina and Kapalua and Kihei and Wailea between. While Oahu is mostly visited by Japanese tourists, Maui is very popular with visitors from the U.S. mainland and Canada.

Among the many attractions of the island, the Road to Hana include in the south, the Kahekili Highway in the north, 110 km ² Haleakala National Park, Iao Valley, and the world- famous surfing and wind surfing areas in the north of Maui ( Hookipa, Jaws, Lanes, Spreckelsville, Kanaha ).

Haleakala Crater

Highway 378 winds up to about 3040 m altitude on the Haleakala National Park of. For those of Kahului from about 50 miles ( 80 km) long route (via Haleakala Highway 37 ) one needs at least 1.5 hours. Once at the top, the visitor a colorful panorama. The variety of colors is caused by the red depending on the composition, green, blue or yellow shimmering lava. On hiking paths of more than 1,000 m deep crater is well accessible. Here you will find among others the rare Nene and the very rare silver sword in a subspecies that only occurs at the summit of Haleakala Crater. During the day, the mountain is often shrouded in clouds.

Road to Hana

The road to East Maui, Road to Hana (Road to Hana ) leads, on the eastern 50 miles over 54 bridges and many curves in a rainforest region with many vantage points as well as hundreds of waterfalls, some of which in romantic ponds (pools ) end that invite you to swim (for example Oheo Gulch, Eng. Seven pools). Following the partially single track road to Kipahulu, leads not only to the same part of the Haleakala National Park, but after a further mile also the final resting place of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh near the Palapala Hoomau Church. The partial demands on driving skills road to Hana is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Maui.

Kihei and the South Coast

The sunny coastal part at the Maalaea Bay has recently developed into a very popular holiday center. Especially windsurfers appreciate the afternoon strong winds from March to October. From Kihei or Wailea from snorkelling and diving can be done in several interesting dive sites. These include the island of Molokini Crater and Turtle Town justly considered (City of Sea Turtles ) designated area in Mākena. In all waters around Maui you can observe from November to March, humpback whales that spend the winter here for mating and calving. Especially the Maalaea Bay ( 15 m deep) is in the popular whales ( Best vantage point: McGregor Point). Both sides of the main street of South Kihei Road is home to most apartment complexes and hotels. Still further south, Wailea follows, with some of the most exclusive hotels and resorts world wide. The region around Kihei is one of the driest Maui.

Lahaina

The name Lahaina means in the Hawaiian language " Merciless Sun". The old whalers and plantation town with about 10,000 inhabitants strives to preserve its charm despite tourists and commerce.

The beautiful location in Lee ( in the West) of West Maui montains prompted King Kamehameha I to move his court to Lahaina.

Lahaina then later became the most important whaling port in the Pacific. Eye-catcher is the Planted in 1873 Banyan tree in the center ( a ficus tree whose crown sweeps almost one hectare ). Some museums, such as the Baldwin Home and Wo Hing Temple, the Prison, bear witness to the past of the former island capital. By the end of 2005, the Carthaginian II was converted into (a restored two-master ) to a museum, she was sunk on 15 December 2005 about a half mile from Lahaina in the sea and has since become an artificial reef.

Also worth a visit is the Pioneer Inn, a hundred years Walfängerkneipe in the port of Lahaina, where time seems to stand still.

Paia

In the old sugar town ( Paia Sugar Mill, 2000 decommissioned) Paia on the north coast of the island meet since about 1980, the windsurfers from around the world. Paia is located about midway between the world famous windsurfing spots. Here reign the best windsurfing and surfing conditions on the island. The coral reef Spartan Reef with water depths from 1 meter to 30 cm makes the famous North swell, the swell of the North Pacific, accrues after some one thousand kilometers traveling to this reef into huge waves ( surf = ). The particularly troubled by the winter storms between Japan and the Aleutian waves break several times a year, with a few days on the North Shore of up to 20 m height ( Jaws ). But even at "normal" days in winter (2-4 m wave) and in summer (1-2 m wave) is the combination with the trade winds (trade winds) unique in the world. By the isthmus between the 2000 m high West Maui Mountains and the 3000 m high Haleakala the trade wind is ( normally about 4 Beaufort) accelerated to the day 5-9 Beaufort. In addition also the Venturi effect of Haleakala, by rising warm air in the West acts like a giant vacuum cleaner to clear sunny days. End of March ( PWA World Cup) and early November ( Aloha Classic) is where the world's elite surfers in Hookipa to the two main wave regattas.

Iao Valley

Right in the administrative capital of the County, Wailuku, beginning leads the ILO Road in a westerly direction as a dead end about 5 miles to the beautiful green, high alpine -looking Iao Valley. The valley is surrounded by the evergreen slopes of the West Maui montains. Here is the Kepaniwai County Park, a garden with pavilions and rushing streams.

At the end of the road eventually dominates the landmark of the valley, the 370 m high Iao Needle, a monolith, overgrown by lush jungle, above the valley. Beautiful walking paths lead along the Iao River to some viewpoints. You might want to follow upstream adventurous hiking trails.

Sugar Museum

The Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum shows the rural Hawaii. Attachments and photos from the past show life on a sugar cane plantation.

Maui Tropical Plantation

This nursery, about 4 km south of Wailuku, gives an overview of the useful plants of the Hawaiian Islands.

Maui Historical Society Museum

This rather small and somewhat idiosyncratic museum in an old missionary house displays historical artifacts. Here also made ​​of redwood surfboard from Duke Kahanamoku is exhibited among others.

Traffic

There are three airports on Maui. The largest airport on the island is Kahului Airport ( IATA: OGG, ICAO code: PHOG ). From here, there are links to the other islands of the archipelago of Hawaii and the American mainland. On Maui, there is also a public bus system ( " Maui Bus" ), which consists of twelve lines and mainly serves the cities on the west side of Maui.

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