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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Kady Pascual in Ewa Beach. "During a hectic morning, take a moment to look up — you might catch a double rainbow across the sky. And honestly, doesn’t that make everything a little better?"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

25 10 16 KADY PASCUAL

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Across the sky</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Kady Pascual in Ewa Beach

Hawai'i Skies: Across the sky

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Kady Pascual in Ewa Beach. "During a hectic morning, take a moment to look up — you might catch a double rainbow across the sky. And honestly, doesn’t that make everything a little better?" To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Lucas Borrow frantically began to text his new teammates. It was the summer of 2024, and the prized punter transfer from Ball State by way of Australia got lost on his first day on the University of Hawai‘i's campus. He couldn't find the football team's locker room. 

Before panic could set in, he promptly received a call from Kansei Matsuzawa, one of the team's kickers. After suiting up for each game in 2023 but never seeing the field, Matsuzawa was determined to win the vacant starting placekicker job. But that didn't stop him from going out of his way to assist a teammate in need. 

"I don't know where I was and Kansei straight away called me, came and found me, went and showed me everything," Borrow recalled. "That kind of just sums up who he is. Just wants to help out. He's always been like that."

Matsuzawa went on to win the kicking job for the Rainbow Warriors in 2024, making 12 of his 16 field goal attempts and all 32 of his extra point tries. He turned out to be a respectable replacement after former starter Matthew Shipley left for Arkansas via the NCAA transfer portal following the 2023 season. 

When Borrow's appeal to play an extra season in 2025 was denied by the NCAA, the Rainbow Warriors signed another punter from Australia in 

. Before they had even met in person, Matsuzawa let Gowers crash with him until he found a place to stay. 

"It was an interesting first encounter considering the language barrier, but yeah, it was just incredibly generous for him to offer up his apartment. He's just such a great guy," Gowers said. "Prior to that, I'd had a lot of communication with him over social media, which sometimes left me a little bit more confused than before I'd even asked certain questions, but yeah, the first time I properly met him, we got welcomed into his place, and he showed us around, walked us through Waikīkī. He's just a very generous guy."

making a game-winning field goal to begin the 2025 season against Stanford

, Matsuzawa's fame in the college football world and beyond exploded. National and global media outlets have continued to inundate the University of Hawai‘i and Matsuzawa with interview requests, enamored with how a self-taught YouTube kicker could blossom into one of college football's best kickers. 

Following his game-winner against Stanford on Aug. 23, Matsuzawa admitted he was more nervous speaking English to local media than he was lining up for a high-pressure kick. In his first post-practice media scrum of the 2025 season following Tuesday's practice, Matsuzawa kept his cool, often deferring praise to his teammates and coaches. 

"All the results is following...I'm focusing on the process, what I'm doing from Monday to Friday is the most important thing, so focus on the process," Matsuzawa went on to say. "And we believe that the results are following (the process)." 

Through seven games, Matsuzawa is a perfect 19-for-19 on field goal attempts while making all 19 of his extra point tries, his fame multiplying with each made kick. His 20 consecutive made field goals dating back to 2024 are tied with former NFL Pro Bowl kicker Jason Elam for the UH record. 

While being named a first-team midseason All-American at kicker by publications such as The Athletic, the 

Associated Press, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, 

Sports Illustrated, Matsuzawa has also been interviewed by outlets such as CNN and NBC. 

Matsuzawa's most recent national appearance was on the official Heisman Trophy Podcast. He thought that one was a scam at first. 

Does UH special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield ever get tired about doing Matsuzawa-related interviews?

"Hell, no," Sheffield said following a recent practice. "He deserves all of it.

"I would be a liar if I said I saw this, what's happening right now. I tell him all the time, this is a once in a lifetime thing, not just for him, but for all of us, like, this is cool. It's really cool to just be a part it, to witness from afar, because I know what he's gone through. I know what the journey is. If I spend too much time talking or thinking about it I get pretty damn emotional."

The common belief in UH football circles is that Matsuzawa is the program's most famous and media-requested player since the late Colt Brennan, especially considering Matsuzawa's emerging prominence in his native Japan.  

In addition to his accolades and notoriety, Matsuzawa was also the impetus for a deal brokered between UH and Rakuten's R Channel to air UH's three remaining games on Spectrum Sports live in Japan, starting with 

. The two other games are both home contests — one on Nov. 8 against San Diego State, as well as the team's regular season finale against Wyoming on Nov. 29. 

To those that have been around him before the fame, Matsuzawa hasn't changed. 

"I'm just so proud of him from where he's come from last year to this year," said Borrow, who stuck around as a graduate assistant while staying sharp for his next pro opportunity. "All the behind the scenes with him, just seeing how he's developed as a person and as a player, it's just been like a roller coaster for the last year. He's just going up, and I can't really see him slowing down."

When asked about Borrow, Matsuzawa called him "the best player I've ever played with."

"Lucas is the best player, and he helped me a lot. Like the mindset and as a player. ... I was struggling with my mindset, and he's the only one to help me throughout the year," Matsuzawa said. "So because of him, I'm here right now."

"I think that just sums up who he is," Borrow said in response. "He's always thanking everybody else. He'll do anything for you."

Always swift to credit those around them, Matsuzawa and Sheffield have often mentioned the importance of long snapper Jack Mowrey and holder Caleb Freeman in the field goal operation. 

With a 26-year-old kicker in Matsuzawa and 29-year-old punter in Gowers, the Rainbow Warriors have a starting kicker-punter combination older than that of 11 NFL teams as of Week 1 of the 2025 season. Matsuzawa and Gowers have bonded over being the oldest members of the team as well as international players. They're also road roommates, and it's there that Gowers is certain Matsuzawa is setting himself up for success. 

"You get to see all these rituals and just the way he prepares. It's quite incredible," Gowers said. "He's a professional footballer. He's just so diligent. As I said, it doesn't surprise me the success he's having. He's got his eye masks, he's got his face masks so he doesn't get too dehydrated with the air conditioning in the hotel rooms and on the airplanes, he's got all his skincare routines. Prior to a game, I think he shaves his whole face. 

"He just knows exactly what he wants when he wants it. And he's a man on a mission, which is great. He shaves his whole face, including his forehead. It's funny. I think he's really taken all this media coverage and his accolades just in his stride, and he's really learned to enjoy it."

It is believed that Matsuzawa, who played at Hocking College in 2022, could apply for another year of eligibility in 2026, using the same junior college waiver that 

granted players across the country additional eligibility.

 But with the NFL in his sights, combined with the year Matsuzawa is having, Sheffield thinks that's highly unlikely. 

With five regular season games remaining, Matsuzawa will continue to take things one kick at a time on the field. Off of it, he's continued to win over his teammates by refusing to change as a person. 

"I think all of this, if anything, has just allowed his real personality to come out more," Sheffield said. 

Added Borrow, when asked what Matsuzawa is like off the field: "He's a really good cook. I went over and he actually cooked up a massive salmon. He cooks gyoza from scratch," Borrow said. "Whenever we want to get some good food, we go over to his place, and he never lets us down. 

"It's really cool to see good karma come his way, both off the field and on the field. Just seeing him improve from last year to this year has been incredible."

Kansei Matsuzawa 101725

<title>Hawai‘i star kicker Kansei Matsuzawa not changed by burgeoning fame, say teammates and…</title>

Those around UH's kicking sensation have continued to praise his generosity in the midst of increased global attention with each made field goal.

Hawai‘i star kicker Kansei Matsuzawa not changed by burgeoning fame, say teammates and coaches

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

[{"type":"text","text":"This spooky Halloween-themed pop-up just opened at Pearlridge Center."}]

 is located at Pearlridge Center, in the former space of Chili’s Grill and Bar. The seasonal pop-up is open from 6 p.m. to midnight from now to Oct. 31. Attendees must be 21 years and older to enter.

The pop-up features a serial killer slasher vibe. The different sections of the pop-up have different decorations.

[{"type":"text","text":"For example, when you enter, you’ll immediately notice the clown theme."}]

The booths are splattered in “blood” and the tapes around the pop-up are supposed to be records of those who were killed. The tree air fresheners are supposed to “mask” the smell of the deceased.

There’s a wall featuring a doll display in the back of the space. Also, depending on where you’re seated in the pop-up, you can spot some of the hanging appendages slowly rotating.

There will be a DJ starting at 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. We’re told some of the tables will be moved out so there’s more room to dance on nights where there’s a DJ.

Attendees can look forward to a variety of Halloween-themed drinks. Choose from options like blood bath ($15) — Roku gin, pineapple, orange and bitters — blood bag ($25) with Tito’s, lime, pineapple and fruit punch, and blood punch cooler ($45). The latter is designed to share and consists of passion fruit, orange and guava puree with Kōloa Kaua

There are even syringe shots ($12) with cotton candy and Hawaiian Punch with a choice of Tito’s, Jameson or Espolon Blanco.

Reservations can be made for large groups, and there’s even a VIP area for friends and family of the staff (no reservations can be made for the VIP area).

Open nightly, 6 p.m. to midnight until Oct. 31

Nightmare Honolulu clown entrance 101425

<title>Halloween pop-up Nightmare Honolulu is open</title>

The spooky pop-up is located at Pearlridge Center, in the former space of Chili’s Grill & Bar. The Halloween-inspired pop-up is open from 6 p.m. to midnight from now to Oct. 31.

Halloween pop-up Nightmare Honolulu is open

[{"type":"text","text":"A new food court just opened in the Liliha neighborhood."}]

Liliha Food Court recently opened in the former space of Foodland Liliha on School Street. Right now, the food court is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Hours will be extended in November.

The space — which includes seating for customers — currently features five local food vendors, but we’re told more (a bakery and a sushi spot) will be coming soon.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here’s what you can find:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Desserts from Tiny Pyramid Express"}]

Tiny Pyramid is known for its French pastries; this express location features some of the shop’s most popular desserts, including chocolate peanut butter ($6.50), citrus tart ($6.95) and, of course, its chocolate pyramid ($7.85).

This express location also offers sandwiches ($9.99), pizzas ($8.99-$12.99), and pastas ($12.99).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Build-your-own poke bowls from Mermaid Poke"}]

Mermaid Poke comes from the team behind Osoyami Grill and Bar and Noods Ramen Bar. The biz offers build-your-own poke bowls and poke nachos (called ‘ahi pokechos).

Poke bowls feature white rice topped with one ($15) or two ($18) poke flavors. Both include two sides.

Choose from unique poke flavors like yellow curry aioli ‘ahi poke, kimchi ‘ahi poke, truffle ponzu ‘ahi poke and more. Sides include crab salad, cucumber, seaweed salad, takuan, pickled ginger and more. You can also add free toppings like furikake, garlic chips, fried onions and masago arare.

The business’s ‘ahi pokechos ($18), or poke nachos, feature spicy or shoyu ‘ahi and kabayaki glaze, furikake and green onions.

Burritos, bowls, tacos and more from Jalapeno’s Authentic Mexican Food

Jalapeno’s Authentic Mexican Food — which has a storefront in Kailua — offers burritos, bowls, tortas, tacos and quesadillas with a variety of proteins. Meats range from chicken and carnitas to asada (steak) and shredded beef birria.

The three quesabirria tacos and consommé ($21.75) is one of the most popular options. You can add cilantro, onions and lime to the consommé to enhance its flavor. You can also opt for additional toppings on your tacos, ranging from lettuce and cheese to corn and jalapenos.

The biz also offers guacamole and chips ($10.50), nachos ($18.50) and loaded fiesta fries ($19.50).

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Homemade Italian dishes from Nonnas Hawaiʻi"}]

Family-owned and -operated Nonnas Hawaiʻi features homemade Italian dishes. Its Italian cocktails will be available soon; the business is still waiting to receive its liquor license.

Right now, a limited menu is available, including ballconi ($13) and mini minestrone shooters ($6). The eatery will eventually offer Mediterranean salads ($9) and build-your-own charcuterie boards ($25).

The ballconi ($13) is a unique option, as it features beef meatballs in a crispy parmesan cone. It’s topped with housemade sauce and Pecorino Romano.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Local favorites from Dave’s Ice Cream"}]

This location is operated by Dave’s Ice Cream Waipio. Choose from a variety of desserts, ranging from ice cream scoops ($4.99-$8.99) and soda floats ($5.99) to milkshakes and ($8.99-$10.49) and sundaes. Sundaes run the gamut from single scoop options ($7.49) to brownie sundaes ($10.99) and strawberry shortcake sundaes ($14).

This location also features a Dubai-inspired menu with treats like Dubai cheesecakes ($15) and Dubai sundaes ($15). 

Liliha Food Court spread 100925

<title>New Liliha Food Court is now open</title>

The food court, located in the former space of Foodland Liliha, features a variety of local vendors. Food options range from poke bowls and ice cream to quesabirria tacos, and Italian meatballs.

New Liliha Food Court is now open

Cheryl Tsutsumi

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

Columnists

Caring for two “girls” that each weigh about 10,000 pounds and stand over nine feet tall would no doubt be daunting to most people. Not to Malia Davis, who has been looking after Mari and Vaigai since she joined the Honolulu Zoo’s staff 33 years ago.

They are Asian elephants — an endangered species — who came from zoos in India. Mari was 16 years old when Davis was hired in 1992. Vaigai was six when she arrived two weeks later.

“Vaigai is 39 now, and Mari will turn 50 in September,” Davis said. “The average lifespan for elephants is 40 to 60 years old, so they’re both older girls. Mari is a Cadillac; she’s methodical and easygoing and likes to wear tires on her feet like shoes. Vaigai is a hot rod. She’s always moving, always doing something, from rolling a small log around to using a stump as a stool so she can snack on the tops of trees. If you watch them, you can figure out who’s who really fast.”

Davis was raised in Kailua by her maternal grandparents, surrounded by animals she adored. Her grandfather inspired her love for animals, and her grandmother nurtured it by buying her an encyclopedia of animals that held her attention for hours at a time.

Today, Davis lives off the grid in Central O‘ahu with three dogs, three chickens and five cats. “I’ve always had pets — even a goat, a miniature horse and two pot-bellied pigs at one time,” she said. “Animals are loyal and loving and have brought me so much joy. I can’t imagine life without them.”

After graduating from Kailua High School in 1980, Davis began working as a ripsawyer at a lumber mill in Humboldt County, northern California. But Hawai‘i remained close to her heart, and she returned six years later as a single mom with a four-year-old son in tow.

A chance encounter with a friend opened the door to a position at Marine Corps Air Station Kāne‘ohe Bay, assisting researchers who were training dolphins and false killer whales for the Naval Ocean Systems Center (now the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific) headquartered in San Diego. 

One of the center’s primary responsibilities was developing ways for the Navy to find and recover objects in the deep sea.

“Getting that job was pure luck,” Davis said. “I was 24 years old with no college degree and no knowledge about marine mammals.”

But she learned a lot, including participating in a study where dolphins were trained to follow a boat into the open ocean where a big metal piece from a plane or helicopter was dropped. They would have to dive deep to locate it, and when they did, they would swim up and hit a target (pool floats attached to a PVC pipe) mounted on the side of the boat.

“We’d give the dolphins a buoy, and they’d take it down to the part of a fuselage or whatever,” Davis said. “They’d release the buoy, which would float to the surface as our marker. We then retrieved the object to confirm the dolphins had successfully completed the task.”

That marine mammal program had operated at the Kāne‘ohe marine base for many years before Davis started in 1987. Unfortunately, five years later, federal funding for it ended. She could’ve relocated to California and continued with it, but she wanted to raise her son in Hawai‘i and remain close to her aging grandparents. She’s certain the experience she gained in operant conditioning helped her land a zookeeper position at the Honolulu Zoo, working primarily with Mari and Vaigai. 

Things you might not know about elephants

· Along with dolphins and chimpanzees, elephants rank among the most intelligent animals in the world. They also have an excellent long-term memory and exhibit emotions such as grief, fear and compassion.

· Elephants have only a few sweat glands, which are located on their feet around their toenails. One of the ways they keep cool and prevent sunburn is by covering themselves in mud and dust.

· Asian elephants like Mari and Vaigai have a “finger” at the tip of their trunk, which is used to grasp and move small objects (African elephants have two such projections). This finger gives them amazing dexterity; for example, they can pick up a dime and a blade of grass with it.

She now supervises a staff of five as the elephant manager. Their day starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. During that time, they clean and fill the elephants’ water bowls and prepare their food, which includes grain; grasses; timothy hay; bamboo, banana, coconut and monkeypod trees; and produce such as lettuce, cabbage, apples, eggplant and cucumbers.

“What goes in comes out quickly, so we’re constantly picking up poop — up to 500 pounds of it,” Davis said. “All of it is used for compost.”

Mari and Vaigai are bathed daily, which enables the keepers to examine their skin, eyes, mouth and feet. The girls’ toenails are filed and their foot pads are trimmed once a month, a chore that takes up to four days for each of them.

Time is also reserved to supervise enrichment activities; for example, the elephants enjoy playing the harmonica by blowing air through their trunk and painting pictures with a brush held with their trunk. Davis and her staff also participate in daily training sessions (topics include injections, X-rays, blood draws and tethering) and help cut, tend and plant grasses and trees grown on site to feed the zoo’s residents.

Every day at 1:30 p.m., a keeper gives an Elephant Talk beside Mari and Vaigai’s habitat. The importance of conservation is a message that’s always shared. Although the commercial trade of ivory was largely banned internationally in 1989, poachers kill some 20,000 elephants every year for their ivory tusks, according to the 

“Among other things, ivory is used for art, jewelry, medicine, furniture and religious artifacts,” Davis said. “Please don’t use, wear or display ivory if you want elephants to live a nice, long life in the wild.”

When she does the presentation, she also notes that animals around the world are losing their natural habitats, and humans are the culprits. For example, palm forests in West Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia are being logged at an alarming rate because thousands of food, cosmetic, household and personal care products are manufactured with palm oil.

“Look at the list of ingredients, and avoid the products that contain palm oil,” Davis said. “We must be animals’ advocates; we must be their voices.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Visiting the zoo"}]

The Honolulu Zoo is open daily except Christmas Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore on your own or take a guided tour (see 

Four concerts remain for the Wildest Show, the zoo’s popular annual fundraiser. Mark these Wednesdays on your calendar: Maunalua, July 9; Henry Kapono and 3 Little Birds, July 16; Kala‘e and Kalena, July 23 and Opihi Pickers, July 30. 

You’re welcome to bring your own picnic; food and beverages will also be available for purchase. 

 or at the gate: $10 for Honolulu Zoo Society members, $15 for non-members, $5 for kids ages 3-12 and free for kids 2 years old and younger.

Honolulu Zoo Davis 01

<title>Uncles and Aunties: Malia Davis, inspired to be an animal caretaker by her grandparents</title>

National Zookeeper Week is July 20-26. We spotlight an aunty who has spent half her life taking care of the elephants at Honolulu Zoo.

Uncles and Aunties: Malia Davis, inspired to be an animal caretaker by her grandparents

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Imagine wandering through Nu‘uanu Valley in the late 1700s; no framed houses or churches, no golf club, no paved roads. Try to picture what it must have looked like: a lush rainforest that gives way to sweeping lo‘i kalo, the irrigated terraces where Hawaiians farmed taro, and kauhale, groups of traditional Hawaiian homes. Cool streams teeming with ‘o‘opu (goby fish) and ‘ōpae (freshwater shrimp) wove through the land. Before any paved road connected Honolulu to the Windward side of O‘ahu, footpaths traversed the valley and beyond.

In 1795, the valley saw one of the greatest battles in Hawai‘i history, Kaleleaka‘anae, the Battle of Nu‘uanu, when O‘ahu chief Kalanikupule and his 9,000 warriors attempted to defend their reign against Kamehameha and his invading army of 12,000 warriors from Hawai‘i Island. From the beaches of Waikīkī toward the top of the valley, the violent clash of armies fought desperately to conquer the opposing side. This single, bloody battle was the defining moment in Kamehameha’s attempt at bringing the Hawaiian Islands under one rule.

After the fighting was done and the bodies were buried, after the lo‘i were repaired and replanted, life returned to normal for most people. But the imprint of violence, desperation, and death remained on the land, with much of it culminating on this quiet stretch of road.

Nu‘uanu Pali Drive is the site of numerous tragedies, including the infamous murder of Therese Wilder by a pair of escaped convicts in 1948. But that’s not all.

Old Hawai‘i newspapers show that between 1949 and 1957, there were nearly 200 accidents on this two-mile stretch of pavement, with dozens of injuries and several deaths. Although this treacherous drive was known for its sharp, nearly 90-degree turns, speeders weren’t deterred and were soon caught in the clutches of the “death curve” and Morgan’s Corner.

After the Department of Transportation smoothed out the sharpest bends and built the Pali Highway, car crashes became less frequent, but the weight in the air never lifted. Morgan’s Corner and Judd Trail, both tucked along Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, soon gained a reputation for being haunted. A homicide in the 1980s and a suicide in the 1990s only deepened the sense of unease, feeding the legends that still cling to that area. To this day, thrill seekers flock to that lonely road in search of those chicken skin moments and perhaps hoping to glimpse a ghost.

Aside from the hauntings and eerie feelings along the Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, there are other things, more ancient and more spiritual.

A few years ago, I met author and paranormal enthusiast David Weatherly. David has a breadth of knowledge and a calm, cool energy about him, which makes conversations fun and enlightening. While showing him around the island, I shared some history of Hawai‘i and stories about haunted locations. I drove up Nu‘uanu Pali Drive and parked on the wrong side of the road in front of the Board of Water Supply building. There, I began to explain the Battle of Nu‘uanu and the history of the night marchers. As if on cue, a strange mist appeared before us in the middle of the road. Really strange.

It hovered in front of us like a large, floating sphere. Its lower tendrils drifted upward, then curled inward, folding back into its center as if breathing in itself.

[{"type":"text","text":"“That’s an interesting kind of fog,” David mused."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“I don’t think that’s fog,” I replied."}]

As it approached us, the mist became thicker, almost more solid-looking. Instinctively, we sat still and said nothing. The ghostly sphere seemed to move with intent as it slowly passed us, constantly churning in a slow, unnatural loop. We watched through the car mirrors as it glided into the forest and then back out again, continuing along the roadway, never dissipating, still in the shape of an odd, floating ball. We wouldn’t talk about it for the rest of the drive until we got to Zippy’s.

Then, all David had to say while nodding and chewing on his food was, “Night marchers. Had to be.”

Another witness to strange things on that lonely road is a now-retired Honolulu Police Officer and respected friend.

On a rainy November night in 2019, I received a phone call a little after midnight. It was my friend, the police officer I’ll call “M.” There was a bit of hesitation in his voice as he asked me if I could come out and bless his car.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Tonight?” I asked."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"He replied, “Yeah, right now, if can.”"}]

Without pause, I told M that I’d be right there. Since we were both up, my wife came with me, and we met him at the top of Nu‘uanu Pali Drive, where he was parked. M was supervising traffic while a construction crew worked on repaving the Pali Highway. When we arrived, M was waiting outside his car. We shook hands, and he immediately began to explain that just before calling me, he was sitting in his car and was amazed to see an army of pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owls) fly by, heading ma kai (toward the ocean) on Nu‘uanu Pali Drive. Shortly after, night marchers quietly followed the path set by the pueo.

M said he was so stunned by what he saw that he hadn’t immediately noticed the lone pueo flying around in his car, which he said was impossible since his windows were rolled up. That’s when he jumped out of his car and called me.

Though the road has changed, its history continues to linger. From ancient legends to modern tragedies, Nuʻuanu Pali Drive still carries the weight of its past as the stories of hauntings pass from one generation to the next, reminders that some places remember.

Nuuanu Pali Drive Mauka 2

<title>Beware Nu‘uanu Pali Drive</title>

Lush and beautiful as it may be, Nu‘uanu Valley also has a dark side as the site of the battle that defined King Kamehameha's Hawai‘i and as the home to infamously haunted Morgan's Corner.

Beware Nu‘uanu Pali Drive

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

[{"type":"text","text":"Looking for some oceanfront acreage? A home with a Hollywood heritage? "}]

An oceanfront estate on Kaua‘i's North Shore has hit the market with a $29.5 million price tag, listed by Hawaii Life's Neal Norman. A recent article from 

 notes that Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts and her husband, cinematographer Danny Moder, owned the property from 2009 to 2020.

Located at 5-8192 Kūhiō Highway, Limahuli Ocean Estate sits on 8.29 acres at "the end of the road" in Hā‘ena.

The property has a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. There's a 3,123-square-foot main home with lānai and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a one-bedroom, one-bathroom caretaker's cottage and a 490-square-foot pool, 

Norman told Aloha State Daily in an email that 360-degree views that include the beach, the ocean, mountains and waterfalls, are part of what make the property, which also has more than 400 linear feet of beachfront, special.

"The view is unimaginably beautiful — I cannot exaggerate enough how gorgeous it is."

Norman said the home, which was built in 1970, was "masterfully remodeled" in 2011 by San Francisco architecture firm 

"The pool, the grounds, the stream and the ability to build more structures and homes is unequaled in perhaps the whole state for a location as magnificent as this," he told ASD. "The home has also been meticulously maintained and updated with solar and Tesla systems and other state-of-the-art mechanical systems."

[{"type":"text","text":"The property is 20 minutes from Hanalei town."}]

"It nearly joins the Nāpali Coast trail, which is known as one of the most wild, rugged and beautiful parts of Kaua‘i," Norman said, adding that the property sits quite literally at "the end of the road," just on the edge of Hā‘ena State Park and, past that, Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park.

"The proximity to these parks makes some of the island's most incredible beaches, hiking and waterfalls part of the lifestyle of residing in this area."

Norman says the ideal buyer is one who appreciates "privacy, legacy, amazing architecture and enjoys the amazing water sports that the ocean in this area has to offer."

"This is as rare as it gets," he said of the property. "Once every 10 years something like this might become available. It is the combination of the majestic location, architectural significant, level of privacy, 360-degree views, and ability to improve the land further with other homes or structures that make this so exceedingly rare."

Hawai'i Skies: Across the sky

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