For anyone interested in more of a story, I encourage you to use the wayfinder presented below as a guide to the tale that plays out across Rare Air Episodes 30 through 35. Not only do these installments frame-up our family trip to Hawaii’s Big Island from July, 2018, they also document some fascinating natural phenomena surrounding the life and ecosystem of a species of goby that is endemic to Hawaii’s mountain streams.
What you see here in Episode 34 is Kolekole Beach, where young ‘o’opu ‘alamo’o goby fish arrive, having traveled down Akaka Falls (Episode 31), under the Kolekole Stream Bridge (Episode 32) and past the Ka’ahakini/Kolekole Stream Confluence (Episode 33). Within these tempestuous waters, eventually, something stirs them to turn around, and begin their epic journeys back up the Kolekole Stream, from which they came.
In the writing that accompanies Episode 32, I explained the state of Kolekole Beach Park during the time of our visit. In short, 15 months after being closed to the public due to lead contamination, nature was well on its way to reclaiming the land and the facilities, which were mostly abandoned. One shelter remained in regular use, however, by a group of feral cats who seemed to be persevering quite well, much the delight of our teenagers. Deeply immersed within the brilliant artistry of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli throughout their lives, to Riley and Amelia, these beings were spirits, and the moments spent in their company were sacred, as you can see.
I can’t help but share a few scenes from the opening of “Spirited Away” which subconsciously added wonderous dimensions to our experiences taking in this magical place and its inhabitants, including those unseen. One might say that something stirred our adolescents on this day, at a point as far away from our home as we have ever ventured. The days and months since represent some pretty epic journeys for us all.
Hawaii Big Island, July, 2018
. December 2018 desktop calendar: Slideshow featuring select photos from our trip
. Rare Air Episode 30, Part 1: Trip overview; video from Puako on 7/28/18
. February 2019 desktop calendar: Waipi’o Valley Lookout
. Rare Air Episode 31, Part 2: Video from Akaka Falls on 7/25/18
. April 2019 desktop calendar: Kolekole Stream Bridge from Old Mamalahoa Highway
. Rare Air Episode 32, Part 3: Video from 7/25/18 at Kolekole Stream Bridge
. June 2019 desktop calendar: Kolekole Beach Park
. Rare Air Episode 33, Part 4: Ka’ahakini/Kolekole Streams
. August 2019 desktop calendar: Kolekole Beach Park
. Rare Air Episode 34, Part 5: You are here
. October 2019 desktop calendar: Undersea in Puako Bay
. Rare Air Episode 35, Part 6: Video from Puako Bay on 7/28/18
