16 » OpenRoad Driver
WHERE OUR ROAD TAKES YOU
Edge of Glory
ROAD TO HANA
by Rick and Chris Millikan
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Maui’ s secluded east coast beckons us to the edge of glory. From Kahului Airport, we drive through hip Paia and onto Hana’ s 84-kilometre heritage highway. The Road to Hana rolls out between sugarcane fields and tangled swaths of uluhe ferns high above the coast. Lavender, orange and red-blossomed trees dot this verdant expanse. Tentacled purple blooms crown lofty octopus trees, known at home as umbrella plants.
After passing through an immense stand of bamboo, the road snakes onward into dense greenery. This rainforest section contains six hundred hairpin curves and fifty-four one-lane bridges, many built in 1910. Rounding every bend exposes more wondrous vistas. Parking under huge banyans provides a roadside break and the chance to savour pineapple smoothies and fresh-baked banana bread at a food truck.
At the halfway point of our drive, Keanae Arboretum allows a closer examination of Hawaiian trees and plants. From a huge monkey-pod tree, a walkway leads us past vibrant gingers, flamboyant heliconia and assorted palms. The rainbow eucalyptus