More good news in the air—regional carrier Allegiant Air plans to launch nonstop service to Hawaii in late 2010, making our “fantasy islands” more accessible to visitors from smaller cities in the western U.S. like Eugene, Oregon; Bellingham, Washington and Monterey, California.

Allegiant currently serves smaller cities such as Medford and Bend, Oregon; Santa Maria and Fresno, California; Pasco, Washington and Mesa, Arizona. Direct flights from smaller cities will make Hawaii travel much more convenient since fliers can fly direct without routing through a major hub.

In related news, bookings are up for Norwegian Cruise Line—including their Hawaii-based ship, Pride of America. Officials...

There’s light at the end of the tunnel—or in the sky, in this case. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, “The airlines plan to boost the number of passenger seats to Hawaii by nearly 6 percent this spring, providing further evidence that the recovery in tourism in gaining traction.”

This is finally a reversal of the trend that began in the spring of 2008 when ATA and Aloha Airlines both folded, marking the beginning of the tourism downturn.

An estimated 500,000 additional seats will be added this year—with much of that growth going to Neighbor island destinations. And there’s more good news: word on the street is that vacation rental companies are seeing a dramatic up tick in reserv...

Nihilani at Princeville is getting a lot of action lately since prices have dropped to half of what the developer sold them for in 2006. These attached, quality two and three bedroom townhomes were built by Brookfield Homes Hawaii. Designed in the plantation style with lanais and Bahama shutters, they have two car garages, central air, and some of the lowest maintenance fees in Princeville. The pool area has a tropical pool/spa/barbecue area with a rock wall waterfall, hammocks, and lush landscaping.

These units originally sold from 600,000 to 800,000 but with upgrades, some units sold for just under one millon dollars.

The developer has only a few models left in inventory, and of...

As captivated as we are by the verdant wonder of Kauai’s north shore, sometimes we never get any further than Lihue. But recently our office took a “field trip” to the south side to visit Kukui’ula, a new master planned resort community. True to form, “Sunny Poipu” lived up to its name—it rained the whole way until we reached the Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center, where the clouds parted.

With lush landscaping, authentic plantation-style architecture, plus ocean and mountain views, Kukui’ula Village is a refreshing change from the typical mall experience—and unlike anything else on Kauai. We visited the real estate sales center, scoped out the newly opened restaurants—including Lappert...

Though Kauai real estate prices have dropped dramatically, they’ll never be as low as they were at Taylor Camp, where they were…. well, free.

In 1969—presumably to get revenge on a recalcitrant Building Department—the brother of actress Elizabeth Taylor allowed a bunch of hippies to camp on his oceanfront land in Haena, and for the next seven years it became a pot-friendly, clothing-optional oasis at the end of the road.

Surfers, Vietnam vets and hippies flocked to the camp and built elaborate tree houses with bamboo, tarps, and plastic sheeting. Babies were born, gardens grew, and freak flags flew… until the land was condemned for a State park and torched to the ground, leaving as...

Article Source

Ocean Bluff Home on 5.79 Acres Previously Offered for $9.995 million

KAUAI, Hawaii, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Concierge Auctions will host a real estate auction of a 6,015-square-foot ocean bluff estate with main residence and guest house at 4380D Paliku Place, and an adjacent ocean bluff lot, in Kealia onKauai, Hawaii on March 8, the company announced.  The sale is being conducted in cooperation with Neal Norman, Founder and Principal Broker of Koa Properties.

"Large, private ocean bluff parcels are rare in Kauai," Norman noted.  "This auction represents a unique opportunity for any buyer searching for premier Hawaii real estate."

The exquisite sand stucco home at 4380D P...

view original article here

Sales of single-family homes on Kauai in January increased three-fold, while the number of condominiums sold doubled.

There were 31 single-family homes sold on Kauai last month, more than three times the 10 houses that were sold in January 2009, according to Hawaii Information Service.

There were 14 condos sold in January, twice as many sales as in the same month in 2009.

Prices didn’t fare as well as sales, however.

The median price of a single-family home on the Garden Isle in January was $375,000, a 20 percent drop from $466,785 in January 2009.

And the median price of a condo last month was $204,500, a 19 percent drop from $254,000 in January 2009.

LEGENDARY SURFER: MARK CUNNINGHAM

view original article here

( Mark Cunningham image courtesy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin )


Aloha and welcome to this chapter of LEGENDARY SURFERS.

MARK CUNNINGHAM is probably the greatest bodysurfer of the modern era. This chapter is dedicated to him and the stoke he has shown all of us over the decades.







MARK CUNNINGHAM ARTICLES


"The Encyclopedia of Surfing," by Matt Warshaw: Mark Cunningham, p. 142.


Mark Cunningham Wins 2007 Pipeline Bodysurfing Championship
By Bernie Baker, Senior Hawaii Correspondent, SURFER Magazine

Finding just one decent day at Pipeline for Quiksilver’s Kaha Nalu Hanana `O Ehukai body surfing co...

You’ve got to admit: there’s truly something for everyone on Kauai, and there have rarely ever been so many great deals to choose from. Just for fun, I looked up today’s least and most expensive lots, houses and condos:

The least expensive piece of land on Kauai right now is an 8,276 sq. ft. vacant lot in Waimea listed for $50,000. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can find 280 acres on the southshore for $10.8M. (Okay, if you want to spend a tad less, you can watch the whales from Koa Properties’ listing at Anini Vista: 12 acres with spectacular ocean views for $10.5M.) See photo on left.

Don’t feel like building? Let’s look at houses. For $175,000 (that’s asking) you can ...

Princeville’s Makai Golf Club reopened on January 16 after a multi-million dollar renovation featuring redesigned greens, fairways, tee boxes and bunkers. 

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, the popular Makai Course winds its way around serene lakes, native woodlands and the spectacular coastline, with views of Bali Hai and Hanalei Bay.

The course plays to a par 72 with four different sets of tees that can be stretched to more than 7,200 yards from the tips. The signature 7th hole plays to 213 yards from the back tees. It consists of a challenging tee shot over scenic cliffs onto a green surrounded by brilliant white bunkers and surreal views of the mountains and Pacific Ocean. 

The pra...

Paying it Forward  

     Have you been wondering what’s happening on the fifteen acres on the mauka (mountain) side of the main highway intersection in Kilauea? Local resident William Porter is developing Anaina Hou, an “agricultural, educational, and recreational community gathering place.” Phase One—an 18-hole miniature golf course with botanical gardens, a clubhouse, a concession stand, and a park-and-ride bus stop—is expected to be completed as early as August 2010.

    Anaina Hou, which means “a new gathering,” has also proposed an outdoor amphitheater and an indoor auditorium, conference center and certified kitchen. The group envisions a 250-seat amphitheater, providing a venue ...

The new Halele'a Spa at the recently re-opened St. Regis Princeville Resort is amazing. The designers picked a "water" theme to honor the magical waterfalls of Hanalei... and did they ever. It's surely one of the most beautiful spas anywhere, with dark coconut wood, aqua-blue glass tile, and a tranquil relaxation lounge with "waterfall walls."

All the treatments sound luscious. I'd love to try the rainforest shower with a taro butter body polish... followed by a foot massage with creamy lemon grass scrub and (be still my beating heart) a warm ginger pedicure.

Santa, are you reading this? ...Santa?

http://www.stregisprinceville.com/

Last week it snowed in downtown San Francisco, it was minus two degrees in Colorado, and one homesick Kauaian spent hours trapped on I-5 when a storm closed the Grapevine.

Our condolences. We're trying not to feel guilty-really-but lately our weather has been pure perfection. Dazzling blue skies, a sudden crispness in the air, the occasional die-hard surfer wearing long pants... it's winter on Kauai.

We are midway into the Makahiki holiday season, proving once again that the ancient Hawaiians really knew how to live. This annual festival of the harvest was a time of rest and renewal, purification and celebration.

Work and war were taboo. The Hawaiians paid tribute to their chiefs, ho...

View article source

By Nina Wu 

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 05, 2009

Home sales on the Big Island and Kauai jumped for the month of November, following a trend set earlier in data released for Oahu and Maui.

View Large Version >>

The number of homes sold on the Big Island surged 66.2 percent to 113 in November compared with 68 the same month a year ago, according to Hawaii Information Service.

This was despite a higher median price of $290,000 for November, 2.7 percent higher than $282,500 the same time last year.

On Kauai, 23 recorded homes were sold last month, a 53.5 percent jump from a year ago.

The median price of a home on Kauai, however, fell to $442,000, a considerable 28...

Ni'ihau - the Forbidden Isle By James R Shaw

October 5, 2009

View article source

Ni'ihau is the smallest of the eight inhabited Hawaiian Islands. It measures approximately 69.5 square miles, and is located southwest of Kauai. The small island of Lehua is just 0.7 miles north of Niihau. There is no electricity on Ni'ihau, and no roads, hotels, or restaurants. Today Ni'ihau is a private island.

By 1785, King Kamehameha had unified all of the Hawaiian Islands except for Kauai and Ni'ihau. He tried to conquer the island twice; both attempts failed. Finally, in 1810 he returned with a great fleet, and the native rulers of Ni'ihau surrendered rather than risk another fight.

Ni'ihau is know...

Hawaii foreclosure filings remain high

View article source

HONOLULU - A real estate research firm reports there were 925 foreclosure filings in Hawaii in October as distressed homeowners continued to deal with layoffs, furloughs and wage cuts.

The October figure is short of the 969 filings in September and the record 990 in July. There were 395 filings in October 2008.

RealtyTrac says at one filing per 545 households, Hawaii's October foreclosure rate was 17th-worst in the nation. But it was still better than the national rate of one filing per 385 households.

Oahu had the lowest rate of foreclosure filings in the state last month with one per 863 households.

On the Big Island th...

Big Island, Kauai home sales increase

View source article

By Allison Schaefers

POSTED: 11:27 a.m. HST, Nov 05, 2009

Home sales picked up on the Big Island and Kauai in October, according to a report released today by Hawaii Information Service

Single-family home sales rose 48.2 percent on the Big Island and 39.1 percent on Kauai. Likewise, condominium sales rose 20.83 on the Big Island and a staggering 77.8 percent on Kauai.

The median price paid for a single-family home fell 13.3 percent on Kauai to $446,500 and 5.8 percent to $282,500 on the Big Island.  But while the median condominium price rose 26.4 percent to $357,000 on the Big Island, the median condominium price fell 24 per...

View article source

This latest honor underscores the Garden Isle's high quality golf-and-resort destination lifestyle value, options, and tropical beach ambiance.

The Kaua'i Visitors Bureau today announces that golf resorts on the Garden Isle have been honored in Golf Digest magazine's biennial ranking of the "75 Best Golf Resorts in North America."

The Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort & Spa in Poipu made a large leap up the esteemed rankings jumping from No. 32 in 2007 to No. 16 in this iteration of the Golf Digest list. Poipu Bay Golf Course, which hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 1994-2006 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is adjacent to the Grand Hyatt and one of many ameniti...