Photos of High Tide and Honus at Kukio Beach

Published December 14, 2017 | By Elizabeth Weintraub

Kukio Beach paddleboards available for rent.

Wednesday is not so busy this time of year that Sacramento Realtor and part-time Kona resident Elizabeth Weintraub can’t find time to visit Kukio Beach. I checked the tide charts, and high tide was around 12:30 PM. Ordinarily, I would prefer low tide because there are more interesting things to see at low tide, but I was hosed given the fact low tide happens twice a day. Neither of those times worked with my schedule.

Located just 30 minutes from Kona, I picked Kukio Beach, a hair south of the Four Seasons Hualalai because I had never been there. My husband and I stayed in an oceanfront cabana about 6 years ago, but I never realized a public beach was located within walking proximity. We never walked there because why would we? We had a beautiful beach right at Four Seasons. Plus, we would have had to pull our big fats butt out of the covered chairs we were forced to rent to walk there. Too easy to stay put. Lazy bums.

Although, it’s difficult to believe it was only 6 years ago that we fought to get a reservation at the Four Seasons. They don’t give reservations to just anybody around the holidays. You have to be on a special list and wait. Then, after you are confirmed, which is like 3 months before you need to buy airline tickets and all the prices have escalated, you sigh and say well, next year should be easier.

After trying many of the other resorts, OK, I decided we should buy a house in Hawaii and not deal with this crap anymore.

Even so, high winds, crashing surf, still led to a delightful day at Kukio Beach. You get free parking if you visit the public beach. Just pull up at the guard station and ask for a free pass to the beach. Take a left, and you’re at Kukio Beach. You will find restrooms available, too. Half hour from my house to Kukio Beach: white sands, shade, picnic table, and paddleboard rentals.

Surprisingly, I discovered an empty beach when I arrived. Not complaining. Walking up the path toward Four Seasons, the waves smacked me a few times, and the wind tried to push me off the path. Blowing sand stung my legs. I braved on. I was on a mission. A mission for lunch. I tell you this, the weather was not like this 6 years ago at this time of year. If I was a paying resident at Four Seasons, and those beachfront cabanas can run you $1,500 a night, I would be royally pissed due to the weather.

But seriously, how upset can you get? The waitstaff will tell you: Oh, it’s winter, it’s always like this. NO, it is not always like this. It was pretty horrible. But definitely worth the trip. After nourishment, I bought new sunglasses. Four Seasons carries a large assortment. Then, I strolled back down the jogging path, which is where I found the family of honus resting on the beach.

Uh, oh, I just discovered you have to be very CAREFUL with auto correct because instead of honus, my computer typed homos. I should complain to Apple because that’s just not an acceptable term. People have all sorts of definitions to describe sexual orientation. Gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, and I guess there is a term about undecided or decline to state. But homos, really? Honus means turtles in Hawaiian.

In Hawaii, the green turtles are protected and you cannot be within 15 feet of them. Especially when they are nesting. You need to leave them alone. They are protected.

Well, enough of my blabbering, I hope you enjoy the photographs of my visit to Kukio Beach and the Four Seasons.