Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park

The present temple site was restored by the national park authorities and is a replica of the original which dates from the end of the 18th c. The division of the temple site by means of a 10ft/3m-high, 16ft/5m-wide wall into the City of Refuge area and the Palace Grounds can be seen today. The thick wall between the former palace and the sanctuary has been preserved over the centuries, with repair work being carried out in 1902 and 1963-64.

Using information gleaned from pictures, replica koa wood carvings of temple gods have been placed in their original positions.

There is more to be seen on the 952sq.yd/800sq.m estate and a free map is available at the visitor center. Attractions include the landing place of the royal canoes ("keone'ele"), the stones on which the royal family played a type of Hawaiian nine men's morris ("konane"), the Kuuhumanu Stone (behind which the Queen hid from Kamehameha's henchmen but was discovered when her dog began to bark), a royal fishpond ("he-lei-palalu"), the Keoua Stone (supposedly the favorite place of Keoua, King of Kona), burial vaults, rock carvings (petroglyphs) and models of houses belonging to the priests and inhabitants of the City of Refuge.

When the whole temple has been reconstructed, Hawaiian history will come to life in a vivid and varied way. Nowhere else in Hawaii - with the possible exception of the Bishop Museum - can so much be learned about island traditions.