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A TOUR OF THE BIG ISLAND, HAWAII AT
ITS BEST
Introduction & History
| The island
of Hawaii. The biggest island and the youngest. The most enchanting of her seven sister
isles. A land of many moods, climates and environments. An island of striking
natural beauty. This is the Big Island, Hawaii at its best. But it is not just the
beauty of the Island that makes it a paradise. |
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| The people
of the Big Island bring her beauty to life. They are warm, friendly and hospitable.
Respect is measured by the depth of a smile. Today the people who live in Hawaii come from
all over the world. It is a gracious blend of cultures and traditions that live
together in unique harmony. |
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| The
Hawaiian culture, however, weaves its way through all aspects of life in Hawaii. The
Hawaiians were the first people to populate these islands. A proud people with a
long Polynesian heritage which they respect and carry on. |
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The first Polynesians sailed their canoes almost
2,500 miles to Hawaii and are believed to have arrived at the southern most tip of the big
island between 700 and 750 A.D. They brought entire families with them. They also
brought their laws and religion in order to perpetuate the civilization established by
their ancestors.
| Roughly a thousand years after the
first Hawaiians arrived, an historic event took place which was to change the destiny of
Hawaii forever. It was the arrival of the first Europeans. When British explorer
Captain James Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1778 he was welcomed as a high chief. |
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But by February of 1779, Cook and his crew had worn
out their welcome and he was killed over a misunderstanding in a skirmish with the
Hawaiians on the shore of Kealakekua Bay.
Hawaii's isolation, however, was now gone forever.
New immigrations would begin again, this time from other places and cultures
outside of Polynesia. Each one helping to build the multi-racial society that is
Hawaii today.
Return to the
Big Island Television Visitor's Information Page
Continue the tour in Kailua-Kona
Continue the tour From Keauhou to Honaunau
Continue the tour on the Kohala Coast
Continue the tour in Hilo
Continue the tour in Kamuela & Honokaa
Continue the tour in Volcano National Park
Continue the tour at Mauna Kea
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