Very remote self sufficient Polynesian lifestyle on 2600 acres of oceanfront

Hawaii

Ala Kaha Kai ("King's trail") towards Waianuenue waterfall that is eastern property boundary

Traditional wetland taro farming in ancient lo'i

2 reviews • Updated 2 months ago

Aloha potential WWOOFers! We are a small group of people who purchased an ahupu'a'a (pie shaped slice of the island from the top of the mountain to the sea, basically a watershed) on the island of Hawai'i for conservation, cultural preservation, and to create an opportunity to enjoy a sustainable tropical lifestyle in what was once a thriving oceanfront Hawaiian village. The hope is to set an example of how people and nature can coexist in harmony. Essentially this is the "Hawaiian dream", living in a grass shack next to a coconut grove by the ocean, planting and eating what food you don't pick up as you wander through a tropical paradise from orchard to waterfall. People come and go, but your primary contacts will be Chris and Jimmy, who manage the property on a day to day basis. We both have many obligations and travel a lot, but we try to ensure that someone is on site at all times. We do suggest a couple, family, or a few friends coming together as it is possible we may not always be able to be there and it is too remote for most to be comfortable being alone. You will also be sharing your space with some friendly cats - there to keep away the smaller mammals... Gathering and preparing food are our primary activities, but there is also trail and orchard maintenance, all aspects of gardening, and critically, maintenance of the lo'i (wetland taro patches, something like a rice paddy) that provide our most important source of food. Ability to operate a weedeater and ideally a chain saw can be very helpful. A typical day for me would include hand weeding in the lo'i, garden, or around fruit trees, or perhaps a session with the weedeater, then fishing, swimming in waterfall pools, surfing if you can handle the extreme north shore Hawai'i ocean conditions, and of course gathering fruits and vegetables. You will learn about tropical fruits, tropical gardening, and traditional food preparation as well as Polynesian culture. As visitors to our property, what you choose to do each day is pretty much a matter of what appeals to you in the moment but we certainly appreciate helpful people. Nothing we do is based on monetary value, there is nowhere to spend money and the property is too remote to bring anything to market, so what work you do will be to contribute to your own well being and that of future visitors. Most of your food will be gathered off the land. There are hundreds of trees planted and a fair number bearing, including many planted a hundred years ago. Acres of bananas of many types, numerous coconut groves, mango trees, wild and planted papaya, hundreds of pineapples, avocados, breadfruit, citrus, dozens of things you likely haven't heard of (depending on season) - abundance is an inadequate term. As long as the rain falls, anyway. For protein eaters there is an ocean full of fish and shellfish, and prawns (an invasive species) are abundant in the numerous streams. Personally, I like to bring a large stock of cheeses that keep for months, and a bit of canned seafood and meats. But a vegan lifestyle nearly entirely off the land is very doable, if you bring some nutritional yeast for B12. In keeping with WWOOF standards we will ensure that there is abundance and variety available to you, but naturally you will be expected to help gather and prepare food. I do need to mention that a coconut allergy might be a problem; coconut cream is an important part of the Polynesian diet and winds up in nearly everything. Some visitors prefer to live entirely off the land for the experience, but for most supplementing with bulk staples flown in infrequently makes for more varied meals and so is more enjoyable over the long term. Cooking is generally done as a group effort. All meals are cooked over a fire, but there is a wood fired pizza oven that gets a fair bit of use and baking is done in a Dutch oven. Housing consists of simple bamboo structures with sleeping lofts. Camping, of course, is also an option. There is cold running water and a sink. If bathing in a pool or a cold shower seems unappealing you can build a fire under the cast iron bathtub for a hot bath. Solar power provides lights and can run 120v AC appliances, power tools, chargers, and etc. High speed Starlink internet is available to ease isolation and connect with the world, but cuts off from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM to force you to interact with real life. There is no refrigeration wanted or needed, just so you know. Laundry must be done by hand, generally in a bucket, and we do expect you to leave any bedding you use clean. Although somewhat "primitive" most people find the set up surprisingly comfortable for the location. We aren't out here to suffer; we are trying to live the best possible life! It's just that my idea of utopia may differ from yours... An important thing to be clear on from the outset is the inaccessibility of this property. Although it is possible to hike in (in a day or two) or kayak from the end of the nearest (4 wheel drive) road (in about 1-1/2 hours), these options are dangerous and involve the interaction of unmitigated north shore surf with cliffs and rocky shoreline. Only the most experienced "watermen" (waterpeople?) are able to access the property this way, and only on calm days. Your access will initially, and most likely always, be by helicopter. Due to the extremely high cost of providing this service we are only interested in people who are looking for a long term situation. We see a month as a "trial period", to see if you are compatible, but prefer those who hope to stay longer. Be aware there will be no trips to the store or eating out - once you are here you are here for the duration. It will, however, be possible to have a care package dropped on occasion. Our one way cost to transport up to four people and gear to or from the property is $650 by helicopter. People do fly in fairly regularly and it is possible to leave at those times, however, if someone is unwilling to fulfill their commitment and wants an unscheduled flight they would be expected to pay for it. Alternatively if a guide is available one could hike out in a day if the ocean is calm. Or Jimmy could pick you up in his Zodiac if you are willing to swim out to the boat. Obviously if there were a true medical emergency we would arrange to have you flown out, but the presumption is that you will stay for the agreed upon term or longer. We like to do music nights on occasion. There are a couple of funky guitars (bring nylon strings, steel strings don't last in the salt air!) or bring your own instruments. There are some basic art supplies. Wood carving is an option, and fiber arts with the cotton or various traditional fibers. Lauhala weaving and thatching. But mostly we garden, gather, fish, walk, swim, and cook. There are a number of bathing pools to swim in, typically at the foot of thousand foot falls, and of course the ocean to play in if you can handle it. Hiking around the point to explore and gather is enjoyable, and while it is extremely difficult to leave the land it does allow you some miles to walk in. And there is always an assortment of books to read on those rainy days. We all have different types and levels of stimulation we need, but I never manage to feel bored! UPDATE: Although there are no trips currently scheduled, we will make an effort to arrange a flight and host any time we can get at least three people to commit to going at the same time. UPDATE 2: Someone broke the platform with the flush toilet; while it is functional it is very unsafe and it is likely that it will not be usable and an outhouse will need to be built for now. Update 3: I will be traveling August 21-November 12 in areas with little internet access. While I will check in as often as possible, be aware that I will be unable to respond quickly during this time. However, if you provide a phone number in your initial communication I can pass that on to Jimmy and it will expedite things. Important note: As much as I enjoy sharing with and learning from people from other cultures, upon consideration I cannot in good conscience recommend, in our current unfortunate political climate, that foreign nationals come to the United States intending to WWOOF on our property. It seems unlikely that you would be admitted for the purpose of WWOOFing, and as a guest you would need, at a minimum, the address of where you would be staying - which we cannot provide. If you are already in the United States, or coming here with another initial destination in mind, you are free to apply, but do not plan on coming directly to our land from outside the country - so sorry, but this is beyond our control. Looking forward to hearing from you - Chris

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Aquaculture

Wild foraging

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Traditional crafts

Green Building

Renewable energy production

Food justice / sovereignty

Methods or systems

Aquaponics

Biological pest control

Biodynamic agriculture

Holistic management

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

1,058.3 Hectares | 2,615 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Campsite

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

Over a month

Christopher

Member since 2025

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 97% Response time: typically within 2 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

Hawaii

Kona, Hawai'i

Reviews

Kerri

United States • September 2025

This place was everything I'd had hoped for & more!!!! Chris was an amazing host and just a all around good person! He went over & beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. I honestly can't think of 1 thing that I didn't like about Chris, the property or the over-all experience! I planned to stay a couple months on this property but unfortunately had a death in the family that required me to return home just 7 days into my stay. Chris was very accommodating and did whatever he could to make sure I got back as quick as possible to attend the funeral. I had a choice of doing a 2 day hike or paying $600 for a unplanned helicopter ride out. Luckily I happened to have some extra cash so I was able to start making arrangements for the funeral the same day i was notified of my uncles death. I hope to get a chance for a do-over very soon! If I do, I'll be bringing a friend or two along with me.

Rachel

United States • June 2025

A once in a lifetime experience in Truly special part of the Big Island. My time there was peaceful and my hosts were just great, they went above and beyond. I feel a much deeper appreciation and understanding for the island. I could go on and on about the beauty of the place and how much I learned about the plants and geography of this island during my stay. Harvesting our own food was really something special and it was incredible to be in touch with the land like that in such a peaceful and isolated setting. It truly is an untouched paradise and I'm grateful to have seen it

Reply from Christopher

Appreciate the positive review. That you've chosen to change your profile pic to a picture taken from the land really says something!