Kunia

Kunia was a small town that housed the workers of Del Monte pineapple. Not too long after we moved here, Del Monte announced that they were closing down the Kunia operation in two years. The final crop of pineapples were planted. Within six months, Del Monte closed. I had heard that the company was going to sell the plantation homes to the people who had lived there for all those years.

It's such a cool place. Kunia Road is the road that skits the Waianae Mountains on our side. It goes from Scholfield and ends at the freeway in Ewa. Never too crowded, beautiful views.

Up until a few years ago, the Kunia Orchid Show was held in their community center. Hubby and I went the last year...just beautiful displays of every type of orchid you could imagine.

I would guess that the houses in Kunia have to be 50+ years old. Many of them still have the original tin roofs.

I counted about 8 streets total in the whole plantation village. It sits right at the base of the mountains.

The view all the way to town and Diamond Head

A typical house


On the day I stopped to take pictures, I actually talked to a man who was watering his yard. He told me that Del Monte never did offer the workers the houses. A company came in and bought the whole parcel, so now they lease the houses from this company.

The market/post office is now closed with a temporary post office in a trailer. All of the Del Monte buildings are sitting empty.

The most important thing is that at least Kunia hasn't lost any of it's charm.