Public trust LIHUE >> Land adjacent to Lumahai Beach, where Mitzi Gaynor sang "I'm Going to Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" in the 1957 movie "South Pacific," was purchased yesterday by the Trust for Public Land.
buys land off
Lumahai Beach
'South Pacific' nurses sang
and danced on its photogenic sandsBy Anthony Sommer
Kauai correspondentIt was turned over to the state for eventual use as a park.
Lumahai Beach, also known locally as "Nurse's Beach" from its use in the movie, is on the north shore of Kauai just west of Hanalei. It is one of the most photographed beaches in the world.
In legend, Lumahai Valley is where the menehune settled when they first came to Kauai.Lumahai Beach also has been the site of many drownings over the years and is considered one of the most dangerous swimming spots on the island.
Although the beach is public, for decades visitors have trespassed across private land to reach it. They also have parked illegally along the narrow Kuhio Highway.
The rock formations cause dangerous rip currents during heavy north surf in the winter months. The most dangerous part of the beach, near the mouth of the Lumahai River, is not being purchased.
The sale of the 40 acres by the descendants of George N. Wilcox, founder of the Grove Farm sugar plantation in South Kauai, closed yesterday. The price of the land was not disclosed.
"As much as our family has cherished Lumahai Beach over the years, we have long recognized that this beach is important to all the people of Hawaii," said Pam Dohrman, a Wilcox family member.
Last year, the Wilcox family sold what remains of Grove Farm to America Online founder Steve Case.
Kauai already has more state park land than any other island, and the State Parks Division has been criticized by Kauai County and the visitor industry for its poor maintenance of the parks. It has not announced its plans for Lumahai Beach.