It feels like one of those roads that you can drive through every day and still discover new hidden corners. Even as a Maui-born local, our guide Sierra Lerback is still amazed by the beauty on this long scenic path, and she took a few friends along for the wild ride. Rosie Jaffurs (just an island hopper flight away from Oahu) and San Diego-based Mele Saili were grateful to be sitting shotgun and passenger side to get an eyefill of the views.
From a local and a seasoned traveler, Sierra and Mele talked story about the best stops to pull over on the famous Road to Hana, and where to get the best kombucha on the island.
All photos by Luki O'Keefe.
What are your favorite special places on the Road to Hana and why?
Sierra: On our journey to Hana the Seea girls and I were lucky enough to visit some of the most beautiful places on the island including Waioka (mermaid looking pool next to ocean), Kaihalulu (red sand beach), a secret black sand beach, and to Kipahulu (big waterfall). These are a few of my favorite places in the world, full of beauty and secluded from the outside world.
Hana takes you back to old Hawaii and the simple life, it's the best place to go and forget all of your worries and leave with a clear mind. There's nothing like climbing from waterfall from waterfall with your friends, surrounded by nothing but lush green Forrest. It's a very special and sacred place to the people of Maui, and around Hawaii.
What is the history of the Road to Hana?
The road to Hana was one of the many original roads used to transport goods such as pineapple and sugarcane, with its perfect soil and tropical weather Hana was a place where all things thrived and provided sustenance for the people of Maui in the 1800s. Since then the road had completely changed and been paved over in most places, although the backside is still a one lane road, filled with gravel and dirt... Not the most friendly on a rental car either.
How does it feel to travel through all the different landscapes in a short distance?
Mele: Magical. That place just pulses with energy and life that I've never experienced anywhere else. It was incredible that Sierra grew up there and showed us so many hidden hangout spots, waterfalls, lookout points. And everyone knew her so we were welcomed pretty much everywhere we went.
Sierra: One minute you're on dry shrubby sea cliffs, then 20 minutes down the way you're in a lush tropical forest. The islands have so much diversity it teaches you to appreciate all kinds of beauty, whether it be the black sand beaches or the red volcanic rocks.
Mele, you've been to Maui before to visit your sister. What's the story of how she ended up there?
My sister Mikela and four girls from our home town in Pacific Beach decided one summer to move to Maui on a whim. They barely saved up any money and had little to no travel experience. I believe all they took was a suitcase of clothes, a surfboard, bathing suits, skateboards and a hammock each.
My family had bets on how long they would last... The first 6 months they camped in the jungle. She'd FaceTime me with a huge smile on her face but covered in bug bites from sleeping in a hammock in the jungle. People started recognizing them around town and would invite them over for drinks and dinners and an occasional couch to crash on. They eventually upgraded to a shave ice back stock warehouse for a bit and eventually moved into a house altogether after a year of adventurous homelessness.
In the '80s my mom moved to Maui to rebel against her parents and met my dad who moved there from Tonga, was just finishing up high school and working on his uncles banana farm. They met on a dance floor at the club one night.
Sierra, you and Rosie knew each other before this trip. Do all women surfers on the islands have strong relationships?
Sierra: Maui and Oahu are pretty similar in a sense, but here on Maui we don't have nearly as much of a city as they do. The culture is very similar all around Hawaii, people who love the islands and ocean.
Growing up and surfing in Hawaii you are always with the same group of girls, and it's so awesome because everyone is so supportive and encouraging to each other. It's like one big family.
Where did you get the best waves?
Sierra: We got a little bump of swell at Honolua Bay and surfed the inside break called Keiki Bowls, the rights were lining up perfectly and the girls were killing it. I've grown up at this break and it was so awesome to have all of us out here trading waves and smiles.
What recommendations do you have for visitors of Maui?
Sierra: Places to go/ things to do: Road to Hana, Haleakala, Paia town, Maui kombucha (best in the world!!) I'm addicted, Honolua Bay.
What advice do you have for travelers to Maui and the road to Hana?
Mele: Pull over for locals!
Sierra: For those who get carsick, it would be in your best interest to take a plane out and experience the beauty from the sky and save yourself the two hours of winding roads. But if you don't mind, it's well worth the journey.
Do's / Don't’s: Pull over for locals on the road. Don't steal flowers from stranger’s yards. Eat LOTS of poke. Pack it in and pack it out. Do your part to keep the beaches clean. Don't drop your keys in a cow pasture. Sooo bad haha crawling on all fours through the grass looking for them for a while! Sunscreen. All day everyday. Support local businesses!
All photos by Luki O'Keefe.
MORE HAWAII STORIES:
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Mele paints outside. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Mele in the Swami's in Cocodot. Photo by Roisin. |
Mele in the Swami's in Cocodot. Photo by Roisin. |
Mele Saili. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Mele's art. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Mele painting. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
All the candid moments of traveling and in between the official cameras rolling for "Seea in Italy."
]]>"Look at this. 15 hours by plane, 14 hours by ferry, 8 hours driving, to surf this mess!" funtemplates 2015 Collection was filmed across different location in Italy, and despite less than perfect surf conditions, our love for the country’s culture and beauty only deepened.
funtemplates in Italy – Behind the Scenes video captures the candid moments of traveling and in between the official cameras rolling.
There is no one size fits all for surfboards but some of the Bing longboards come pretty darn close. Read on to find out which magic Bing longboard model that three of the Seeababes swear by.
]]>Mele Saili wears the Capitola Top in Prarie, Rincon neoprene Jacket and Marina Pants. Photo by Nick LaVecchia for Without Walls. |
Mele wears the Hermosa in Earth Waves, riding her Bing longboard. Photo by Nick LaVecchia. |
Mele Saili holds the custom Seea x Bing Surfboard that we are raffling off now! Click for more info. Contest ends May 31, 2015. |
Close-up of the logos on the bottom of the surfboard. Photo by Stone Crandall. |
funtemplates x Bing Surfboard! Photo by Stone Crandall. |
Lola Mignot wears the Zuma in Rose Petal with her Bing longboard. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot in the Zuma Surf Suit in Rose Petal. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Lola Mignot surfs her Bing longboard in the Zuma Surf Suit in Rose Petal. Photo by Luki O'Keefe. |
Taylor Nelson wears the Zuma in Black Stripe. Photo by Alex Shea. |
Taylor Nelson takes a break on her Bing longboard wearing in the Leucadia in Luna. |
Taylor Nelson levitates on the nose wearing the Zuma Surf Suit in Burgundy. |
Sure, we came to Italy to surf. But this trip was so much more. Watch the film and fall in love with Italy's culture!
]]>Jenayl in the Belmont Romper in Prarie. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Italian scenery. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Jenayl wears the Riviera in Geo Gold on the coast of Sicily. Mele wears the Leucadia in Purple Sail. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Mele in the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Jenayl in the Montara in Vintage and Calafia legging in Prarie. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Jenayl in the Capitola in Geogold (worn in reverse), Windansea shirt in Deco Waves and Marina Neoprene pants. Mele in the Rincon jacket, Chicama Top and Bottom in Porto. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Mele in the Rincon jacket, Chicama Top and Bottom in Porto. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Jenayl in the Capitola in Geogold (worn in reverse), Windansea shirt in Deco Waves and Marina Neoprene pants. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Mele in the Leucadia bikini in Luna. Jenayl in the Tofino in Geo Gold. |
Jenayl snacks on local fruit. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Mele in the Mundaka top in Earth Waves. Jenayl in the SanO in Luna. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Driving through the Viale dei Cipressi in Bolgheri, Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Driving into the famous town Bolgheri, Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
The still waters in Bagni Nettuno, the historical resort in the Castiglioncello region of Tuscany. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Cleo wears the Swamis in Tiles in Bagni Nettuno. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
"Intimasea" is a short film that celebrates the beauty and grace of women's longboard surfing, and dreamy high of playing in the waves with your friends.
]]>Made in collaboration with Australian filmmaker Nathan Oldfield, "Intimasea" is a short film that celebrates the beauty and grace of women's longboard surfing, and dreamy high of playing in the waves with your friends.
Featuring Seeababe ambassadors: Leah Dawson, Lola Mignot, Hallie Rohr, Karina Rozunko, Mele Saili and Makala Smith wearing the Seea 2015 collection, and filmed in Australia.
“Unfortunately, when I was a grom, there weren’t many girls and women in the water. I went through high school knowing only one girl who surfed with us,” said Nathan Oldfield in The Inertia. “Back then, lineups tended to be very macho affairs — very competitive, crowded with full-on sword fights. Nowadays, the tables have completely turned, especially where I live. I for one am completely stoked to share waves with lady sliders. They bring a unique and beautiful and gentler energy to surfing culture; it is a privilege and a pleasure and, above all, an inspiration to share time in the ocean with sea sisters.”
Shop the looks seen in "Intimasea" HERE!
]]>The anticipation was rising, and Byron Bay's famed glassy perfection didn't disappoint.
]]>The anticipation was rising, and Byron Bay's famed glassy perfection didn't disappoint.
Being foreigners in roaming cell phone tower zones, connecting in real life with our Aussie family branches was a game of comment tag through Instagram posts and email chats on stolen Wi-Fi. And when the stars finally aligned for California Seeababes Mele Saili and Lola Mignot to share waves with Byron Babes Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald, Lauren L. Hill and photographer Ming Nomchong, it was heaven-sent fun.
Special thanks to Ming Nomchong for capturing the blissful session. Don't miss her blog, The Drifter for more salty inspiration.
Mele Saili wears the Seea Swami's in Blue Fossil. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola Mignot wears the Seea Mundaka Wrap Top and Solimar Bikini Bottoms in Luna. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
The inspiring Lauren Hill slices through the crowd. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
A brilliant dance. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
The graceful gliding of Mele Saili. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Chrystal Dawn Fitzgerald wearing the Leucadia High-Waist bottoms in Luna. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola over the edge. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Filmmaker Nathan Oldfield joined in the fun. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Bing surfboards team rider, Lauren Hill. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
Lola Mignot. Photo by Ming Nomchong. |
MORE SEEABABES IN OZ:
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Congrats to the Seeababes who placed at the 2015 Noosa Festival of Surfing! Read on for full results and photos from the contest.
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Karina Rozunko during one of the heats at the Noosa Festival of Surfing 2015. Photo via Noosafestivalofsurfing.com |
Mele Saili after one of her heats at the Noosa Festival of Surfing 2015. Photo via Noosafestivalofsurfing.com |
Cool and confident, Makala Smith at the Noosa Festival of Surfing. Photo via @letmesea on Instagram. |
Another great shot of Mele Saili leaning in. Photo via @letmesea on Instagram. |
Winner of the Women's Open Mele Saili during the final round. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Second place in the Junior women's, Lola Mignot goes in reverse. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Another one of Karina Rozunko flying, winner of the Women's Pro. Photo by Narrow Path Media. |
Pretty much any surf trip is going with the flow of the weather, and chasing the windswell to Sicily was the best window of surf we got. Our next destination, Tuscany was about slowing down to breathe in iconic Italian village culture.
]]>Back on the ferry on the way to Tuscany. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
The Viale dei Cipressi that leads to Bolgheri. |
Thanks Lorenzo for the ride! |
Tuscany roads are meant to be driven upon in a car like this. |
We enlisted some local models in Bolgheri. |
Bolgheri ladies know how to live it up! Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Seea's Belmont Romper, Maderas Shorts and Palmas worn with Italian street style. |
These colors! So good. |
Welcome to Bolgheripiu! |
Inside the store of cool curated goods from local designers. |
Dinner in Bolgheri. |
View from our room in the Casale Del Mare. |
A little bit of rain this time of year. |
The unimitable Andrea Nacci and his quiver like no other. |
Even with no waves, the view is worth it. |
Calm end of summer. |
Jewels by Ines Susaeta. |
Thanks to the guys who were awesome tour guides and travel companions. |
That's a wrap! |
Capturing the distinct culture of Italy’s historic cobblestone streets and romantic old world countrysides — gorgeous! No problem. Looking for waves, however, made the trip into a crazy mission full of surprises and serendipitous encounters along the way. Come along on our hunt for waves and all the twists and turns that make traveling an addictive experience.
]]>How we roll. Seea in Italy! |
Why did we pick Italy, of all coastlines in the world to take the Seeababes for the 2015 photoshoot? As the homeland of designer Amanda Chinchelli, Italian tile architecture, striped beach umbrellas and colors of red wine were an inspiration, so Sicily and Tuscany felt like the perfect backdrops for the patterns and colors of the new collection.
Capturing the distinct culture of Italy’s historic cobblestone streets and romantic old world countrysides — gorgeous! No problem. Looking for waves, however, made the trip into a crazy mission full of surprises and serendipitous encounters along the way. Come along on our hunt for waves and all the twists and turns that make traveling an addictive experience.
Mele and Jenayl at the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. |
First stop: California Seeababes Mele Saili and Jenayl Peters arrive in Florence! We spent the day taking them to see some of the famous places in Florence and then planned our next move.
Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and Mele wears the Windansea shirt. |
Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and Mele wears the Windansea shirt. |
Seeababes in Florence! Jenayl wears the Laguna Pant and found an admirer. |
An illustration of the Italian wind directions from Bagni Nettuno. |
We checked with the Onde Nostre crew (stylish insiders of the Italian surf scene and filmmakers) and master wind reader Alessandro Ponzanelli aka Nelly and decided to go south. Alessandro is a Bing team rider, our go-to surf guide, wonderful video and photo assistant, plus a cute babysitter for Annabel!
From Florence all the way to Sicily! Map courtesy of rome2rio.com |
The long journey to Sicily. Photo by Mele Saili. |
Map of Sicily. We headed for the eastern coast. |
After a night ride in the sketchiest ferry directed to Tunisia we arrived to Palermo and then drove to Catania to check the first spot. It was super windy but no waves. What to do? Like true Italians, we had a wonderful seafood lunch and white wine.
“Italy is a very beautiful culture. Everything is so inspiring whether it was the art, architecture, food, or even the people themselves. Each part holds a stoic sense of pride and quality that I haven't found anywhere else I've traveled,” Mele says of her first time in Italy.
Lunch in Catania. |
On the way to Siracusa, we stopped at a beautiful beach surrounded by lemon trees. It was made for photos at sunset. Some mini waves were happening and the girls tested the first warm seawater on the Mediterraneo!
First sunset in Sicily. |
Shooting in the lemon field at sunset. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Shooting in the lemon field at sunset, stylist Betta Dal Bello makes sure the wardrobe looks its best. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
First waves in Sicily! |
Filming in Sicily. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Exhausted, we spent the night at the awesome Hotel Gutkowski. and spent the night walking the alleys of Syracusa, a magical experience that felt like stepping back in time.
Welcome to the Hotel Gutkowski. Photo by Jenayl Peters. |
Inside the Hotel Gutkowski. |
Betta does her styling magic in the Hotel Gutkowski. |
Master wind reader and cute babysitter, Alessandro Ponzanelli. |
Inspiration is all around you. The patterns on the floor of the Hotel Gutkowski. |
It doesn't get any better than this. Sunrise in Ortigia. |
Sunrise in Ortigia. |
Arriving in Noto. The color of the water is unreal! |
Stylist Betta Dal Bello organizing the looks in Noto. |
Seeababes at the beach of Noto. |
Next stop, Isola delle Correnti. Too bad it was completely flat, but we found this awesome guy who was selling zucchini out of his Fiat Ape and asked him for a ride. How could he say no to us? :)
You can't make this up. Style for days. Thanks for the lift! Photo by Ale Ponzanelli. |
Hello Isola delle Correnti! |
Riding this sweet mobile in Isola delle Correnti. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Just cruising around Isola delle Correnti. |
The crew hard at work. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Stuffed with the best rice arancini (typical fried rice balls from Sicily) we made to another beach around the corner with some good size messy waves and the girls showed off with style how its done!
After such a long journey, to finally find waves was a blessing. "In Italy, you wait for a windswell and you hope to get lucky when you arrive at the place where the windswell was supposed to hit," Jenayl says.
"The background of the waves were a stunning sight to see, but even if the waves aren't perfect, everyone is stoked to have something to surf. It was fun to feel that stoke out there with the other Italian surfers, who seemed pretty excited that people came from California to surf in Sicily!"
Mele says, "the Italians appreciation for surfing is what was the most inspiring. Traveling about 20 hours down the entire country to find a wave made me appreciate the consistency and variety of waves we have here in California. Italian surfers have a special driven love for the sea, because it takes dedication to pursue this sport in a country with such fickle surfing conditions."
Finally we get some waves! Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
Mele in the Tofino. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
Filming from the beach. Photo by Cristian Corradin. |
The last day we explored around Syracusa, hung out in the terrace of the hotel and indulged in some more arancini. "The thing I tell people most about the trip was how good the food was. Easily the best I've ever had," Mele says.
Stay tuned for Part II of our Italian Adventure. From Sicily, we head to the Tuscany vineyards! And more food and wine, of course. :)
Mele in the middle of an Italian lesson on the terrace. |
Syracusa style! Jenayl, Betta and Mele in Italian fashion. |
The streets of Syracusa. Photo by Onde Nostre. |
KEEP TRAVELING WITH US THROUGH ITALY
When the Seeababes aren't playing in the ocean, they live for exploring and creating art! Go behind the lens of Seeababe and photographer Luki O'Keefe as she discovers new points of view Somewhere in Mexico with Mele Saili.
Stay tuned for more photo stories shot by Luki of her far-fetched travels and everyday life around Southern California!
All photos by Luki O'Keefe for Seea.
Mele wears The Riviera One-Piece in Sea Glass and Seea neoprene jacket, new styles coming soon! |
Shop Mele's One-piece suit, The Riviera. Look out for new neoprene jacket coming soon!
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