KAUMAKANI – Despite the fact that many of the employees are on vacation, leave of absence or furlough after the harvest, that the plantation is in its seasonal off-season and reports of the precarious situation of the domestic sugar industry,
KAUMAKANI – Despite the fact that many of the employees are on vacation, leave
of absence or furlough after the harvest, that the plantation is in its
seasonal off-season and reports of the precarious situation of the domestic
sugar industry, tours of Gay & Robinson’s plantation go on.
Gay & Robinson
Tours LLC wanted to clarify that it is still conducting the two-hour tours of
the factory and other areas, including product sampling and a video
presentation, according to Christine Faye, tour supervisor.
The tours have
been very successful in providing a new, educational adventure into the
plantation’s private sugar roads and factory.
Farmers, engineers, factory
workers and people interested in Hawai’i’s history from across the Mainland,
Canada, Japan and Germany have been fascinated with all that goes into making a
teaspoon of sugar.
Knowledgeable tour drivers, some who once worked in the
industry, give a glimpse not only of the operations, but also the traditions,
lifestyle and culture of the sugar plantations.
The harvest season begins
in late April, and runs until sometime in October, or later if the weather
doesn’t cooperate.
During the off-season (now), the tour still includes the
factory, with video and product samples. The factory portion of the tour is
only available for families with children during the current
off-season.
“Many people feel they’ve seen the real Hawai’i after taking
the tour,” said Fayé. “It was the dominant industry in Hawai’i for over
100 years, during which it created all the infrastructure for rural towns,” she
continued.
“So it’s more than just a crop.”
Kaumakani, where the
plantation is located in West Kaua’i, is still a traditional plantation town in
its original layout of shaded residential areas and Kaumakani Avenue with its
1920 street lamps leading down to the business office and factory.
Tours
depart from the tour office on Kaumakani Avenue just above the main plantation
office (off Kaumuali’i Highway near mile-marker 19) at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
weekdays.
Reservations are required, and reservations and more information
are available by calling 335-2824.
