How to Get “Lost” in O’ahu
Last month, I posted the first of two parts of my journey in search of the set of Lost on the island of O’ahu. After much suspense and procrastination, I have at last deemed it time to finish off the job. Today, I will share what is undoubtedly the “creamy filling” of this little Oreo. So pour yourself a nice glass of milk and get ready. It’s time to get Lost.
Day 2 found us damp and a bit chilled, after an early morning dip in what was supposed to be some of the finest snorkeling on the island of O’ahu. Alas, Hanauma Bay was fraught with unseasonably potent tides and chilly winds. While disappointed in our watery debacle, this little excursion did have purpose. We were lamenting to some fellow snorkelers about the unrewarding trek to find the set of Lost the day prior and managed to capture their interest. The mother/daughter pair were fans of the show and said they drove right by some of the camera crew just yesterday, on their trip up to the NE corner of the island. Apparently, they had just wrapped shooting a couple of days prior and the some of the cast was rumored to be milling about the island.
Could it be? Had we been searching the wrong corner of the island? Was it possible these ladies had more accurate information then our previous informants? We were determined to answer all of these questions and complete our quest, once and for all. So we rented another car and headed once again to the North Shore of the island, looking once again for our Brigadoon. We plotted an entirely different course this time around, heading up Likelike Highway (pronounced Lee-kay-lee-kay), to what is known as the “Windward Side” of the island. This part of the island catches the vast majority of the precipitation the island sees annually and is home to the tropical jungles that one would expect to coat the entire surface of this island paradise.
Emerging from the Wilson Tunnel, we came upon an incredible vista. Verdant slopes cascaded downward, 100’s of feet below the highway. Had we not driven the entire distance from the other side ourselves, we would have thought it to be a completely different island then the one we had seen previously. Off in the distance we could see the beachside towns of Kane’ohe and Kailua. It was simply stunning. Trying desperately not to swerve off the road, we wound Northward on Kalakihi Highway, headed for the NE corner of the island. It was plain to us already that this part of the island seemed much more in line with the scenery providing the backdrop for the multitude fights between Jack and Locke and the “love to hate you” romps of Sawyer and Kate. We finally felt much closer to reaching our destination.
While we had no specific target in mind, we knew that there were only a few places on the map where the show could be filmed, since there had to be at least 0.5 to 1 mile’s worth of green jungle between the beach and the highway, to provide cover for our favorite castaways to run into. There just so happened to be a huge stretch of qualified area on the NE tip of the island, just North of Kahuku. Given that this area was home to a wildlife refuge, we felt even more confident that it had to be the place. So we journeyed forever North, past the Legendary Home of Demigod Kamapua’a, the Chinaman’s Hat, Sugar Mill Ruins and the Polynesian Cultural Center. At last, after nearly two hours of some of the most beautiful highways I’ve ever driven, we reached the James Campbell Wildlife Refuge.
It was closed for the season. Even if we wanted to check it out, the large white metal gate seemed rather strong deterrant. Disappointed but undaunted, we headed to Waialee Beach Park, another potential candidate. We parked the car and began walking along a beach that was all rock. It reminded us somewhat of an area shown on the show, where Desmond first discovered that it was safe to breath the air of the island. But this beach lacked the width and extensiveness to fully qualify. After realizing we’d struck out yet again, we turned around to head back to our car and heard a strange voice from above us.
“Careful walking on those rocks, guys. They have lots of pits and places where you can really shred your ankle if you’re not paying attention.” We looked up and saw a half-naked, bronzed, skinny man with sunglasses and a visor smiling down on us. “Where are you guys from?”
We began conversation with our new friend Steve, an apparent native of the island and “ace surfer” and told him of our quest. “Hold on a sec. I’m way too high up here”, he said with a chesire grin. “I think I know what you’re talking about, but I’m going to need to come down to think about it.” He then laughed rather heartily at his pun. My fiance rolled her eyes and I couldn’t help but chuckle as Steve climbed down. It was not our newfound friend’s stony humor that struck me, but rather the simple irony that we were asking Tommy Chong how to find a needle in a haystack. The odds seemed ever more stacked against us.
Steve now stood next to us and shouted into the ocean, “Hey dude! DUDE! Come up for a sec!” And without warning, a man that looked almost identical to the real Tommy Chong suddenly burst from the waves, wearing nothing but some board shorts and snorkel gear. He bore a large, sharpened stick in his hand. “Dude, my friends here wanted to find out where they film Lost. You know, that TV show with the people on the beach and the plane. Where were they filming it again?”, Steve asked.
“Halie’wa, dude.”
“What, man?”
“HALIE’WA!” With this exclamation and an irritated look, Chong dove back underwater. Steve apologized for his friend’s rudeness, explaining that he was always this way when he was looking for dinner. Declining Steve’s invitation to join them for some killer fresh fish and a raging bonfire party, we walked back to our car. It appeared we had a new destination, one that we had already driven through three times the day prior. Against our better judgement, but with no where else to turn, we headed off towards the sleepy North Shore village of Halie’wa.
Winding past Waimea Bay and thinking of Beach Boys all the way, we reached the Eastern edge of Halie’wa. There, Sam spied a park we hadn’t investigated the day prior, Halie’wa Beach Park. This one seemed to meet all of our requirements, it had about 0.5 mi between its beach and the highway and was filled with dense forest. It also seemed rather secluded, we found as we arrived. For added mystery, someone had removed the park’s sign. In its place was a simple blue and white metal sign which stated: “NO TRESPASSING. Violators are subject to $500 fine, imprisonment or both.”
Very strange, but also very tantalizing. Why were we not allowed inside? Wasn’t it a public park? Not anymore, it seemed! Fortunately, our pal Steve told us that Hawaii’s beaches were all public property. Once you reached the edge of the sand though, that could be owned by anyone. So we decided to hit the sand and begin a to walk East. Then just as we started our trek, Sam noticed a strange red trail of dirt on the ground. We followed it just off the beach a few feet and found the first bit of concrete proof we’d hit the mother-lode. There, amongst the trees, was Sun’s Garden!! It was undeniably the very same one that she labored over on the show, as evidenced by the bamboo fencing and meticulous rows of dirt. At long last, we had made it! But where was the plane fuselage? Where was the camp where Jack, Sawyer and Hurley laid their heads? We continued East along the beach to find answers to all of our questions.
After what seemed like a century, we rounded a crest of trees and saw it at last…the beach. And next to it was a stack of logs. At second glance, we realized that these weren’t logs at all, though. They were actually the walls of Mr. Eko’s Church. We took a few shots and continued to a large piece of fuselage where Sawyer hung his head and marvelled as we looked upon the entire beach camp set of the show. The centerpiece for me was Hurley’s Cupboard, stocked with white labelled Dharma Initiative supplies. If I squinted my eyes just enough, I could make out the Dharma logo on every last can, bag and box on the shelves.
So it was that we finally did get “Lost” in O’ahu. It only took us nearly two full days to do it. Who would have thought that in the end, we’d have a couple of stoned beach bums to thank for it? So Steve and The Dude, wherever you are…thanks!
For more talk of Lost, be sure to check out the podcast I co-produce, Shots in the Dark: The Official Podcast of ShotgunReviews.com.
