Unique Experiences

Item Description

Isabella Bird, world traveler and independant woman of the 1870s, shared her impressions of Hawaii in letters sent home to the United Kingdom to her sister, Hennrietta. Isabella's fascination with Kona was captured in the letters which eventually were shaped into a book, Six Months in the Sandwich Islands, published in 1875.

The Kona Historical Society comissioned playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl to script a living history of Ms. Bird's impressions of Kona that was performed by Professor Emerita Jackie Pualani Johnson over the course of nearly ten years. Ka'anahaha and Kealapuali, sites where Ms. Bird horsebacked to witness Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai in all their glory, were revisted for the performances. Where sheep stations once provided shelter to the intrepid explorer, audiences settled in on lava rock walls and relived Ms. Bird's adventures in 1873, including exploring heiau and lava stalactites in drippy caves along the slopes of Kona Mauka.

The Society is offering a private performance at Greenwell Store, where guests will step back in time to where Ms. Bird began an adventure or two during her fateful Kona stay:

"The next day, I pursued my usual avocations and after dinner walked to the Greenwell Store, where I discovered the commonest yellow envelopes are two pence each! While I was at the shop, Mr. Todd came to say that four natives were going to hunt and lasso a wild bullock, and there was a horse saddled for me. This is one of the specialties of Hawai'i I had hitherto failed to see".......Isabella Bird

The Greenwell Store will provide an authentic back drop to the Hawaiʻi of paniolo, with memories of orange groves, riding side-saddle, jerk beef and two-fingered poi rounding out the evening.

Restrictions: This program can be scheduled between April and July 2022 and expires July 31, 2022. Available in-person for up to 10 guests as current health and safety protocol allows. All other current health and safety guidelines will be followed. Date and time must be mutually agreed upon by KHS and the winning bidder no less than 2 weeks in advance.

Item Special Note

All auction items are sold "as is" with no refunds available.

The winning bidder will be notified via email Monday (Jan. 24) and asked for his or her preference of receiving the awarded item (pickup or ship).

Items won during Kona Historical Society's 2022 Online Auction are available for pickup from the Society's Kalukalu Headquarters in Kealakekua for 90 days from close of auction. If items are not picked up by close of business on the 90th day (April 17, 2022), items are forfeit! No refunds will be granted for forfeit items.

In consideration of any state or local restrictions due to the pandemic, all arrangements to pick up items should be made in advance with Kona Historical Society and the winning bidder must follow all safety precautions, including wearing a face mask and maintaining 6 feet or more away from Society staff.