Kamuela vs. Waimea...Kailua vs. Kona (Big Island) (Hilo: live, beach)

[azdr0710]

we had a fantastic two-week stay on the Big Island back in March...drove the back roads, saw small towns, history, non guide-book stuff, local food joints, nice people, great weather and bad, hike-only beaches, up to Mauna Kea, the lava flow, lots more....after a couple days, we fell into the whole hang-loose thing and really got into the aloha spirit....what a place...wish I'd been alive to see it 100 or more years ago....fanciest digs we had was a hostel in Hilo, though we did hang out at the beach in front of the Mauna Kea and the Prince.....

lots of questions.........

first, do the real old time locals call the town near Parker Ranch Kamuela or Waimea??....I know there was some post-office stuff because of another Waimea in HI....what is the brief history of the naming???......same for Kailua vs. Kona....I called the town Kailua when there because Kona just seemed too touristy....I'd call the district Kona and the town Kailua.....I know some call the town Kailua-Kona....what is the old time tradition for the name?....I prefer to go by the local tradition rather than the tourist designation.....

thanks for the comments......

[KonaKat]

Kailua Kona is hardly ever called just "Kailua" because of the Kailua on Oahu. Kona generally just infers the area of that town and is used a lot although Kona does more specifically mean the Kona Districts.
Kamuela seems to be used more with long time residents and locals when referring to that town but Waimea is used just about as frequently.

[mambo]

I always tended to say "Kona town" just like I always said "Hilo town". Gosh, I miss the islands, especially today.

[leilaniguy]

Kamuela is named after Samuel Parker, the rancher. I don't think I've ever heard anyone from Hilo side call it anything other than Waimea, though. Same goes for Kailua, everyone I know of that drives to the other side of the island is "going Kona."

[hotzcatz]

Yuppers, Leilani guy has it right. "Going Kona" is exactly what everyone says. That phrase works on many levels which is a very Hawaiian sort of thing, too.

We generally call it "the Kona side" (of the island) and if we are going that way just tell everyone we are going to Costco and do they need anything? If we are actually going into Kailua town itself, then we will call it Kailua or Kailua-Kona.

Mostly we call Kamuela/Waimea by the name of "Waimea" since that is easier to say (and spell) than Kamuela. Kamuela is what is written on the post office, so that is probably the official name.