Kaunaoa Bay Kaunaoa Bay Kaunaoa Bay has one of the few white sand beaches of the Kohala Coast, the western side of the island of Hawaii. A historic hotel, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, is located on beautiful Kauna'oa. The word 'kauna'oa' may refer to a few different things, any of which may have been why native Hawaiians named this beach so: the first definition refers to a thin, orange vine with yellow flowers, (Cuscuta sandwichiana), which is found throughout most Hawai'i (this is the official lei vine of Lanai). However, the second definition refers to a mollusk (Vermetidae), and a third
Lei (garland) scale-like effect. Bougainvillea "lei" and feather hat "lei" often are made with this method. Kui: pierce, piercing stitch. A method of making a "lei" by sewing or piercing the decorative material with a needle and stringing it onto a thread. This is probably the style with which most Westerners are familiar. This method is commonly used to string flowers such as plumeria, rose, carnation, etc. Wili: wind, twist, crank, coil. A corkscrew-type twist, as found in a pig's tail and the seed pod of the "wiliwili" tree. A method of making a "lei" by winding fiber around successive short lengths