Treasure Hunting at Dole Plantation

It seems like our family’s got treasure hunting on the brain these days. From our numerous outdoor scavenger hunts to our first geocaching adventure last weekend, we’ve been enjoying quite a few seek-and-find nature games these past couple of months.

The big explorer’s mostly to blame for it. He’s always up for outdoor nature fun if a hunt and treasure are involved!

Take for example the outdoor maze at Dole Plantation on Oahu. The big explorer and his friends were more than eager to explore it (and did so for more than an hour!) because it meant uncovering all eight of its secret stations, obtaining the requisite stencils and completing the hunt.

WHY IT’S GREAT FOR NATURE LOVERS
Who would have thought that the world’s largest maze – and one of only a few permanent botanical mazes in the U.S. – would be found on a pineapple plantation in Hawaii?

The maze stretches over three acres and includes nearly 2 ½ miles of paths crafted from some 14,000 local Hawaiian plants. As you seek out your treasure, you walk through and are surrounded by the flora of the islands. There are colorful Hawaiian flowers, local birds aplenty and butterflies galore waiting to be discovered throughout the maze’s twists and turns.

While you’re at Dole Plantation, stop by and check out the pineapple garden. If your kids are even a little like mine, they’ll get a kick out of seeing some unusual looking pineapples.

WHAT WE LIKED
Our group of eight all anted up for a chance to explore the maze. The allure of running through the dirt was made especially sweet for my explorers by the fact that it had drizzled on and off during our visit, creating puddles and plenty of mud.

Once we passed through the turnstile, the kids were antsy to get started and each wanted to head off in a different direction. We divided up our two families and started out, having no real concept of how large – and challenging – the maze would turn out to be.

We made our way down rows and around corners, each one looking the same. It took a few minutes, but we found our first station and were awarded with its corresponding stencil.

From there, it was on to find the next. And the next. And so on. By the time we’d found four stations, I was pretty beat! The heat and humidity (combined with intermittent requests by the little explorer to be carried) left me tired of this game.

So the dads and older kids kept on while the moms and toddlers enjoyed some rest and relaxation with the local wildlife in the maze’s larger, open center area. First, we spotted this red-vented bulbul.

Then a beautiful butterfly fluttering its wings so fast, I could only catch a glimpse.

Meanwhile, the dads had opted to “cheat” by using a map of the maze to locate the few remaining stations. The kids were unscathed and enjoyed putting their navigational skills to the test to figure out where they were in the maze in relation to the little red marks that indicated each station.

The hubby admits there was much complaining and whining en route to find the final stations. But the lure of finding all eight was too strong for the big explorer to overcome. Somehow, he found a way to trudge on.

When all was said and done, the kids had spent more than an hour searching for their “treasure,” a completely stenciled-in ticket.

Along the way, they also encountered plenty of nature’s gems and had the mud stains to prove it.

PLANNING ESSENTIALS

• Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• Admission to the maze is $6 for adults, $4 for kids ages 4 through 12
• Parking at Dole Plantation is free
• A train ride and garden tours are also available at Dole Plantation for an additional fee
• The pineapple display garden and fish feeding pond are free and fun for kids
• A large, tourist-laden store, restrooms and grille are also on the premises
• Dole Plantation is about a 45-minute drive from Honolulu

MY TIPS FOR A GREAT VISIT

• If you venture into the maze with young kids, use the map to find the stations. It’s tough to know why they call doing so “cheating” because the map is tiny and difficult to read even for experienced adults.
• Bring water and a change of clothes. Water because you and the little ones will most certainly work up a thirst, and a change of clothes because treasure hunting can be dirty business.
• Treat yourself to a snack after your treasure hunt. Fresh pineapple or the world-famous Dole Whip are available on site and are the perfect reward for a job well done. (Of course, snacks during the hunt are suggested, too!) 

Dole Plantation is located at:

64-1550 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiawa, HI 96786
Directions to Dole Plantation