HAWAIIAN INTERLUDE : KAUAI A LUSH ISLAND OF LEGENDS AND RAINBOWS.

Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor

We were trundling down Kauai's main highway, the shuttle van moving at a leisurely pace past fields of sugar cane and verdant green mountains, when the driver suddenly veered to the right and stopped dead.

``Can you see them?'' he asked, looking out the window to the left. The 11 of us, bound for Princeville Resort on Kauai's north coast, dutifully peered out our windows. There was only flat land stretching into a mountain.

``What?'' somebody asked.

``The giant turtle, King Kong, the hippopotamus and the rear end of a buffalo,'' our driver, Cousin Kaliko, responded, pointing to the jags and crags of the formation.

And such is the enchantment of Kauai that within seconds we could all see the outlines of animals.

Mother Nature's magic lives on this island, the oldest and, at 553 square miles, fourth largest in the Hawaiian chain. You see it in the rainbows that throw their colors over majestic mountains and the waterfalls that spill from the hills; in the Na Pali Coast's great, green sea cliffs that were created by volcanic eruption and carved by wind and rain; in the aquamarine waters and white sands of the island's 70 beaches; and in a cave's drapery of lush greenery.

And you can't help but be caught up by it as you watch Mount Makana the legendary Bali Hai in Hollywood's version of the movie ``South Pacific'' - emerge from the mist swirling around its peaks; hear legends of the fire goddess Pele and a small, sturdy race of people called the menehune; and visit some of the Garden Isle's natural wonders.

Touring this lovely, restful place today, it seems impossible that it nearly was destroyed nearly four years ago. But then you see a barren stalk that once was a lush tree, the abandoned, battered Coco Palms resort where Elvis Presley cavorted in ``Blue Hawaii'' and the ongoing construction at the Kilauea Lighthouse where a gift shop and visitors center once stood and you know that Hurricane Iniki was here.

While Kauai is just about back to normal now, the island is still not overrun with travelers. (About 920,000 tourists visited Kauai in 1995, much less than Oahu's 4.7 million and Maui's 2.3 million). This is, after all, still an island one can retreat to.

The only way to really see the island is via car, with a little hiking and some boating thrown in. The main road (Highway 56 on the north and east coasts and Highway 50 on the south and west coasts) nearly encircles the island, but you'll need a boat to see the Na Pali Coast and good hiking boots to take you into the interior glories of the island. It also helps if you have a minimum of two full days to explore this place. Add more days if you plan to take advantage of the island's sites for snorkeling, golfing, scuba diving, boating, hunting or fishing.

I had only one day - not enough time to make it all around the island to Waimea Canyon, the spectacular chasm dubbed by Mark Twain as the ``Grand Canyon of the Pacific,'' the Barking Sands where it is said the dunes ``woof'' when walked on, and a host of other sights, like a glimpse of Mount Waialeale, the wettest spot on earth (this 5,148-foot peak draws more than 450 inches of rain annually).

But it was enough to take in some of the sights on the north and east coasts. So, rental car in gear, I zipped down the highway to find some of the magic of Kauai.

The Kilauea Lighthouse, which dates to 1913, may not qualify as magical, but it is beautifully sited. The lonely beacon, now unused, sits on a point 217 feet above the water. You can walk inside, but you can't walk up the corkscrew stairs to the top or see the lens. Still, it's a worthwhile stop if only for the ocean view - and the spectacle of thousands of birds - white, red-footed boobies - nesting on the adjacent green mountain, which is part of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. You may even see albatross, shearwaters and various tropical birds that frequent the area.

I made my way back to the main highway, with a detour first at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in the town of Kilauea. Like much of Hawaii, Kauai has numerous charming churches that beg for photos as they pose against vivid green mountains and tall palm trees. Many are brightly painted, picturesque wooden structures with astonishingly beautiful stained-glass windows. This sanctuary, built in 1941, is stone; vibrant stained glass windows tell the story of Christ from his infancy to the Ascension.

``These are some of the most beautiful stained glass windows I have ever seen,'' said one visitor.

Not far down the road, I was back in Kauai's whimiscal world. I spotted the Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain). Yes, I could see the snoozing fellow in the outline of the mountain. Legend has it that the menehune, fearful of invaders, tried to awaken the sleeping giant by tossing rocks on his stomach. The fellow was a sound sleeper - he never awakened. But the rocks, bouncing off his stomach and crashing into the sea, frightened the invaders, who retreated. Alas, some of the rocks ended up in the mouth of the snoring giant, who swallowed them and died.

I passed the stately Royal Coconut Groves, where coconuts littered the ground, dropping from trees that were as much as 75 years old, and pretty Wailua Beach where surfers were riding the waves near the turnoff for Opaekaa Falls, my destination. It was misting as I turned into the parking lot and walked up a sidewalk to an overlook to the falls.

The twin falls tumble over a hill of lush foliage. Opaekaa means ``rolling shrimp''; long years ago, swarms of shrimp inhabited the waters at the base of the falls.

Across the busy road from the falls, I looked down on the winding Wailua River (Hawaii's only navigable river) where a single kayaker paddled along. This area, now part of Wailua River State Park, houses a complex of ancient Hawaiian sacred sites (heiau), some of which you can see from the road.

Nearby are the Holo-Holo-Ku heiau, reputedly the oldest on the island and the only one where human sacrifices were made (the sacrificial stone is still there) and the Pohaku-Ho-o Hanau, where the royal birthstones are. Here, women of royalty were required to come to give birth.

I journeyed back to the main highway and south to catch the boat to the Fern Grotto, an admittedly kitschy tourist attraction that came complete with bad jokes and audience-participation hula dancing.

``You're gonna do the hula,'' said the woman at the ticket booth. ``I show you.''

She swung into action then, swinging her hips from side to side. ``You bump the apple, you bump the orange, you bump the apple, then you gr-i-i-nd the coffee,'' she said with a big laugh.

Good thing I got a lesson before I boarded. I did indeed ``bump the apple, bump the orange and gr-i-i-nd the coffee'' as we sailed up the Wailua River bordered by a thick growth of greenery.

Still, a little lore was served up, too. Among other information, we learned the Wailua River is 21 miles long, but only 2-1/2 miles is navigable for our flat-bottomed boat; silver mullet, blue gill, bass, catfish, even barracuda call the river home; the grotto was used by ancient Hawaiians for religious services.

Once docked, we walked 150 feet through a tropical forest inhabited by roosters and wild cats to the grotto. It's an astonishing place - a massive cave where ferns grow upside down and a waterfall spills over the opening like a veil; fine acoustics allowed us to stand inside the cave and hear every word of the ``Hawaiian Wedding Song'' as sung by our boat entertainers. The grotto has struck a chord among romantics - 10,000 weddings have been held here; indeed, one was scheduled later the day I visited.

Back on land, I headed for the Kauai Museum, where I boned up on the history of Kauai. Black-and-white photos show the island in the early days of this century, and there are artifacts and a fine collection of calabashes (wooden bowls and containers). I found a small exhibit of Japanese treasures - kimonos, art supplies, dolls, porcelain pieces - upstairs, as well as a mini art show.

Time was running out, but I did stop at Wailua Falls. Along with the intoxicating smells of fresh ginger and plumeria, fresh mangos and papaya that permeate the air, one of the best features of the Hawaiian Islands is the profusion of waterfalls. Come around a bend and often, you'll spot one of these picturesque surprises in the verdant hills - a commonplace sight in Kauai.

Wailua, a twin falls which plunges more than 80 feet, proved more dramatic than Opaekaa, and not just because it was used in the opening credits of ``Fantasy Island.'' In ancient times, Hawaiian chiefs dove over the falls to prove their courage - a custom long since discouraged. On this day, the only thing at the bottom of the falls was an ethereal rainbow.

Back at Princeville, I continued down the narrow, winding road, past tidy patchwork taro fields, over a one-lane bridge and into the quaint, quiet village of Hanalei. Lumahai Beach, where Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair in ``South Pacific,'' is here; so is the Waioli Mission House, which was built in 1837 and is furnished to the period.

I paused to take in the sight of the lovely little green Waioli Hui'ia Church positioned against the mountains, then headed back to Princeville.

Early next morning, before leaving the island, I strolled down to the beach at Hanalei Bay. And there, splashed across the misty green of Bali Hai, was a rainbow.

Kauai's magic was apparent yet again.

On Location Kauai is 70 miles northwest of Oahu, but it's a world away from the frantic pace of that island. This is a laid-back place of blue-collar towns, fishing villages and astounding natural sights. It's a place that evokes legends - and if you take time to visit some of the little restaurants and shops and talk to Kauaiians, you'll hear plenty of them.

At a little eatery in Hanalei called Tahiti Nui, Maile Semitekol, named by the Kauai Museum as a ``living treasure,'' told me the legend of the menehune. This small, sturdy race came from Tahiti and lived in Kauai's forests. They emerged only at night to create intricate rock walls without mortar and sophisticated aqueducts and fishponds (one of which, the Menehune Fishpond, you can still see).

``It is not a legend,'' Semitekol told me, adding they were known for not aging. ``They lived here. They were one of the first people here.''

And such is the magic of Kauai that I believed her.

There's just one main road, variously known as Highway 56 (north and east) and Highway 50 (south and west). Road signs lead you off the main road to the various sites.

You'll find the Kauai Museum at 4428 Rice St., Lihue; [phone]. It's open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission: $3 adults, free for those under 18 accompanied by an adult.

Fern Grotto tours are available from Smith's Tropical Paradise, 174 Wailua Road, Wailua; [phone]. Two-hour cruises depart throughout the day. Admission is $10 adults, $5 children aged 3 to 12.

For more information, contact the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Kauai Island Chapter, at [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) Blue bays and swaying palm treesare hallmarks of Hawaii's picturesque islands.

(2--Color) At every turn, it seems, the Hawaiian islands offer lovely vistas.

(3--Color) Kauai's Wailua Falls plunges more than 80 feet. Hawaiian chiefs once dove over the falls to prove their courage.

(4) The Kilauea Lighthouse stands on a Kauai point 217 feet above the water.

Susanne Hopkins

Box: On Location (See text)