Royal mission: Photographer hikes Maui's 220-mile King's Highway to capture 16th century coastal trade route before it disappears
- Daniel Sullivan has photographed the King's Highway in Maui, Hawaii, in a bid to preserve its heritage
- The trail was built 500 years ago by King Pi'ilani, but is now being left to decay and disappear
- Sullivan is compiling a book of 100 images from his journeys on the trail to record its legacy
Photographer Daniel Sullivan endured a blistering 220-mile hike to document Hawaii's ancient King's Highway, a landmark withering away with time that he hopes to immortalise with his remarkable images.
Sullivan, 39, walked the once popular coastal route in Maui during the summer of 2013 and is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund a book of 100 pictures of the trail entitled The Maui Coast - Legacy of the King's Highway.
He crossed sheer cliffs, battled white water and dense jungle to uncover the amazing island scenery of the King's Highway, which was built over 500 years ago by King Pi'ilani who ruled the island during the 16th Century.
Turtles make their way across Ho‘okipa Beach, Maui, as photographed by Daniel Sullivan on his journey along the King's Highway
The Hui Aloha Church in Kipahulu stands out like a beacon along the train, the white building among the bright green foliage among them
The sun spectacularly sets behind a preserved section of the King's Highway, a road of jagged stone built by King Pi'ilani in the 16th Century
'I've always been interested in Hawaiian culture. And since I moved to Maui 10 years ago, I've been searching for the Kings Highway,' said Mr Sullivan.
'Several years ago a Hawaiian man by the name of Eddie Pu'u died. He was a legend here among the Hawaiian's as he used to walk the King's Highway every year barefoot because of a dream he had once had about having to preserve the Aina, or the "sacred land" as the Hawaiians call it.
'He was the only person I had ever heard of who knew the ancient trail, who had actually hiked it. The next summer my wife and two children were leaving for a 10-day trip to visit their grandparents in Idaho and I decided to walk around the island.'
Mr Sullivan battled through pain as he woke up at 5am every morning and hiked until the dark of night.
He said: 'Physically the hike was a bit of a challenge for me. By the end I had layers of blisters and my calves were really swollen.
An oasis-like scene at the Twin Falls in Maui alongside the disappearing King's Highway that Sullivan is aiming to immortalise
An exposed section of the King's Highway in Kanio, Maui, that Sullivan hiked during the making of his book about the ancient trail
'Water was also a challenge. The summer before I left, a hiker had died of dehydration on the trail past Kanio, which is where the lava fields are.
'I was especially nervous about this section. The lava rocks are like razors and can cut easily through skin.
'Unfortunately, I ran out of water here and was forced to make a decision to hike along the coast or climb up several miles to the road at Ulupalukua where I could find water. I decided to hike up, over the sharp rocks. The detour took me a while and by the time I reached the road, I was dizzy and exhausted.
'The first car I saw I flagged down to ask for help. It turns out it was a good friend of mine and her mother who had set out to find me and bring me food and water.'
The Highway was once considered the artery of the island for commerce, trade and protection from invasion.
Today, large sections of the King's Highway have disappeared into the jungle or have been completely destroyed.
Mr Sullivan said: 'Along the way I stopped and asked locals and elders about the Kings Highway.
The sun rises over Oluwalu, Maui, in this serene image that will feature in his book, The Maui Coast - Legacy of the King's Highway
A stark example of the blue stone at Gorge Kaupo, Maui, that locals told Sullivan to follow in his quest along the King's Highway
'Look for the blue stones' is what they told me, so I set out looking the blue stones. Everywhere I walked I would find ancient heiau or temples coved up in the jungle, pieces of the Highway.
'In some sections the road had been covered up, by jungle, and vines, in some areas it had been paved over or developed but in others the road stood out as if each stone had been laid out yesterday.'
Despite being a landmark on the island, there is no preservation or protection for this valuable historical relic, which was once at the heart of Hawaiian culture.
Mr Sullivan said: 'I think much more could and should have been done to preserve the King's Highway. Large sections have been paved over, bulldozed or left neglected. The trail was an amazing feat of craftsmanship 500 years ago, laying hundreds of thousands of small stones through cliffs and gorges.
Another beautiful sunset scene on the Maui trail, this time at Wailea (left) and the fishing stone shrine in Kanio
'The fact that sections of it still remain is a testament to the people who built it. The King's Highway should be protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but sadly there is no state of federal protection or funds to protect most of it.
'There are so many sacred sites here in Hawaii that are not protected. Some are on private land some are in the rain forest and jungles.'
For the past 20 years, Mr Sullivan has been taking photographs in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, documenting the human spirit.
His photographs and essays have explored Afghanistan's refugees, the tribes of Ethiopia's Omo River and the eagle hunters of Mongolia.
Mr Sullivan added: 'When I graduated from college in 1999, I sold my car and bought a one way ticket to Jerusalem for the New Year Celebration. I spent the next year photographing in Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
'From early on I believed in getting close to my subjects. In Peshawar, Pakistan, I lived for six weeks with a family of Afghan refugees. In Syria I lived with a group of Jesuit Monks at a sixth century monastery in the desert. I learned a lot about cultures, religion and people.'
