is my hawaii idea ridiculous?

hello, i'm about to try and join a WWOOF (farming) scheme in hawaii. i dream of staying there long enough to do everything fairly properly (see volcanoes, live near the beach, see the animals, go to the observatory,do a bit of farming) and leave plenty of spare hanging about time and getting to know people. is this feasible on say £1000 spending money?
are there ANY cheap places to rent on maui or big island?
i'm learning to swim, are there any secluded beaches at all there with cheap accom nearby? or is it really a mad rush everywhere?
do you have to be rich basically?

How long are you planning on staying? Everything is so expensive there, its nuts.

4 to 6 weeks, 8 weeks ideally if i make friends.

here's what you do for a life changing experience and a cheap ass place to stay. Fly to Kauai, stock up on some food supplies for a few weeks or more, make your way to the northern most part of the island (Ke'e's beach) (hitch hike or something) then hike the Kalalau (Na Pali Coast) trail (16 miles, I think, of semi-rough terrain--lots-o-switchbacks, be careful!!), then camp on the beach at the end of the trail and bathe in the waterfall there for as long as you want. This is an area that is accessible by hiking only, and an entire community of peoples who decided to drop out of society live there, along with visitors. They even have a library and other communal areas. A trip of a lifetime, be sure to bring a good water filter though, and pack your own trash out.

So, what are you waiting for. Just to be safe, you better apply for a camping permit from the Kauai County Parks division (they're online somewhere). If they check up on the beach, the rangers might be dicks and make you hike out if you don't have a permit.

There is also other good, non-hiking camping in Kauai too. The bigger islands are not that great compared to Kauai, pretty commercialized. They are all really expensive and unlike other countries, the US does not let you just pop over to a cute small island and stay--everything is documented and regimented.

But, there are some hostels on Maui and Oahu, just search the net

good luck

cs

Found some links for you:

County of Kauai - Parks and Recreation Division

Here as well is our current listing of Hawaii hostels