Well, I don't know much about the song, but I can give a little Hawaiian geography lesson--Dicho, you were close!

In Hawaii when people give directions they tend not to use north/south/east/west. Instead, they are given in one of two dimensions, which a mathematician might call "radial" or "circumferential", if you think of each island as a rough circle. The "radial" dimension would be "toward the ocean" vs. "toward the mountains". "Circumferential" would be "toward [that place]", along the edge of the island; generally it's a landmark or town that's reasonably big and well known.

The word for "toward the ocean" is "makai", and "toward the mountains (away from the ocean, or uphill)" is "mauka". (Kai=ocean and uka=high place.) These terms are universal on all islands. In Honolulu, where most people in Hawaii live, the circumferential reference points are Diamond Head, which is east of the city, and 'Ewa (pronounced eh'-vah), which is on the west side of Pearl Harbor, about 10 miles west of the city.

So, when you're in Honolulu, someone might tell you, "Go makai two blocks and then go 'Ewa another block, and you're there." In Honolulu, 'Ewa means, roughly, west; if you're in Waianae and you "go 'Ewa,", you're going more or less southeast. The point is, if you follow the road in that direction, you'll get to 'Ewa. Got it?

Aloha,
Mark