Hawaii 

(At the entrance to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park)

The Big Island:  Of Live Volcanoes and Gushing Lava Flows

Most folks flying on to Hawaii’s “Big Island”, arrive at Kona airport which must be the most unique architectural design Llew and I  have ever seen for an airport. It consisted of several buildings shaped like volcanoes, each of which formed a part of the passenger terminals. The effect was of a rustic village instead of a regular airport (left).

Renting a car again, we drove south towards the picturesque Kailua-Kona village past nothing but black lava rock formations. We realized, almost at once, how different Hawaii was from Kauai. Down the famous Ali Drive in Kona, we edged along the sea wall past restaurants and shops and arrived at St. Peter’s Catholic Church (above), the tiniest church in the world, perched right at the water’s edge and boasting an interior that was smaller than our living room! We also stopped along the way at St. Benedict’s “Painted Church”, so called because one of its earliest pastors painted scenes from the Bible on its interior walls in order to teach the local Hawaiians about Christian doctrine (below).

Pushing on towards Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we stopped for a bit at Punalu’u Beach where we saw a black sand beach for the first time in our lives, made entirely of lava rock that has eroded to fine sand (see below left).

It was quite a fantastic sight! We also stopped to sample Portuguese sweet bread at the Punalu’u Bake Shop where the chocolate éclairs and the malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) were scrumptious.

When we finally arrived at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, it was about 2.30 pm, the perfect stage at which to begin our exploration of the Crater Rim Road which took us past the main volcanic craters left behind by eruption activity through the centuries. Some of these craters, such as Kilauea Calder, were still smoking as was evident from the steam vents at which we paused to get a natural sauna bath and the yellow sulphur deposits seen on the crater floor.

Among the many hikes we took at the park, was one through the Thurston Lava Tube where the vegetation outside was lush but inside the tube (right), it was pitch dark and slimy. When we were finally ready to make our way to the edge of Crater Rim Road to see the live lava flowing into the sea, we just couldn’t contain our excitement, as this was the whole reason that we had traveled to the Big Island.

Arriving at the end of Crater Rim Road, after a long and snaky drive downhill past vast land newly formed by lava flows, we joined hundreds of other visitors, all intent on viewing the same unforgettable sight (right). We parked our car and started the long and arduous three mile hike towards the fresh lava flows from Pu’u O’o Volcano which has been spewing molten lava regularly since 1987. Walking gingerly over the black lava rocks, I was afraid about how we would make our way back to the car in pitch darkness and I was grateful for our flashlight. Since the lava flows have covered a great part of the road, we actually passed by traffic speed signs that have been engulfed in lava.

Closer to the venue, we saw the golden glow of live lava flows at the ocean’s edge and knew that we had a very special treat in store if we could withstand the continued hike over still-warm lava rocks to the spot where landscape met seascape. When we did eventually get there, feeling the heat like a warm sauna around us all the way, after an excruciating hike over lava rocks, we saw a sight that is impossible to describe (below left).

Molten lava was pushing from the lower levels of the volcano and snaking its way towards the ocean so that when the flowing fire reached the waves, the hiss of clouding steam could clearly be heard as we saw creation in the making. The lava eventually dries and forms new land, extending the island, so that the Big Island is still an unfinished project of Nature! While we stood there, struck with disbelief, we saw new streams of molten lava join the initial flows and create one massive snake that poured, almost spigot-like, into the water. As night fell over the scene, the blaze grew more vivid and the hushed disbelief with which people watched the sight made the hissing of the waters seem louder. The burning lava continued to glow under water even as it was cooled by the ocean’s waves. This live volcanic activity was what we had flown to the Big Island to see and we were not disappointed! It will always remain one of the most formidable sights of our lives as we felt humbled in the awesome presence of Nature.

(With Peter Herschock and his son Kaiyo–left– at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and on the still-warm lava flows that cover the national highway–below)

Rochelle poses by a lava-covered speed sign on the highway just before seeing the awesome molten lava pouring into the ocean (right)

Making our way back in the dark to our car, we ended up spending the night at Aloha Junction Bed and Breakfast at Volcano Village where we had a very comfortable night. However, we had another early start as we left the next day for our flight to the island of Maui arriving at Kilelei airport, a couple of hours later.