Volcano National Park

We had allocated a whole day away from the hotel for the visit to the Volcano National Park (VNP). The concierge told us that it would take us about 2 to 3 hours for the drive across the island to Hilo (we were literally on the opposite sides of the island), which is the 'other' city/big town on the Big Island, and then from Hilo, another hour to the VNP. She suggested that we leave the hotel at about 6.30am so that we could take the 'scenic route' which she had plotted out on the map for us. It would take us to a few points of interests, such as a waterfall, gardens, markets, etc. She also said that it would be best that we left the VNP by about 4.30pm so that it doesn't get too dark on the drive back. I am totally not used to having highways without streetlights!

We decided that we didn't want to be awake so early in the morning, so decided to leave at 7.30am instead. The drive out to Hilo wasn't too bad, but we didn't take the scenic route - thought maybe it would be better to get to the VNP and then take a look at other things on the way back. So we got to Hilo - looks too much like a New Zealand town! - and drove through it. Got side-tracked coz I had put in 'Akaka Falls' into the GPS unit, but forgot all about it. So even though we were already on the way to the Falls, we turned back. Well, Rod was driving so I didn't really have a say in the matter.

We were about 10 minutes out of Hilo when I saw a sign for Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm and I called out "Turn left! Turn left!" to Rod. Did he turn? No. We were to go on our way back from the VNP. At this point, the sky is looking rather ominous and we still had the top down ("Why get a convertible if you're not going to put the top down?" says you-know-who). I'm starting to get goosebumps coz there's no more sun (Hilo is on the side of the island where it rains most of the year - is that the leeward or windward side?) and when you're driving along with an open top, it gets rather cold ("It's not cold, don't be silly!" says you-know-who). Then I see drops on the windshield ("Maybe we are driving away from it" says you-know-who). Then I feel drops on me ("As long as we don't stop or slow down, we won't get wet" says you-know-who).

This is getting me more and more pissed off, so by now, I'm in a huff and totally ignoring Rod's monologue about how the sky seems to be getting brighter, and that the rain seems to be going away and how the temperature is not that bad. I think eventually he thought that it would be wise to pull over and put the top up after all - thanks to the wonders of modern technology, putting the top up involves just hitting a button, and there's no need to struggle with canvas tops and clasps and buttons. It turns out to be a wise move, because 5 minutes later, we're driving through pouring rain and the windshield wiper is going a million miles a minute! I'm now changing into my jeans and putting on my jacket and it's more comfortable in the car.

We finally get to the VNP, pay the entrance fee (which is good for re-entry up to a week later!) and then drive to the visitor's centre. There's a small cinema hall that shows the 20-minute video of how Hawaii is formed, the flora and fauna and how the Polynesians came to the islands. It was interesting, but I would have gladly watched an entire video on the volcanoes. We got a map and listened in on what looked like a park ranger doing a tour. It was really interesting listening to him, as he seemed really passionate about volcanoes and was giving good information that we probably wouldn't have known. Like how the volcano that's most likely to erupt sooner rather than later is the one nearby Waikoloa Beach (the Hualalai), which is on the Kohala Coast. Apparently its cycle is about 200 to 300 years, and the last known/recorded eruption was in 1801. On top of that, it's got a very steep slope, so if it were to erupt, there would be a lot of trouble for all the hotels on the Kohala Coast. It's obvious why all the top hotels are on the Kohala Coast (with about 360 days of sun per year!), but you'd think that someone has an evacuation plan thought out if they're built at the foot of an active volcano!

The volcano that is currently spewing out lava - well, it's kind of 'leaking' out into the sea, rather than spewing up in the air - is called Kilauea. The Big Mama of them all is called Mauna Loa (yes, the mac nuts are named after the mountain) and the ranger says that it could spew up enough smoke, ashes, lava in one day (or week?!) than Kilauea does in a year! Anyway, Rod wanted to trail behind the group, but I was worried that they had paid for the ranger and were in a big tour group who may suddenly turn round to us and say "Who are you?" So we ended up driving and walking around on our own.

It was really cloudy the day that we were there, so we couldn't see the 'steam stream' clearly coz the it blended with the grey sky. While looking on the VNP website, I found out that what we were looking at was an eruption of a new vent at Kilauea! And there I thought that we were looking at something 'ordinary'. Apparently there was a small explosion (the first since 1924!) recorded in March, with two more recorded in March and April, so we just missed them.


Here's what we would have seen if it had been a clear day (took it off the VNP website!) and here's what we actually saw when we were there. Vast difference huh?
















The lava flow had also changed direction recently (in the last few months) and was no longer flowing within the park area, and we actually would have had to drive out of the park and drive some distance to the cliffs to see the lava flowing into the sea. I guess we were really 'half-hearted tourists', coz we didn't do that. But if we did, here's what we would have seen (also taken from VNP website).


We did walk from the Visitor's Centre to the Steam Vents (here they are) - looks like Rotorua! On hindsight, we should have taken the car and driven around the Crater Rim Drive, but Rod wanted to walk, so we did.

It was a 15- to 20-minute walk to get to the Steam Vents, and then there was a signpost that said that there was the Jaggar Museum in 2 miles and the Military Camp in 0.6 miles. Rod says that 2 miles isn't very far, and that we could walk to the Museum, no problem.

I was rather dubious (and I'm the one with a better judgement on distance and time!), but he insisted that it was walking distance. So we started walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. Rod kept saying that it's just round the corner! I think we must have walked another 15 to 20 minutes before I said that I had had enough and that I was going back to the car, as there were other things to see.

We turned back and took a different path and ta-daa!!! The Military Camp! We had only walked 0.6 miles!!!! And he wanted to walk a further 1.4 miles because he could 'see the museum and it must be just round the corner'!!! All I can say that it's a good thing I decided to turn back...imagine walking all the way there. AND BACK!

This is Rod with his hand over a steam vent, even if you can't see the steam.

Anyway, once we walked back to the car, we drove to see the Thurston Lava Tube, which is a lava tube (basically a hole in the mountain that was 'melted' by hot lava and then froze when the lava flow stopped) and was discovered by some guy called Thurston. I thought that it would be a long walk, and that there may be guides taking people along the way and explaining 'interesting facts about lava tubes'. But there wasn't. We had to walk down a path and then enter the tube.

It's lit and wet, but basically you walk through it on your own, take some pictures and you're out again! But on the way out, I heard voices coming from another part of the tube that was gated.








The signboard said that that part of the tube was not 'developed' and would be accessible, but advised carrying a torch. It also sounded like a guided tour was taking place. Unfortunately we had no torch and no guide, so we walked up again. I look a real bawheid in this photo!

We actually still had the Devastation Trail to walk - which is an old lava flow from the previous eruption. But it was getting late, the weather was crap and we were tired. So we decided to call it a day and left the VNP. On a good day, I'm sure we would have enjoyed everything a lot more (and I may have even walked the 2 miles to Jaggar Museum!). We were awed by the site - the experience was quite like going to see the Grand Canyon, not that it was similar in what you see, but in the scale of it. We stand at any one point on the walk and you can see the smoke plume but you can't see anything else on the 'other side' of the crater. It's impressive and we wished that we could have seen more of it on a clearer day.

On the way back, we only managed a stop at the Mac Nut Farm and not at any other 'points of interest'. We did spend $100 on nuts and chocolates though! And we were glad to be back on the sunny side of the island.