Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

The wind seemed to die down some time during the night so things were much calmer this morning. We made an early start as we wanted to spend the better part of the day in the Volcanoes Park and we knew it was an hour and half drive or more to the other side of the island. After doing some reading we learned you could go at the lava flow from the far side, walk on the old lava, etc. and see the plume of smoke from the current eruption so that was where we started. We found the parking area and did manage to walk on the lava to the ocean. It was pretty neat seeing how they are working on trying to rehabilitate this area. They had taken coconuts and “planted” or more like placed them along the way. Most of them have started to sprout trees.

Our next stop was the actual Volcanoes Park where we stopped for information and to read all the displays at the visitor’s center then proceeded to the “steam vents”. These are the accessible places along the edge of the crater where steam is continually being emitted. Next was the Jaggar Museum, with explanations of how they predict a pending eruption and info around the many past eruptions – very interesting. The Mauna Kea (Kilauea) caldera (crater) has been active since 2008 and is spewing out sulphur dioxide in substantial enough amounts to close the downwind portion of the Crater Rim Drive. 

Active volcano

We stopped at one of the lookout picnic areas to eat our lunch before proceeding further into the park to the Thurston Lava Tube, which is an underground tunnel that you can walk through. Lava had flown through this tube 500 years ago. One of our other short walks was along the Devastation Trail where the 1959 flow is in the process of re-vegetating.

Lava tube

On our drive home we stopped at an Orchid farm. It gives a perspective as to why they are so expensive when you see how long it takes from seeds to actual flowers.

We also stopped at another market for veggies for dinner. Decided to try taro root (boiled like potato) and jicama, a root-like veggie (raw in our salad). We have been enjoying all the fresh tropical produce.