{"id":2912,"date":"2013-06-10T21:24:07","date_gmt":"2013-06-10T11:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/?p=2912"},"modified":"2013-10-07T22:52:08","modified_gmt":"2013-10-07T12:52:08","slug":"hawaii-2012-part-4-the-big-island-volcano-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/?p=2912","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii 2012 part #4 \u2013 The Big Island \u2013 Volcano tour"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Liliuokalani<\/a>

Liliuokalani Japanese Gardens<\/p><\/div>\n

If Oahu was the Gold Coast then The Big Island<\/strong> (TBI) would probably be Ballina. Its a lot less developed but still has plenty of small towns with general amenities and sealed roads to the majority of the popular sites.<\/p>\n

Ideally you\u2019d want at least a couple days to hire a car and explore the sights at your own pace, if you\u2019re planning on any hikes then its definitely the way to go. If however you\u2019re on a bit of tight schedule then taking a tour is actually not a bad choice to make.<\/p>\n

Normally we would steer clear of tours, mainly because of the restrictions of being locked into what they want to show you and for the time they allow, not to mention its always cheaper to just \u201cgo yourself\u201d, however, after doing the sums with the flights and car hire for the day it worked out to be not much more for the tour, plus the fact you get to sleep while being chauffeured around = priceless.<\/p>\n

After a bit of research we settled on Discovery Hawaii tours<\/a> for their pretty much flawless track record and… it was well worth it. Not just for the ease of everything but the knowledge and humour of the guide and his effort to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, even going to the extent of switching destinations so our group wouldn\u2019t clash with other groups, which was very welcomed not just for a better experience at the sights but also for getting a photo minus the tourist clutter.<\/p>\n

Speaking of groups, Discovery is one of the few companies that still do small groups around 20-30 ppl on a smaller bus rather than a \u201ccost effective\u201d approach with large coaches. The thought of travelling around and waiting for double the amount of ppl to do the most basic things like getting on and off the bus is something I\u2019m glad we didn\u2019t have to experience!<\/p>\n

Anyway, enough of that, on with the tour!<\/p>\n

\"Sour<\/a>

Sour weather brewing on the flight over<\/p><\/div>\n


\nTravel Tip: The tour makes a stop at the start of the day at a local convenience store for everyone to grab water and supplies for the day. There is a lunch stop at the golf course but other than that, no other stops for food or water so you will need to stock up. If you have dietary requirements or want to avoid paying convenience store prices then pack all your food before hand for the WHOLE day. We arrived back at the airport early evening with about 15min to spare before the flight where there was only a small news agent store open, with no actual meals as such so keep those muesli bars handy.<\/em><\/p>\n

The specific tour we chose was the One day Hawaii Volcano Eco-Adventure Tour<\/a> which covered the following stops:<\/p>\n

– Hilo Town & Rainbow Falls
\n– Historic Banyan Drive
\n– Queen Lydia Liliuokalani Gardens
\n– Kilauea Iki Overlook
\n– Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
\n– National Park Visitors Center
\n– Kilauea Volcanic Steam Vents
\n– Jaggar Museum & Gift Shop
\n– National Park Admission
\n– Thurston Lava Tube
\n– Big Island Black Sand Beach
\n– No-Host Lunch at Local Restaurant
\n– Halema’uma’u Crater Overlook
\n– Volcanic Activity of Mount Kilauea<\/p>\n

The actual sequence of stops varies depending on your driver, if yours is clued in like ours, he\u2019ll know to leap frog some of the stops and return later if there are too many other tours at the one spot. The highlights in the order we travelled were:<\/p>\n

Black Sand Beach <\/strong>\u2013 Small bay area just outside of Hilo<\/strong>. At first it looks like its just rich soil but on closer inspection you\u2019ll see that it\u2019s a rather coarse gravelly sand from the remnants of volcanic rock.
\nPhoto tip: this bay sort of area has a lot of nooks with jagged rocks that would make for some great photos at sunrise\/sunset. Unfortunately not a luxury we could afford being on a guided tour. <\/em><\/p>\n

Travel Tip: Watch out for muddy areas in the grass or off paths, sulphur and who knows what else mixes with the sloppy stuff which will leave your shoes with an eu de canine faeces aroma = a very nauseating bus ride to the next stop!<\/em><\/p>\n

Hilo<\/strong> \u2013 Basically like any other small coastal town, not really much to see, though the anecdotes from the guide were more than entertaining. (Not so) fun fact, the town has been wiped out completely due to natural disasters in the \u201840s and \u201860s, they\u2019ve since rebuilt the town from scratch but further inland and now with some parkland as a buffer. As part of the rebuild, they kept the look and architecture of the original town.<\/p>\n

\"Banyan<\/a>

Banyan Tree Drive<\/p><\/div>\n

Rainbow Falls<\/strong> \u2013 As far as falls go this was nothing special, not helped by the top down look out position and not enough time to venture down the bottom, even tho it wasn\u2019t very tall. It would definitely be more impressive after some heavy rains.<\/p>\n

\"Rainbow<\/a>

Rainbow Falls<\/p><\/div>\n


\nLiliuokalani Japanese Gardens<\/strong> \u2013 One of those spots that you\u2019d love to have in your backyard for a weekend chill out or bbq spot. Interesting floral, landscaping and traditional Japanese features such as pargodas, arch bridges and ornaments.<\/p>\n

\"Liliuokalani<\/a>

Liliuokalani Japanese Gardens<\/p><\/div>\n

19th hole Golf Club lunch<\/strong> \u2013 a little bit fancy dining with the plaid sweater vest brigade but the food was good and our guide showed off his multiple talents and surprised us with songs on an acoustic guitar!<\/p>\n

\"DSCN3462-13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Volcano National Park<\/strong> \u2013 this is the school excursion part of the trip, we got a run down of volcano basics with a large model of the Hawaiian islands at the front of the information center then were ushered into a theatre for a screening of a short documentary on the history and formation of volcanoes as well as a finger shaking warning to be careful while out on the rocks and cliff faces. The short of it, bring proper sturdy shoes. A decent pair of runners will work but anything less like cutesy flats or slipons just wont cut it, in fact what will be cut is your feet.. into A MILLION PIECES!!!! Ok maybe not, but the dry lava and shards of rock are jagged and very sharp, which is why they wont even let you in to the park if you\u2019re wearing thongs, sandals or none closed in shoes.<\/p>\n

\"DSCN3463-14\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the show we had the option of taking a short hike through the steam fields or getting a lift with the bus to the next stop, a lookout point. As unpleasant as it sounds to be walking through scrub billowing with sulphur and steam (they recommended anyone with respiratory problems or pregnant women to avoid it) it was worth the short 20-30min walk to see where the earth has opened up and was cutting the proverbial cheese.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1109-18\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1118-21\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1133-26\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1137-28\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At the top, the over look of Halema’uma’u<\/strong> shows a huge crater of the no doubt once active volcano. Now reduced to a smaller crater within the crater, it might not seem as impressive but with the plumes of sulphur clouds coming from it, enough to completely obscure visibility on the road passed it, one can only imagine the potential of that sleeping giant and imminent doom it could bring! Sorry, still channelling my Pierce Brosnan.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1145-30\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Afternoon<\/a>

Afternoon rainstorm moving in from the left<\/p><\/div>\n

Thurston Lava Tubes<\/strong> \u2013 As impressive as some of the other sights were, this took the number one spot for us. A short 10min hike takes you to a series of tunnels where lava has carved its way through the mountain side forming tubes like some sort of prehistoric water park.<\/p>\n

Photo tip: the tubes are very dimly lit, ideally you\u2019d want a tripod but setting one up will completely block the path way which is 2-3 people wide in most parts. A monopod might suffice if you can dodge the other tourists, otherwise you will just have to crank the iso and steady that twitchy hand. These shots were taken at f3.2 1\/15 to 1\/25 at ISO12800 <\/em><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1156-35\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1161-39\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1184-44\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Kilauea Iki<\/strong> \u2013 is one of the most active volcanoes on the island but was rather quiet when we were there. What we did see however was the path of destruction it had left from its eruptions over the years. Lava flows, miles wide, has run from the top of the mountain down kilometres to the sea and as seen in the doco film, the lava tends to be brittle after hitting the water which eventually causes whole cliff shelves to just break away and fall into the ocean. These have left dramatic cliff faces and rock formations.<\/p>\n

Rather ironically in the path of destruction from lava and all kinds of other toxic gases and chemicals, this most easterly point bears the winds of some of the most cleanest air in the world. So much so that it is used as a benchmark for measuring air clairity. Savour it, especially if you’re flying on to LA!<\/p>\n

Another natural phenomenon that you will witness just about anywhere on the islands multiple times of day is rainbows. Yep, with all that sea spray the colourful light refractions are plentiful. Double rainbows are just as common and even triples can be viewed around coastal areas.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1285-77\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1292-84\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1296-85\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1251-67\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1256-68\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1289-81\"<\/a> \"DSC_1277-74\"<\/a> \"DSC_1238-64\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1202-53\"<\/a> \"DSC_1265-72\"<\/a> \"DSC_1239-65\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jaggar Museum<\/strong> \u2013 cue Rolling Stones joke. This was the last stop which, while small, still housed plenty of information on volcanoes from art work, to vintage scientific equipment, historic moments and live seismograph readings. There\u2019s also a lookout for Kilauea Iki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1303-88\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSCN3496-26\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSCN3506-34\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSCN3508-35\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSCN3464-16\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"DSCN3495-25\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"DSCN3499-27\"<\/a> \"DSC_1302-87\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSCN3500-28\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"DSCN3501-29\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"DSCN3502-30\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"DSCN3503-31\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All in all, it was a fun filled day and a refreshing change to be chauffeured around, the guide was informative and funny and knew when to keep quiet for everyone to take in the view or to have a nap on the afternoon stretch. While tipping was not encouraged unlike\u2026well any other American service, we had no problem giving him a generous one at the end. Hopefully he\u2019ll use it to buy some new jokes! Lol, kidding John, you\u2019re ALL right!<\/p>\n

Next we rejoin\u2026err ourselves amidst some frantic retailing in Honolulu shopping \u2013 part b<\/p>\n

Hawaii 2012 part #1 \u2013 Arrival<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #2 \u2013 Waikiki<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #3 \u2013 Honolulu shopping \u2013 Part A<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #4 \u2013 The Big Island \u2013 Volcano tour<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #5 \u2013 Shopping Honolulu \u2013 part B<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #6 \u2013 Tattoo Honolulu \/ Boardshorts: A Perfect Fit art exhibits<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #7 \u2013 Pearl City area<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #8 \u2013 Swap meets and Made in Hawaii festival<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #9 \u2013 Cook offs and Car shows<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #10 \u2013 North shore<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #11 \u2013 Windward shore and Sealife Park<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #12 \u2013 Chief\u2019s Luau at Sealife Park<\/a>
\nHawaii 2012 part #13 \u2013 South shore \u2013 Diamondhead crater, Hanauma bay<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If Oahu was the Gold Coast then The Big Island (TBI) would probably be Ballina. Its a lot less developed but still has plenty of small towns with general amenities and sealed roads to the majority of the popular sites. Ideally you\u2019d want at least a couple days to hire a car and explore the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1883,388],"tags":[1507,1963,1952,1962,1886,1953,487,1959,1956,1964,1960,1955,50,1954,1965,525,31,100,1958,1951,488,1961,391,1957,444],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2912"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3542,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2912\/revisions\/3542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.soulbridgemedia.com\/news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}