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Published: March 12th 2011
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Deborah in the Treehouse
Deborah relaxes on the sofa in this fabulous house in the canopy of the trees. Sunday 6th March (again) – Mustangs and Treehouses
Crossed the international date line on our overnight flight to Hawaii, so we get to do Sunday all over again as we head to the Big Island:
Ford Mustang – Have always wanted to drive a Mustang, so we picked up a 4.0L V6 black convertible from Hilo airport – no immediate need to get the top down due to precipitation.
Volcano Village – A small but perfectly formed residential area and local shops on the edge of the national park.
Maile Treehouse – Our home in the trees is a stunningly beautiful open plan 1 bed apartment with shower and Jacuzzi! Furniture, fittings and little extra touches make it a memorable place and set in fabulous, secluded jungle garden.
Monday 7th March – Major Eruptions
To continue the forces of nature theme, we arrive in Hawaii the day after some spectacular changes in the local volcanic scenery:
Volcanic Eruptions (volcano-nuts see below) – The day before we arrive, 150 small earthquake tremors and related major shifts in the volcanic scenery mean that new eruptions break out and all the locals get very excited!
Volcano National Park –
The Mustang
Simon models the 4.0L V6 Mustang - perhaps the camper van purchase is on hold when we get back... We visit the park when all is at high excitement although much of the summit crater rim road is closed. We see huge steam plumes from the Halemaumau crater, smaller steam vents up close and the old rim road (pre-1983) or what is left of it!
Craters at Night – The main attraction is to return to the caldera at night and see the huge steam plumes but this time glowing in a deep orange light from the lava lake below – very impressive!
Volcanic Eruptions – On Saturday 5th March, a series of small earthquakes caused a major shift in volcanic activity in Big Island Hawaii. Activity centred in Pu’u O’o on Kilauea volcano’s east rift zone, where a huge lava lake collapsed and an active lava flow seems to have been plugged, stopping lava flow to the sea after some 28 years. Instead, a 2.3k fissure has opened in the area and there are ongoing eruptions occurring, with lava splatter reaching up to 30m high. Sulphur Dioxide emissions in the area rise to 10,000 tonnes per day, from a previous 300 tonnes and seismicity is significantly elevated at the summit and in the east rift zone. Volcanic Plume
Superheated steam spews from the Halemaumau crater within the Kilauea summit caldera. Tuesday 8th March – To the Summit of Mauna Kea
An afternoon and evening tour takes us to the summit of the highest mountain in Hawaii and part of the highest mountain range in the world if measured from the base under the sea:
Barcelona – Finally manage to find some radio commentary on the Internet and listen to the Champions League game as Arsenal are narrowly defeated, assisted heavily by the referee!
Mauna Kea Summit – At 14,000ft above sea level and no other land mass around Hawaii for over 2,000 miles, the summit of the great mountain is a perfect place for 13 astronomical observatories. It’s also a bit cold, but luckily the chilly breeze was short of the previuosly recorded 200 mph winds!
Stargazing – Back down from the summit our astro-nerds set up their telescopes, walked us through constellations and showed us a detailed view of the moon, star clusters, galaxies (up to 35M light years away) and Saturn, complete with rings and four moons!
Wednesday 9th March – More Volcanos and Massages
A final day exploring the fascinating volcanic landscape, which changes shape on a regular basis:
Kileaua Bit Steamy Down There
Deborah looks into one of the small fissures from which warm steam escapes from deep underground. Iki Trail – A 4 mile trail into and across a crater which was a lava lake only 50 years ago, with all the associated shapes and textures of huge eruption activity, now just starting to re-vegetate as the land mass cools.
Thurston Lava Tube – A ¼ mile walk through a rock tube created by the flow of lava over a long period and then it draining out as the supply dried up – very spooky indeed.
Hawaiin Massage – A wonderful elbow and forearm based massage by a highly recommended traditional Lomilomi masseuse helped to ease out any kinks from that night flight from Fiji.
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SimonandDeborah
Simon Burrell & Deborah Blakemore
Hawaii Tsunami
All Please note that we left Hilo in Big Island (Hawaii) earlier today and are now in Waikiki, Honolulu on Oahu Island. Whilst we are near the coast, we are not currently in an evacuation zone. We are also in a hotel some way from the beach and are on the 8th floor, so any personal risks are currently low, and we are advised to stay put. We will post an update after 3AM local time (1PM UK time) which is when the tsunami is estimated to hit the Hawaiin islands. Our best estimate of the situation is that we are at a low risk personally but clearly we may be subject to some disruption in the days ahead. We will keep you all updated. Simon and Deborah