Blogs from Kailua-Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, United States, North America
A Week on the Big Island
Published: April 2nd 2012North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
April 2nd 2012
On Sunday, March 25, Tom and I took a short flight from Honolulu to Kona on "the Big Island" of Hawaii. Our first impression upon arrival was that we were landing on the moon! This is because the airport is built on a huge field of lava that gives it a bare, moon-like, appearance. We discovered that Hawaii is an island of 5 volcanoes, 3 of them now extinct. Kilauea is still very active, and because of this, smoke, or what the locals call "vog"( volcano smog), covers the southern part of the island, as you'll see from the photos.(Note: There are 50 photos in all, so please scroll down to the bottom of this page and go on to subsequent pages to see them all.) We also learned that the island is very agricultural, growing ... read more
Big Island, small waves
Published: February 8th 2012North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
February 7th 2012
The Big Island? I suppose it's all relative and in respect to the rest of the Hawaiin chain, The Big Island is mammoth, large enough to become the namesake island for the entire state. In reality, Hawaii is barely a small fraction the size of Tasmania but let's not become too bogged down with semantics. Having said that and whilst firmly brandishing my poisoned pen, if your sole exposure to the Big Island was Kona, you may be tempted to bestow another monicor, something akin to "The Feral Island". Some may consider Kona's "colourful local identities" as unpretentious, others probably figure the spirit of Mount Druitt or The Bronx will never die as long as these folk maintain a pulse. Fortunately for the Big Island, she crams in a slew of alternative spicy attractions and was ... read more
Volcanoes and blue blue water
Published: January 28th 2012North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
January 28th 2012
As per previous post, no publishing until after I've submitted my report :) xx... read more
Boxing Day Sail
Published: January 15th 2012North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
January 2nd 2012
It took me forty six years to find paradise, the sort of place that feels as comfortable as home, but is exotic to keep you interested. The big island of Hawaii is the island paradise among the archipelago that is the state of Hawaii, at least as far as I could judge. And who am I to judge? Oahu was crowded and overrun with cars, while the big island had fewer tourists on more space, and with more to do. The big island is a science nerd fest for me: snorkeling on the reef with tropical fish, an active volcano, telescopes on a very tall mountain, and a verdant rainforest, so I'll have to return to paradise sometime soon to take it all in again. You can only get to paradise by taking chances, and not ... read more
Big Island Hawai'i
Published: November 11th 2011North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
November 10th 2011
Finally made to the big Island, flew into Oahu on thursday oct 27th, and left fot Kailua on Friday. Kailua is slowerpace than Oahu, and as beautiful as well. We had a change to drive up & down the Island, went from the south to the north, west & east. The only issue with the big island is the lack of food, unless you want to eat burgers. We visited the volcanosm Waipio valleym Hilo, South Point, Black sand beaches, Akaka falls, and all the good beaches on the big Island.... read more
Waipi'o Valley
Published: November 11th 2011North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
November 10th 2011
This is just for Waipio Valley, and look out in the Kahala coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i... read more
Volcano trekking and tropical reef snorkling on the Big Island of Hawaii
Published: September 26th 2011North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
September 19th 2011
The Big Island of Hawai'i is certainly one of the most geologically interesting places I have been in the world. From the moment we picked up the car from Kona airport and started driving the 110 miles to the town of Volcano (not a very creative town name!), where we were staying for the first two days of our stay on the big Island, we realised this was no ordinary landscape. The drive from the airport goes through some tropical jungle and amazing beaches along the coast, which then suddenly becomes completely dry, dead, barren land and then becomes mountainous and rocky. We also encountered fierce stormy weather and blazing sunshine during the 3 hour drive. This island was completely schitzophrenic! Our lodge in Volcano was a supurb tropical retreat, and the owners prepared us an ... read more
Snorkeling at Two Step
Published: December 26th 2011North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
March 15th 2011
On this day I drove to Kealakekua Bay, which is about 12 miles South of Kona, to snorkel. After taking the exit off the main highway, you eventually come to a t in the road where you can continue straight for say 50 yards into a parking lot, or a right where you can continue about a 1/10th of a mile into a different parking lot and you are on the Kealakekua Bay at that point. If you take a left at the t though, that is the way to Two Step. You first drive a narrow road that has been paved over a previous lava flow, then after you pass a sign, take a right into that area, and when you see the paid parking ahead, simply take a non-descript right hand turn prior to ... read more
Happy New Year from Fiji (almost)
Published: January 3rd 2011North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
January 3rd 2011
Hello everyone and Happy New Year. It's lovely to hear from you all at home. I feel such a long way away! Well I've had an interesting few days - caught a bad bug on plane to Big Island - went on a tour up Mauna Kea (higher than Everest) and ended up with acute bronchitis - nearly hospitalised! Hostel I stayed at was very good but there were only two of us there and I was in bed for most of the time. Had to collect hire car and drive (for the very first time on 'wrong' side of road) last friday in a strange town looking for the Urgent Care Clinic that I wasn't sure existed! And I was feeling really ill (Get the picture?). Spent 3 hours there and then had to go ... read more
Weeks 53 & 54 Kauai to Big Island, Hawaii
Published: September 26th 2010North America » United States » Hawaii » Big Island » Kailua-Kona
September 26th 2010
I managed to knock another item off my bucket list this week by seeing flowing molten lava from Kilauea the most active live volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii - and the best bit was that I didn’t have to do the long hot trek over the lava fields to do it. This week has been a mixture of relaxation on the garden island of Kauai and then excitement on Hawaii where I got to see the moon rise over the tallest mountain in the World - Mauna Kea. I had five more days in Kauai after my helicopter trip so I chilled and lazed around. I moved twice, firstly to a cheaper room in my original hotel and then down the road to an even cheaper room for the last 2 nights to a ... read more
