{"id":591,"date":"2016-05-24T07:05:25","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T07:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/the-big-islands-big-volcano\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:21:29","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:21:29","slug":"hawaii-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/hawaii-island\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big Island’s Big Volcano"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visiting Hawaii isn\u2019t all about lying on golden sand and surfing clear blue water. A short 45 minute flight from Honolulu and you\u2019ll touch down on Hawaii Island<\/a>, also known as the Big Island. What awaits is a world of captivating natural beauty and mystical Hawaiian history.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, the Big Island is Hawaii\u2019s biggest island, in fact it\u2019s nearly twice the size of all of Hawaii\u2019s other islands combined. It\u2019s not usually the first stop on the tourist trail, but it stands out as home to the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. Despite the destruction the volcano has caused, there\u2019s still an overwhelming respect and reverence towards mother nature\u2019s omnipresent spirit.<\/p>\n

I get the chance to experience the best of this beautiful spot on a day trip with Polynesian Adventure Tours. The tropical rainforest climate means there\u2019s plenty of luscious greenery and immaculate gardens, fenced between picturesque black shored beaches and clear waters. Orchard farms and botanical gardens also flourish. Rainbow Falls, Hilo\u2019s<\/a> majestic waterfall, has a spectacular vantage point that looks straight over the powerful cascading falls.<\/p>\n

Exploring the historic town of Hilo is a chance to see the Polynesian influence on the region. After lunch though, the tour takes us 50 kilometres southwest of Hilo to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A UNESCO World Biosphere and World Heritage site, it\u2019s here where the true volcanic adventure takes place.
\n
\nIt\u2019s a remarkably humbling experience to stand up top of a volcano \u2013 on the edge of a crater\u2019s rim, overlooking a vastly deep and baron open space. The Kilauea Volcano, Big Island\u2019s focal point, is surrounded by striking contrasts \u2013 tropical rainforests and an abundance of greenery, immediately next to a sea of volcanic rock and black shores. The Island\u2019s history is seen with every step you take. Walking along miles of black rock, you can physically see where lava has rolled across the region, spewing against itself to create hardened walls \u2013 the end result being a beautifully frozen moment of mother nature\u2019s ferocity.<\/p>\n

The volcanic activity isn\u2019t just noticeable on the surface of the island. A hike down to the 500 year old Thurston Lava Tube shows the result of molten lava flowing through the island\u2019s core \u2013 a complex system of hollowed caves which you can walk through and explore.<\/p>\n

Lava rock is all around you when you\u2019re wandering through the Island, but as tempting as it is to take a uniquely beautiful piece of this rock home, it\u2019s not advised. For two reasons. Firstly, being a World Heritage listed site, it\u2019s essentially not allowed. Secondly, locals warn me that taking a piece of lava rock from the Islands brings a curse from the Island gods, with visitors who take the rock home suffering from great misfortune \u2013 so serious in fact, that each year, hundreds of pounds of lava rock are returned by post to the Island.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, as the sun sets the Island truly comes to life. Steam seeping from vents creates an eerie illusion across the Island, and the faint red glow of the volcano becomes noticeable against the dim sky. This isn\u2019t an experience that will have adventurers hiking up to bubbling lava, but rather, a cultural and natural appreciation of one of Hawaii\u2019s true gems. It\u2019s a part of the North Pacific that is so incredibly unique from a rich culture and mesmerising history.<\/p>\n

Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site, such compensation may include travel and other costs<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The eruptions, the curses and the beauty \u2013 Reuben Mourad\u200b checks out Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,6,2,3,14,20],"tags":[139],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-destination","category-experiences","category-explore","category-interests","category-usa","tag-hawaii","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Big Island's Big Volcano - Expedia AU Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The eruptions, the curses and the beauty \u2013 Reuben Mourad\u200b checks out Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/hawaii-island\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Big Island's Big Volcano - 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