Volcanoes National Park

Famous for its title as “the most active volcano in the world,” and as being the home of Hawai’ian Goddess Pele, Kilauea has been erupting almost continuously since 1982.

Sulfuric fog rising from the caldera can cause a heavy haze glistening in the sunlight.

Steam vents and sulfur banks poor white vapor and gases from cracks in the rocky surface. Could this be the breath of Pele herself?

Magma beneath the crust creates these emissions as well as the tumultuous environment here in Volcanoes National Park. Throughout history, molten lava has spit, spilled, spewed and splattered across the mountainside, leaving a blackened landscape. Although able to change form, Pele’s true body is that of lava, with which she engulfs everything in her path.

Reminders of past forests are found in the molds from where trees once stood.

Where there were once fiery cauldrons of liquid rock, lakes of stone waves now remain, waiting to be explored.

Entire fields of lava have hardened into a beautifully bizarre scene. With time they have cracked and weathered, harboring courageous flora on this wind-swept plain.

Be sure not to let Pele’s conspicuous acts of destruction overshadow the subtle underlying current of creation.

The soul of the woodlands, seemingly swallowed by Pele, is reemerging from the rich volcanic soil to produce lush rainforests. The cool air and radiant growth surge with freshness, as if to sooth the burnt flesh of the earth.

Ferns grow with abundance.

They uncoil from fiddleheads too tiny to reveal the magnificence that waits within.

Their spring-green foliage abounds, from succulent ground cover,

to tree sized giants reaching 30 feet into the canopy above.

Even under the smallest of these Goliaths, it’s easy to let your imagination run wild.

People have been using this unique land for countless generations, pre-dating written history. Ancient petroglyphs mark many sacred sites and hint at a vibrant Hawai’ian culture.

Resting on the rim of the caldera, the Volcano House hotel possesses a heart of flames. Its hearth glows with a fire burning continuously since 1871.

Today, the land of this national park is full of sights that will catch your breath, trails leading to hidden beauty, and adventures waiting to happen.

Where the ocean slowly erodes the shore, a spectacular sea arch has been sculpted by pounding waves.

In the fragmented rocks along the trails, miniature olivine gems sparkle in the sunlight.

Tubes of lava have emptied like a hose, leaving cave-like passageways.

Their dark walls have been lit so you can explore them freely.

If you’re quiet, and very lucky, you just may get to see one the parks highly endangered residents. In this protected land, Nene geese can find sanctuary in these scrublands.

Pele’s intensity can be felt throughout this mystical land, not only in the starkness of the scorched and scalded,

but also in the fiery exuberance of all who live in this volatile splendor.

Quick Note

Hi, all. In case you didn't know already, you can click on the photos to see them enlarged. They are over-sharpened and distorted as the web changes them a bit, but you can still see them better in larger form. So, the next photos will be better quality.

BIg Island & Place of Refuge

Our adventures continue here on the Big Island of Hawai'i.
We have taken a free-lance photojournalist job, which we are doing mainly for fun and not profit. As part of the "work," we travel around the island while we enjoy, write and photograph some of the amazing places found here.

We will start with a tour of our favorite place. . .Pu'uhonua o honaunau.





This national historic park is home to spectacular beaches, a recreated village, and most especially, to the Pu’uhonua, Hawai’ian for “place of refuge.” As soon as you enter the grounds you can feel its power and tranquility.

After stopping by the visitor center, embark on your self-guided walking tour. This starts with a reconstructed royal village where you will find a genuine historical experience. It teaches customs and culture of this complex society, free of tourist-based stereotypes.

Witness demonstrators practicing traditional skills then meander through postcard perfect coconut palms as you explore native buildings. Once home to chiefs, this area was kapu, meaning taboo and off limits to those outside of the ruling class.

Sit and relax in the dappled shade as you challenge a friend to a game of Konane, a traditional Hawai’ian game similar to checkers. Of course you’ll be playing a leisurely round instead of defending your life as the historical chiefs once did. These innocent-looking game pieces of black lava pebbles and white coral fragments on a chiseled stone table were used to settle disputes. Losing could mean the loss of your land, your wife, and your life.

Close by reside various fish species, being fattened for the King in his personal fish ponds.

Once a canoe landing for rulers, you can easily imagine these tapering waves gliding a chief’s outrigger onto the sandy shore. This gentle cove now provides a safe haven for the green sea turtles resting only a few meters from excited visitors.

Standing like sentinels, statues of Ohia wood mark the area as kapu. These Ki’i were mistakenly translated as Tiki by missionaries. Weathered and hand-carved, they watch over the peace of this place from the grounds of Hale o Keawe temple. Even today, offerings are still left on the lailai, the tiered platform. Some of the gifts are for the gods, some for the people, and some for the land. Some people say that adjacent to this temple lies one of Hawai’i’s intense vortexes of spiritual energy. . .

Behind this thatched structure stands a wall, 10 feet tall and 17 feet thick, separating the royal residence from the historical place of refuge beyond. People could find asylum here, if they had broken a strict kapu/law, or if they needed protection during a battle. Believed to be established in the 12^th century, it was once part of a system of 30 places of refuge dispersed across the islands. Most were disassembled after the arrival of the missionaries. Today, it is the only one of its kind remaining. This sacred site still emanates the peace it once protected.

Do not miss a visit to the tide-pools just West of the temple and wall, which are natural wonders alive with many life forms.

As you step out onto the hardened lava, yellow-gold flashes may catch your eye in the surrounding waves. As you near the smoother water of the tide pools, these wavering gems morph into yellow tang fish.

Black crabs dance on black rocks, seeming almost to defy gravity as they leap in their ballet among the swelling waves. Like the detectives of the sea, transparent shrimp investigate every crack and curiosity. During high tide, needlefish and parrotfish can be observed in the main tide pools’ channel. Almost anytime of day, threadfin butterflyfish, spectacular moorish idols and even moray eels are waiting to be discovered.

Established as a sanctuary for people, this place is also a haven of rest and peace for the honu, or sacred Hawaiian green sea turtle. They casually graze the algae in the water and rest in the sun on the warm black rocks of the pools. . .so watch your step as their polished shells can look like marbled stones. No single animal embodies the peace of this joining of land and sea better than these magnificent and ancient animals. They deserve our respect and to be given space.

A large rectangular rock beckons as an ideal place to sit for a spell and watch the rhythmic dance of the waves. Reportedly, this was the favorite resting place of the high chief of Kona. Look down and you can see the holes that may have held the canopy posts to provide shade during the era of its favor. (No, that's not Jen)

As you say goodbye to the place of refuge, be sure to take one last look at the basking Honu. Water lapping at their shells as they nap in the warm rays, these fellow creatures will leave you touched by a sense of deep peace and wisdom.

If you’re ready to do some basking of your own, or to explore other sea creatures up close and personal, walk the short road to Honaunau. Contrasting the sacred realm of Pu’uhonua, the atmosphere at this locale is both chill and exciting. Here you can join the lounging sunbathers, or jump into the turquoise waters for spectacular underwater gardens.

This was the first place we went snorkeling. I (Jen) had never snorkeled before, and from that moment I was hooked!