Volcano Tour is selling out!

There has been a lot of activity with Kilauea. A few photo's shot by our tour guide shows guests on the lava fields along with a photo discussing the sulpher dioxide emissions.

The creation of new land

As you can see from the photographs taken from today's volcano tour the lava is currently running into the ocean. This is causing the big island of Hawaii to increase in size.

The current size of the big island is 4,038 square miles. How does this compare to the size of the other islands? All the other Hawaiian Islands could easily fit into the Big Island more than two times over.

Up close and personal with Madam Pele'

photograph from Hawaii Tribune Herald March 4, 2008

Faintly glowing pahoehoe lava crawls steadily makai about mid-afternoon Tuesday. Columns of smoke in the distance rise from vegetation scorched by lava as it invaded the Royal Gardens subdivision. - William Ing/Tribune-Herald

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Jim Kauahikaua said that the flow is still advancing, although at a slower rate than over the past weekend.

The flow has been moving in a shallow ditch between the margins of two flows that were erupted in 2002 and 2007, Kauahikaua said.

"As of 10:30 this morning, it has reached a point 200 meters or 600 feet north of the access road. It's actually aimed at a point about 100 or 150 feet east of the turnaround area, so if it continues it will cut off the turnaround area," Kauahikaua said. "Barring any other changes, the flow will go into the ocean."

Iao Valley

Today we had a great turnout for our 2 island tour. Both the Napali Coast, Molokai Sea cliffs, Haleakala and Iao Valley were picture perfect.

2 great photo's on today's tour

We have spoken about Mauna Kea and Rainbow falls in previous posts. Today our tour guide snapped 2 great shots of both from the air and ground tours.


Look closely as you can see a rainbow at rainbow falls.



The snowcapped mountain of Mauna Kea is sometimes surprising to the folks who think Hawaii is all about sand and surf.

Rainbow Falls State Park

Located just outside downtown Hilo, this is your second stop on the Volcano Orchid Tour. Rainbow Falls is one of the easiest waterfalls to go to in Hawaii. During the morning you may be rewarded with a beautiful rainbow - the morning sun glistening through the mist from the falls.

Banyan Tree Drive

What do Film maker Cecil B. DeMille, Baseball player Herman "Babe" Ruth, Presidents Richard Nixon and Franklin D. Roosevelt,  along with Famous Pilot Amelia Earhart have in common?   They all planted banyan trees on Hilo's famous Banyan Tree Drive.  This is the first stop once you arrive in Hilo Hawaii.  Banyan Tree Drive comes with an interesting story but will save that for your tour.

The photo above was taken today by our Tour Guide and shows the magnificent banyan tree.