DAY
4: Today we entered
the Volcano National Park ($10 entry / week, camping included). After
sussing out the main camping site (more amenities, full, school groups on
day-trips), we drove down the 'Chain of Craters Road', stopping off to walk the
1.6km Kipaku Puaulu trail, apparently a 4000 year old rain forest (perhaps
going through a not so rain forest stage?). We then stopped for the 'Lava
Tube' loop trail where about 40% of the trail leads you through an old lava
tube, very cool! *A lava tube is where the lava flowing down the mountain
begins to cool on the surface, and in sections, leaving a straw for the hot
lava to flow through beneath the surface. When the lava eventually stops
flowing, the straw is drained at the bottom, leaving a hollow tube.*
The
secondary campground was great - it was in the centre of the VNP, with only 1
other small group of friendly campers. THERE WERE SO MANY STARS!
DAY
5: Today we walked along the Kilauea Iki Trail (A 6km loop
walk, through lush rain forest on the craters rim, down and over its still
steaming crater floor, 1,180m above sea level).
This
was defiantly the most amazing walk so far!
This
Volcano last erupted on 14th November 1959 and began when a "curtain"
of lava burst from a 0.8km long crack in the crater wall. Within a day,
multiple vents along the crack consolidated into one main vent, erupting!!
The eruption lasted for 5 weeks.
During
the eruption, blobs of molten rock up to 1 meter diameter shot across the
crater and landed where we were walking along the path on the edge of the rain
forest, where a whole section of the path has slightly different trail surface
- lumpy black volcanic rock.
Walking
across the crater, past the steam vents was amazing!
Photos
might help describe...
