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Burning down the night (Hawaiian-style)
Getting to where the Kilauea lava flow meets the Pacific isn't as easy as you might think. First you need to find an old road that leads out into the lava fields left by an eruption in the 1990s. It's a strange road, with sections of good two lane blacktop connected by winding bouncy single lane track. That's where you're driving over the lava, where the flow rolled over the land and hid the old road.
Finally you're at the car park, and backing into a spot. It's still a fair way to the entrance to the viewing area, but that's fine, as you'll need to buy a flashlight from one of the vendors for the return trek. From the entrance to the viewing area is about a mile, but it's a mile over lava flow - rough new rock that crumbles beneath your feet, and undulates unevenly in its pillows, ribbons and sheets. There are plenty of cracks and bubbles, so you need to follow the yellow duct tape markings carefully.
All the while you can see where you're going, as a pillar of steam rises high into the sky.
The viewing area is about 1/2 a mile from the actual flow, and it's worth getting there early to get a good position in the crowds. We were perhaps a little later than optimum, but still managed to get a decent view.
The black lava rolls into the sea, where the land falls away in sharp cliffs. There's hot rock under the boiling sea, and a line of steam shows just how much of the flow is under the water.
As it gets darker, the white steam cloud begins to take on a reddish tinge, the reflected glow of the molten rock. Occasionally you'll see sparks as water flashes into high pressure steam and a section of black cool rock falls away, exposing the glowing lava below.
It's when it gets dark that the show begins, red clouds of steam rising from the orange lava, bright against the black sky.
I'd taken along my new GorillaPod flexible tripod, and lay down on the lava to get the best angle. Manual focus got me the view I wanted, and a ten second timer made sure that there was as little vibration as possible. The resulting long exposures captured much of the feel of the evening - bright gouts of steam and the occasional burst of hot lava from a steam explosion.
You can see the trajectory of an explosion in the first of the images - I wouldn't have liked to have been anywhere near the flow when that happened!
While we watched the main event on the coast, higher on the hills the thin rock over the lava flow was starting to crack, and golden rock was flowing out across the hillside - setting fire to trees and vegetation. I wrapped the GorillaPod around a warning sign, and fired up another long exposure.
Kilauea, Hawaii
June 2009
Finally you're at the car park, and backing into a spot. It's still a fair way to the entrance to the viewing area, but that's fine, as you'll need to buy a flashlight from one of the vendors for the return trek. From the entrance to the viewing area is about a mile, but it's a mile over lava flow - rough new rock that crumbles beneath your feet, and undulates unevenly in its pillows, ribbons and sheets. There are plenty of cracks and bubbles, so you need to follow the yellow duct tape markings carefully.
All the while you can see where you're going, as a pillar of steam rises high into the sky.
The viewing area is about 1/2 a mile from the actual flow, and it's worth getting there early to get a good position in the crowds. We were perhaps a little later than optimum, but still managed to get a decent view.
The black lava rolls into the sea, where the land falls away in sharp cliffs. There's hot rock under the boiling sea, and a line of steam shows just how much of the flow is under the water.
As it gets darker, the white steam cloud begins to take on a reddish tinge, the reflected glow of the molten rock. Occasionally you'll see sparks as water flashes into high pressure steam and a section of black cool rock falls away, exposing the glowing lava below.
It's when it gets dark that the show begins, red clouds of steam rising from the orange lava, bright against the black sky.
I'd taken along my new GorillaPod flexible tripod, and lay down on the lava to get the best angle. Manual focus got me the view I wanted, and a ten second timer made sure that there was as little vibration as possible. The resulting long exposures captured much of the feel of the evening - bright gouts of steam and the occasional burst of hot lava from a steam explosion.
You can see the trajectory of an explosion in the first of the images - I wouldn't have liked to have been anywhere near the flow when that happened!
While we watched the main event on the coast, higher on the hills the thin rock over the lava flow was starting to crack, and golden rock was flowing out across the hillside - setting fire to trees and vegetation. I wrapped the GorillaPod around a warning sign, and fired up another long exposure.
Kilauea, Hawaii
June 2009
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Photos to follow!
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If you are still in that part of Hawaii, there is a hot springs further southwest, from Hilo, next to the ocean. The locals are a bit guarded about it, for obvious reasons. My cousin brought me there when she was still living in Kona. We went there at night, so I'm not quite sure of how to get there. But I'm sure one of the locals would tell you if you laid on the charm and swore to secrecy. ;)
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That experience was actually what I refer to as The One Magical Moment From That Which Is Ordinary. The full moon was over the ocean, as if somebody had decided to hang it there for decoration, and since it was night, we didn't bother with clothes.
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(Anonymous) 2009-06-21 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)I am going to the Big Island and was looking forward to go into a boat tour. But it is very expensive and many things have came up financially speaking that do not allow me to afford it. Still, I already bought the air ticket and I want to make the best out of it.
Any ideas?
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The current viewing area is at the end of the old Highway 130, and is about a mile or so trek from the parking area. It's open from 5 until 10 in the evening, with the last car allowed in at 8.