Emma introduced us to the outline for the day and then we were underway in AC luxury. After an information filled journey we arrive in the Volcano National Park, but it is pouring with rain!! A thunder storm has descended and lightning flickers around us as thunder booms almost instantly - but the storm does not seem to want to move… therefore the first stop is a short walk under provided umbrellas to a lava tube. These have to be seen to be believed, they are immense tubes through which molten lava once flowed - Hawaii is filled with them… (No molten lava there now ;)). We arrive at the entrance and find the tunnel around 10’ high with glistening rock walls covered in green lichen and with roots dangling from cracks in the ceiling. We walk around 400m through the lava tube to a point were the roof had collapsed and this was the exit point - at the time the pouring rain was forming a small stream over our boots 0_0
If we had wanted to there was the opportunity to follow the Thurston lava tube for another 45km’s!! towards the coast - however, there are no lights and you would have to camp overnight in the tube… Sounded wonderful but I had neither the camping gear nor the time… perhaps for another time ;)
Leaving the lava tube we find ourselves viewing the small Kilauea Iki crater and watch as soaked hikers tramp across its floor. We of course are under umbrellas still in the teeming rain. After just a few minutes we move on to other views of a range of craters and the wonderful Jaggar museum with active seismographs (I even managed to make my own mark). While we all find fascination in the exhibits we also take time to take in the steaming Hyalema’uma’u crater of the Kilauea Caldera, which forms the background to the museum. Fabulous.