Day 11

We drove South and then East around the coast of the big island to Hilo. On the way we stopped at a black sand beach where the erosion of volcanic material had caused the sand to be black - really surreal!

The drive around the South of the island took us around some amazing scenery and we were at the most Southerly part of the Hawaiian Islands. When we finally reached the volcano national park we were given a map and told not to breath in any sulphur fumes! We headed straight for the largest crater to find huge plumes of sulphur spilling out as the hot lava met the cooler air but it was going in another direction so we were safe! We then drove around the national park looking at other craters and eventually reached a lava tube that had collapsed so we could walk all of the way through it. It was like a big cave but make of lava. We then drove round to some steam vents that were venting out of big cracks in the ground. They were strange because they were really hot, and the ground around was hot too. We then walked on a board walk around a sulphur field where the sulphur was crystallising and turning green and yellow.

We then decided to go to the Volcano town to check into our accommodation - a lodge called at the craters edge - named that because the owner has a lava tube in the garden! We had our own little flat and it was beautiful. The owner had baked us fresh bread for us to have for breakfast, and we had fresh juice in our little fridge. We got such a lovely warm welcome that I would recommend the place to everyone. There is a hot tub hidden away in the rain forest garden for the use of guests. The whole of the East side of the island is lush rain forests and the West is drier and sunnier.

After checking in we went back to the volcano park so we could drive down to where the lava was still flowing over the main road! The road is impassable since there is so much lava over it but it was funny to see where there was once road and now there is huge lumps of lava - completely destroying everything it came into contact with. There was road signs completely covered in lava giving an indication of the height that the lava has reached. We scrambled over it for a couple of miles to get a view of the steam in the distance as the hot molten lava hit the sea. The island is still growing every year because the volcano is constantly erupting.

When we went back to volcano village we found a little restaurant that sold the biggest portions of food! It was lovely and really homely with lots of local beers.