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The Big Island of HawaiiExperience High & Low AdventureBy Caroline M. Jackson
Once ensconced in our kayak, our guide warned us to duck before entering tunnels and that in some instances, we would be wise to lie horizontally. Paddles would also have to be placed vertically in the kayak to avoid being ‘clotheslined’ at the tunnel entrance. Soon we slipped from the warm tropical sunlight into the cool of our first tunnel Someone up front got a little spooked in the dark, so a companion started singing in a deep baritone voice which echoed off the walls. Between tunnels -–the longest being 1,800’ – we emerged into canopied pristine forest areas humming with bird life. Sometimes we would round a bend and be unexpectedly showered by a cascading waterfall. Now we knew why we had been advised to wear quick-drying swimsuits.
Towards the end of the circuit we enjoyed an easy walk along Devastation Trail. A board walk is laid out atop a ten foot deep layer of cinders and pumice which was formed in 1959. Today a skeletal forest of naked trees lies testimony to the last eruption. Our final sojourn was a short walk through the Thurston Lava Tube gouged out by a lava flow. Access is via a path which wends its way between a canopy of giant tree ferns, home of many exotic birds.
Information:Flum’in da Ditch http://www.@flumindaditch.com Forest & Trail Mauna Kea Summit & Star Adventure http://www.hawaii-forest.com Parker Ranch Historical Homes & Adventures http://www.parkerranch.com Orca Raft: http://www.fair-wind.com Big Island Visitors Bureau: http://www.bigisland.org Caroline M. Jackson, North Vancouver, BC Canada Images by Hamish M. Jackson |
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“If you’re claustrophobic, keep your eye on the light
at the end of the long tunnel. Don’t panic if you fall out the kayak. Just
stand up in the water.” These were the instructions from our native guide as
we lined up to climb into our flotilla of kayaks. We were in the Kohala
Mountains on the northern tip of Hawaii’s Big Island. Equipped with
comfortable life vests and headlamps, we were about to Flum’in da Ditch. In
other words, we would be meandering along a 3.5 mile-stretch of water
through tunnels, over flumes and in open ditches. Originally built to
irrigate the Kohala sugar cane fields, the water now supplies ranches and
farms. In all, the ditch system runs for almost 23 miles with 16 miles of
tunnel and six miles of open ditch. 
For our next ecotourism experience, we took a Hawaiian
Mountain Vehicle Tour through the same area. After meeting our Kohala-born
guide in the town of Hawi, we climbed aboard a 4WD Hummer which can traverse
the most rugged terrain. Perched on the back seat, we swung out of town and
headed up a steep hill. We veered alongside a sizeable reservoir. It does
after all, take 500 gallons of water to make just one pound of sugar. We
bumped past flowering Australian Toon trees, guava plants, cinnamon and
eucalyptus trees. In the shadow of some Cook and Ponderosa pines, we came
across a herd of wild Longhorn cattle which seemed quite unperturbed by our
presence. En route, our guide ‘BJ’ regaled us with tales of tracking down a
600lb. wild pigs. After splashing through riverbeds and swamps, past
cascading veils of water, our final stop was by a pristine pond where we
rested and drank in the surrounding tropical ambiance. This was truly a
Garden of Eden.
The following
afternoon, we decided to literally stick our heads in the clouds by taking a
guided tour to the top of Mauna Kea which stands at 13,796’. The 4WD vehicle
took us along the Saddle Road which is often dubbed the ‘straddle’ road
because so many people drive down the middle of the yellow line. The
downside of ascending to a high altitude is that it can cause headache,
giddiness, nausea and shortness of breath. The good news, however, is that
these symptoms can be alleviated by drinking water and our driver pointed
out that there was oxygen on board for any breathing problems. As we cut
across the Big Island through a Military Reserve, signs caught my attention:
“Danger – Overhead artillery firing,” and “Live Ammunition. Dud area”.
Fleetingly, I wondered if I should have been in an armored tank rather than
a 4WD. The area is certainly not the ideal picnic spot as some tourists
apparently discovered after finding themselves in the line of target
practice. Onwards and upwards we climbed until we reached the Visitor
Information Center at 9,200 feet – an ideal place to acclimatize ourselves
before proceeding up the steep cinder path to the summit. Our vehicle
continued at a snail’s pace to minimize creating clouds of red dust which
can obstruct the visual field of the 13 observatories which are lined up
like toadstools along the ridge. Experiencing a slight headache, we donned
warm clothes and walked into the keening wind which whipped at our parkas.
Before us we watched a spectacular sunset while behind us the automated
telescopes opened like clams to study the heavens. On our return journey, we
stopped for a snack and some stargazing.
Now that we were hooked on volcanoes, we decided to
take a day trip to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park located on the flanks
of Mauna Loa (long mountain). The Chain of Craters Road leads to the Kilauea
Caldera at 4,000’ which has excellent visitor centers and maps depicting
well-marked trails. Plugging our noses against the sulfuric aromas, we
followed the 11-mile drive round the caldera, a Spanish word meaning
‘cauldron’. Our first walk took us along the Steaming Bluffs Trail where
wisps of steam arose from rock fissures. Other highlights included the
Jaggar Museum, the Halema’uma’u crater and my favorite, a trek out to the
lava caves which were like gigantic waves frozen in time. 
Having plunged into the adventure zone for our first
few days, we decided to have a sedate pastoral day with a visit to the
Parker Ranch & Museum at Waimea. More reminiscent of the green hills of
Scotland than Hawaii, the 200,000 acres of surrounding rangelands are fed by
shrouds of cool misty rains carried by the Trade Winds. One of the elegant
historical Parker homes boasts interesting paintings and objets d’art. To
round off our day, we teamed up with Isaac Haworth for a slow horse-drawn
covered wagon trip through the rangelands.
Our last exploit was back at sea level aboard the Orca
Raft which leaves from Kailua Pier. Our immaculate yellow craft hugged the
Kona coast south to the Captain Cook monument where in the shelter of
Kealakekua Bay’s marine sanctuary, we enjoyed some spectacular snorkeling.
En route, our guide filled us in on the local history of the coast and we
eavesdropped on the eerie underwater sounds emanating from nearby whales. At
that moment, our raft seemed very small compared with these behemoths of the
ocean.