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Big Island
Big Island is the largest and youngest of the island group and is unique, in that visitors can go snorkelling in the warm Pacific waters and snowboarding in the same day. Local legend has it that the volcano goddess Pele and the demi-god Kamapua'a, who could control the weather, battled for the island and eventually decided to divide it: Pele took the hot, dry western half and Kamapua'a ended up with the wet, tropical east.
Holidays in Big Island offer a diverse climate experience, with twelve different climate zones including; frozen tundra at the top of Mauna Kea, tropical rainforests in the east and the hot Ka'u desert in the south. This diversity makes Hawaii's Big Island an unrivalled pleasure ground for active holiday-makers, the island's resorts offering every type of outdoor activity imaginable. To add to the thrill there is the attraction of two active volcanoes on this island - the Kilauea Caldera is the longest continuously erupting volcano in the world, its present eruptive phase dating back to 1983; Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. Of the three other volcanoes on the island two, Mauna Kea and Kohala, are extinct, while Hualalai is considered to be dormant. All this volcanic action has meant that holidaymakers can decide on their preferred beach sand tones ranging from white to red, black and even green.
In addition to the unique climate, Big Island is also rich in the Hawaiian Polynesian culture, which is a vibrant blend of Asia and European influences combined. On the coast you can dance the hula at an authentic luau feast, while upcountry you will find a blend of Portuguese and Mexican culture combined with Hawaiian tradition among the 'Paniolos' (cowboys) on the giant cattle ranches.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a region of land surrounding the Earth's biggest volcano, Mauna Loa is the biggest volcano and from the active volcano of Kilauea, visitors can watch the lava flow into the sea. Park rangers direct visitors to the daily eruption activity on a dramatic burnt landscape, which transforms the landscape with the ongoing eruption on Hawaii's Big Island. The park is located 30 miles southwest of Hilo on Highway 11, on the southeast coast of Big Island. Inside the park the Thomas A Jaggar Museum provides a fascinating insight into the geology of a volcano, as well as the cultural aspect of Hawaii's legendary volcano goddess, Pele. Visitors can view seismograph readings, study earth science displays and enjoy photographs of volcanic eruptions.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
On the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii's Big Island, the town of Hilo has been decimated many times by the destructive tidal waves. The first-hand oral testimony of tsunami survivors is now preserved along with some other fascinating information in the Pacific Tsunami Museum, located on Kamehameha Avenue in the town. The museum features a series of permanent exhibits that interpret the tsunami phenomena, the Pacific Tsunami Warning system, the history of tsunami in the Pacific Basin, tsunami of the future, myths and legends about tsunami and public safety measures for tsunami disasters.
Parker Ranch
Around forty years before the cowboys took over Texas, the cowboy culture dates back two hundred years and Hawaii offers visitors the chance to explore their version of the Wild West. The history of the Hawaiian Paniolo (cowboy) culture, going back 200 years, is captured in the Parker Ranch Museum and Visitor Centre in Waimea. Here visitors can experience paniolo herding, cutting, roping, branding and cattle sorting on a wagon-ride that also takes in some ancient Hawaiian artefacts and historic corrals in the hill country, over and above the working cowboy station. The Parker Ranch is the third largest privately owned ranch in the United States. The Museum contains antique ranching tools, historic photographs and furnishings and is complemented by two historic homes on the site, which are open to visitors. The Mana Hale saltbox house, built of koa wood by Parker Ranch founder, John Palmer Parker, dates from the mid-1800s. The large Victorian home Puuopelo houses an art gallery containing some original works by Renoir, Degas, Dufy, Corot and Pissarro. Professional and amateur rodeo competitions are held regularly at the arena.
