Following on from a mammoth Day 2…
Thursday 5th of April
We left off having had an incredible adventure the previous day, exploring the lava flows and craters of the south-east rim.
Summary of our travels on day 3
We began our day being rudely awoken by our next door neighbour practicing mixed martial arts on his adjoining balcony, punching a punching bag against the wall. Given we were awake, we decided to make the most of it, and took breakfast before heading out.
Our destination was the secluded Waipio Valley on the north-east coast of the Big Island. The valley provides access to the third largest waterfalls in the Hawaiian islands, Waihilau Falls. We took off heading north by north-east out of Kona, crossing the back of the tall ranges ringing the center of the island.
Roadside features / Ascending
As we ascended, we took in some spectacular views to the coastline as well as observing hundreds of names spelled out on the roadside lava, made from brilliant white shells. It took about two hours to make the trip, passing through the town of Waimea.
Once we arrived, we were greeted to a beautiful, stunning view of the Hawaiian coastline. Access to the valley floor is only available to FWD vehicles, so after taking in the brilliant vista, we began our descent down to the floor of this lush valley.
Intriguing Waipio Valley lookout & road
The road is one of the steepest in the United States, quote:
A steep road leads down into the valley from a lookout point located on the top of the southern wall of the valley. The road gains 800 vertical feet (243.84 m) in 0.6 miles (0.9 km) at a 25% average grade, with steeper grades in sections. This is a paved public road but it is open only to 4 wheel drive vehicles. If classified as a road, it would be the steepest road of its length in the United States and possibly the world.
Which is to say, it was a bit of a difficult hike down. Nonetheless, after about 20 minutes or so, we hit the valley floor which was a real treat. As we trekked between the farms located in the valley, we caught glimpses of the waterfalls in the distance, and discovered one tiny problem: there was no water!
Not a waterfall / Abandoned stairs to nowhere
That discovery was, as an understatement, a real disappointment. Making this realisation, we decided not to proceed towards the waterfalls as originally planned. Instead, we explored the river and surrounds before starting on our way back.
Crossing the valley river
As we began the task of climbing back up the road, a local stopped by in a mini-van and offered us a ride back to the top. We accepted, and left a gratuity for him – which I think was generally the point of the offer.
We jumped back into the car, and took a look at our watches. It seems implausible that we could make it to Hilo (the capital) which was a two hour return trip from our current location (meaning four hours to drive to Hilo and then back to Kona) and after our previous *late* night, we had no appetite for another long day.
It was an easy decision to make to return directly to Kona. Along the way, we observed even more lava flow and outstanding landscapes as we made a brisk return to the resort.
Returning to Kona
Almost two hours later, we arrived back at the Sheraton. Tired, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the hotel, to take in the excellent resort features. At sunset, I stalked the coastline and waited poolside to snap photos of the setting sun.
Entering the Sheraton / The lava coastline
The resort has a wraparound pool which starts in the center (as pictured) and leads out to the edge of the island, where it has an artificial beach. The resort actually sits atop an old lava flow (like much of the Kona area), which makes for some interesting terrain.
The internal pool / lava outcrop
We spent the afternoon enjoying pool side refreshments and dinner, winding down the evening in the spa. It was a very relaxing way to chill out and enjoy the good life in Hawai’i.
Poolside / Sunset by the pool
Continued with Day 4.