Day 5 - Dark Tunnels and flying Steves

The roof of our van also is a rooftop deck. What better place to enjoy our morning Java, but the upper deck. Fueled up, off we went to our first waterfall of the day for a quick dip, and off to the Hana Lava tube for our self guided tour. A lava tube is just how it sounds, a tube formed where the moltin lava flows forming an outer shell. Once the lava flows out, you are left with a tube. It was more fun making our way down this pitch black tunnel alone. Luckily our flashlight batteries lasted and we made it out. Down the road we found a state park with a railing blocking the river and waterfall. Interestingly no one was on the right side, meaning people were in the water and jumping from the rocks. I don’t have the name but we will definitely remember this as The Falls Steve Leaped, well hesitantly jumped, into. Counting myself lucky to survive what looks from the picture to be my first attempt at flight, we headed to our next camp, Wa’anapanapa State Park and found another beautiful camping site. Not wanting to waste time, we headed down to Black Sand Beach. This is a beautiful jet black beach, in a small cove, hidden amongst the jagged lava rock flow terrain. The sign at the beginning of the beach reminded us of a lesson some of us may have first seen on the Brady Bunch. Don’t take rocks or sand home, it’s bad luck! So leave them we did. The surf was rough and there were a lot of people trying to play in the waves, but it looked more like an out of control party as the waves knock them down then rolled them through the sand. Across the beach was a coastal trail running over the lava fields. I was still wearing flip flops as we walked the sharp lava down the coast. What a rough but pretty landscape. Fortunately my flops held until we made it back to camp where we had dinner and called it a night.Les mer