If you’re planning a jaunt to the Big Island of Hawai’i, get in the hot seat. Immerse yourself in the might, power and wonder of nature’s cauldron. I recently took my first foray to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The sheer size of the park is staggering – nearly as big as the entire island of O’ahu. The park climbs from sea level to over 4000 metres and encompasses two volcanoes – Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes and Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcanic mountain.  

What really blew my hair back is to consider that Mauna Loa rises over 9000m from the depressed sea floor, which makes it over 1000m taller than Mt Everest. Above sea level, her sprawling bulk slopes like Buddha’s belly. To the north, her extinct volcanic neighbour, Mauna Kea, home to the world’s largest astronomical observatory, is even slightly taller, and is occasionally topped with snow, as is Mauna Loa in the cooler months. Kīlauea’s last major eruption in 2018 destroyed 700 homes. But she’s also a land-builder, with hundreds of acres of new terrain created from the molten lava meeting the sea and extending the coastline. 

Getting steamy at Kīlauea. Photo / Go Hawaii

Here’s another fun fact: From tip to toe, the national park boasts six of Earth’s 13 climate zones along the way. Needless to say, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is a place of starkly contrasting environments and landscapes. It’s the only US national park that can tout tropical rainforest and an active volcano. A day-trip will give you a flavour of its variety, but I’d definitely recommend overnighting in the park, for a deeper dive with its rugged lava fields, rainforest delights, lava tubes and craters, ash-covered deserts, coastline meetings of lava rock and ocean, and stirring cultural sites. 

So where to start with the steaming, fiery heart of Hawai’i? Hilo Airport is the closest to the park, a mere 45-minute drive. Grab a rental car and enter the national park at the aptly named village of Volcano. I overnighted in the park at Volcano House, a truly unique and iconic inn, where you are literally sleeping on the edge of a volcanic crater. Dating back to 1846, Hawaii's oldest hotel overlooks the Kīlauea Caldera, where captivating vistas are all part of the package. With 33 guestrooms and on-site dining, this cosy hotel is like a supersized bungalow, with a very warm hearth.  

There’s a gorgeous carving of Pele, goddess of fire, on the hotel’s fireplace. Be sure to request a crater-view room. The hotel’s current incarnation dates back to 1940 after its predecessor burnt down, following a kitchen fire. Volcano House has lured a cadre of luminaries over the decades including Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Amelia Earhart, Louis Pasteur and JFK. Even Hawaii’s last monarchs, King Kalākaua and Queen Lili'uokalani both revelled in Kīlauea’s magic from Volcano House. You will too. 

Pele on the fireplace at Volcano House. Photo / Mike Yardley

I’m always amused how American national parks are tailormade for leisurely panoramic drives and pander to laziness. For a great overview, Crater Rim Drive is a paved loop road that starts at the Kīlauea Visitor Center and skirts the rim of Kīlauea Caldera. Shifting volcanic activity frequently forces various sections of the loop road to be closed, but it’s packed with spectacles and walking options. Kīlauea’s last eruption was in June, but it only lasted for eight hours. Head to Kīlauea Overlook for the view of views of Halema’uma’u Crater. Like a crater within a crater, this has been one of Kīlauea’s most active features in recent years. Many native Hawaiians believe this is where the goddess of fire, Pele, currently resides. This crater routinely smokes by day, but you might strike it lucky and see  the flickering, molten hellfire glow of the crater’s lava lake, after dark. Mesmerising! 

Steam Vents is another classic viewpoint, best devoured in the cool of the early morning, when it pumps impressive plumes of steam. It’s a cracker drive-up photo op. From there, take the short walk to the crater rim at Steaming Bluff, where the view resembles an inferno, with steam pouring over the cliffs.  Another short walk, Sulphur Banks, is very reminiscent of Rotorua. Boardwalks take you over rocky vents, stained yellow, orange and lime, thanks to the sulphur-infused steam billowing from the earth’s depths and emitting that rotten-egg aroma. 

Steaming Bluff at Volcanoes National Park. Photo / Supplied

Another thrilling scenic route is the Chain of Craters Road. This will lead you to the starring attraction of the Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs. A 3km-long boardwalk loop trail leads you around vast lava flows, where Hawaiians over many centuries have chiseled over 23,000 drawings into the rock. Alongside the numerous designs of animal and human figures, you’ll also notice thousands of dimpled depressions, which over the centuries became a popular receptacle for the umbilical chords of new-born babies. It was believed that placing it here would bestow the child with good fortune and longevity. 

Further afield, near the start of Mauna Loa Rd, check out the nature’s novelty, the Lava Tree Molds. These deep tube-like apertures wee formed when lava flows engulfed the rainforest and hardened around the water-logged trees, instead of burning them upon contact. As the trees disintegrated, they left deep holes where the trunks once stood. 

Back on Crater Rim Drive’s eastern side, lush rainforest, thick with tree ferns and ohia trees, plays host to the wondrous Thurston Lava Tube. Keep an eye out for one of the island’s spectacular birds, the scarlet honeycreeper. This all makes for a magnificent short walk, headlined by a gigantic lava tube with has been artificially lit, accentuating the ethereal feels. Lava tubes are formed when the outer crust of a lava river starts to harden but the liquid lava beneath the surface continues to gush through. After the flow drains out, the hard tunnel-like shell remains. Strolling through this tube is a sure-fire hit. 

Ethereal lighting in the Thurston Lava Tube. Photo / Supplied

Nearby, I followed the signposts to the soberly-named Devastation Trail. This short walk, on a paved trail, serves up cracking views of Mauna Loa looming over the vast Kīlauea Caldera. The 1959 Kīlauea eruption and its towering lava fountains incinerated this rainforest, leaving trees dead, stripped bare and sun-bleached white. The scarred landscape resembles an ashen grey desert. But just as nature gives with one hand and takes with the other, this brutal landscape is being colonised anew with ohia trees, tropical shrubs and trees ferns rising up from the black dirt. Place your hands on the ground and feel the simmering heat directly beneath you. It’s a riveting walk. www.gohawaii.com 

I flew on Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu and on to Hilo from Auckland. The widely-acclaimed carrier is set to return to our skies, with direct flights resuming on November 15, through to April 30. Hawaiian Airlines connects to 16 US mainland cities, with the option of enjoying a stopover on the Hawaiian Islands in either direction, with fantastic island-hopping connectivity. Seating in economy certainly didn’t feel restricting, although why not treat yourself? Hawaiian Airlines’ Extra Comfort seats on the Airbus A330 offer considerably more legroom, priority services and enhanced amenities to make your long-haul travel experience decidedly more indulgent. It’s very reasonably priced, too.  

The personable sense of warmth and care is conspicuous from that very first “Aloha”, as you step aboard the plane. I love their disarming, chilled and friendly style of customer service – utterly professional but irresistibly informal. On-demand seat-back entertainment is comprehensive, without being overwhelming, with an excellent selection of new release movies, perennial hits and popular TV shows. The airline is also proud of its bragging rights as the only US carrier offering complimentary meals on domestic services.  Across all my flights, my meals were tasty, fresh and plentiful – with an excellent beverage service too. You can also enjoy complimentary high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi, which is being rolled out across all its A330s by the end of the year. If you’re shopping up a storm, you’re in luck - Hawaiian offers economy passengers a generous 32kg luggage allowance. Welcome back Hawaiian Airlines! For sharply-priced fares and flights to suit, head to www.hawaiianairlines.co.nz 

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.