The Watering Hole Blog

Big Island Adventure Blog #2

MA at Mauna Kea

Big Island Adventure Travel Photo Blog #2

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

Aloha!

I hope you have had a wonderful week and are staying happy & healthy re the constantly changing Coronovirus situation. Strange days indeed.

On a happier note, here is the second photo blog from my recent visit to the Big Island of Hawaii. I count my lucky stars how blessed I am that I’m able to travel.

And speaking of stars 🙂 the photo of me at the top of this blog was taken at the mid-way point (Visitor Centre) on Maunakea.

Maunakea on the Big Island is one of the best places on the planet to view the stars. It was absolutely amazing...and the sunset was pretty incredible, too! Click To Tweet

Here are some more snaps from the Big Island: 

View from Mauna Kea volcano (Mauna Lao is to the right)
View from Mauna Kea volcano (Mauna Lao is to the right)

I spent a day hiking and touring around at Volcanoes National Park…wow!

Kilauea crater…all is calm now

If you’re interested, here is an excellent short video by the U.S. Geological Survey showing the 2018 eruption.

Here are two shots of the aftermath of that eruption:

Looks like the lava flow was stopped by a chain link fence at the Pahoa transfer station…not! The lava just happened to stop at the chain link fence…phew!

This is the new post lava flow landscape where “Four Corners” used to be (intersection of 4 roads near Kapoho, south of Hilo)…where you see the cars is a brand new road:

 

You may wish to zoom in on this photo…or not 🙂

Kahena black sand nudie beach

 

Akaka Falls

 

Powerful surf near Kea’au (just down the road from where Nina lives)

 

A little calmer spot for snorkeling, near Hilo

 

Nina treated me to a scrumptious birthday lunch of poke in Hilo

Then we buckled down and got some work done!

I love this photo (except for the goofy look on my face) of me reading the most recent version of my God’s Country screenplay out loud to Nina (she loved it!) underneath a large framed painting of Nell Shipman:

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may recall that I have been working on the God’s Country project for quite some time now (15 years).

Nell Shipman was a Canadian-born silent screen star and pioneer female filmmaker. She was also an early advocate for the fair treatment of animals in film. Nina is Nell Shipman’s granddaughter – and over the years of working together, we have become friends. As a writer, it is a tremendous honour to be able to work closely with the descendants of one’s subject matter.

Fabulous shot of Nina holding the poster for Nell’s film, “The Girl from God’s Country”

“Overnight success is almost always a myth. Half of this industry is luck, and half is refusal to quit.”

– Victoria Schwab

If you’re planning a trip to the Big Island, I highly recommend the Lonely Planet guidebook, “Hawai’i, the Big Island.”

Mahalo & take care!

Related blogs by Maryanne

Big Island Adventure – Hawaii Travel Photo Blog #1

Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her weekly blog, please sign up here.

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