Laupahoehoe

Here in Hawai'i, on the Big Island also known as Hawai'i, there are so many diverse climates to come across. Climates, we have many different climates here in Hawai'i. The Big Island can boast to having almost all of the world climates here on the Big Island. If we were to take the Köppen model as the example, we would see that Hawai'i is not only has tropical rain forest, but also has tropical desert areas. We do not have neither monsoon nor polar climates. However, we have just about all the other climates that make up the Earth's climates at different times of the year, depending on the weather conditions.



On the Big Island, you can drive from Hilo to Kona along the southern coast through the Volcano regions of Puna and Ka'u. There you will find a gentle transition from a rain forest to cooler higher elevation rain forests. Then the downhill drive into the dry desert of Ka'u. Eventually, the transition brings green vegetation back as you round the southern tip of the Big Island and proceed northwards into the south Kona districts. The southern parts of Kona will look similar to the Mediterranean reagons of Italy and France. However, in Hawai'i, growing coffee and mangoes are plentiful crops.



Traveling into North Kona and into the South Kohala district brings more desert areas and then the gentle transition into grasslands which reminds me of north central California. The rolling hills that change frequently from green to golden yellow depending on the yearly rainfall and the season.



Once reaching the Hamakua district on the eastern coast of the Big Island the transition again becomes drastic. From high altitude desert with cactus and dry arid rocky desert transforms to a lush forest that resembles the old growth forest of Washington state and Oregon. Lined with stretching forests of tall Eucalyptus trees, dairy farms, misty moist clouds that hang over the Waimea country side. Bone chilling cold in the winter and warm gentle trade breezes in the summer. This is Paniolo country, also known as Hawaiian Cowboy country.


As the road towards Hilo twists and bends like that of something wound. The transition from grasslands and old growth forests, into tropical rain forests begins to appear like a blur with the contours of the land that zigzags along the ocean. Then you come upon something like this:


Laupahoehoe gulch had this spectacular waterfall that finds its way into the ocean. It was just too much to pass by and not get a close up picture of the event caused by upper mountain rainfall.



There among the rocky black sand beaches, along the Hamakua coastline, is truly a wonder of nature. With all the climates here in Hawai'i Nei. I like this climate the best at Laupahoehoe.

Even with a 360 degree view of the Big Island of Hawai'i, there is always more to see than in just one view.

Aloha