New Zealand Sabbatical

January found us on a cruise among the Hawaiian Islands including a stop at Volcanos National Park on the Big Island. We went inland to see the Kilauea Volcano which was between eruptions but still steaming from 2 big vents and multiple fissures..

Since then we have been live-streaming the view from near the site of our picture below and have witnessed 2 major eruptions that have occurred with lava fountains reaching 1,770 feet at times. While that is a far cry from the record 30,000 foot eruptions in the past that wiped out Hawaiian towns and destroyed their only freshwater lake, it still is great theater. Enjoy videos of flowing, orange, liquid rock by searching YouTube for Kilauea eruptions.

While it may seem like fun to zip back over there when Kilauea is “blowing” or “spattering”, I would warn you about the toxic hydrogen and sulpher dioxide gases you would need to contend with. I see patients here 100 miles away with breathing issues from the vog (volcanis smog) that follows.