Kona

This was our second stop on the big island and is famous for its coffee. So of course the first thing Phil had do on arrival ashore was to have a large caramel latte made with the local product. Fabulous!

Caffeined up we took a short tour of the coast around Kona along roads lined with beautifully landscaped houses and all types of flowering trees. As always the photos tell the story better than words.

It was fascinating to see the way coffee was grown.  It grows on a plant that is about 1 metre high and has these small nut like growths on it.  These are the coffee beans.  They are picked when the beans turn a bright pink. It is known by the locals as” bringing the cherries in” as the colour resembles that of cherries ripening on the trees. This island could be quite self-sufficient.  Along with coffee they grow avocadoes, macadamia nuts, pineapples, bananas, mangoes and various other vegetables.  It was quite an eye opener seeing so many small farm types, and making enough to make a living.

Photos:

1. One of the wall paintings inside St Benedict’s church (see photos 7 to 10 – stupid computer uploaded some photos out of order).

2. Coffee beans growing.

3. Last night we sailed around the south coast of the big island and watched lava flowing into the sea from a huge vent in the side of Mount Kilauea. Kilauea has been erupting continuously for 30 years!

4. The ship seen from Kona. We had to come ashore by tender.

5. People picnicking on lava rock. Why???

6. Typical big island beach scene. Lava not sand but lovely trees.

7. St Benedict’s Catholic church, known as the painted church. It was built in 1899-1902 and painted by the priest using house paint donated by parishioners. The paintings were used to tell stories from the Bible and illustrate Jesus’ sayings.

8. The altar. Note the ceiling paintings.

9 and 10. Choir stalls and very hazardous steps.