The Rainbow Coast of the Big Island
Akaka Falls Tips for Exploring the Big Island: Waterfalls There are three ways to drive from Kona to the Hilo side of the Big Island; south past Captain Cook, South Point and the black sand beach, middle across the scenic saddle road, or north along the Hamakua Coast. All of these options have amazing sights, but for this blog post I am going to focus on the Hamakua coastline, or what I like to call the "Waterfall Coast". This is the rainy side of the island, and that point is obvious once you get through the little cowboy town of Waimea. Here the dry yellow grass turns into lush green pastures, which quickly gives way to tropical rainforest. The road curves around huge gulches which have been carved out by thousands of years of heavy rainfall. Flame trees light the canopy up with bright orange flowers among the many shades of green. Wild ginger and heliconia fight for space with huge ferns which remind me of Jurassic Park. And with all the rain this is where y...