04 Perfect views of a perfect place; I have become more convinced that helicopter tours are a great way to see a new place and understand the terrain.04 Perfect views of a perfect place; I have become more convinced that helicopter tours are a great way to see a new place and understand the terrain.
04 DEC 20 - While we did not get to see any hump back whales (usually several this time of year) the overview along the northern coast of the big island was unforgettable.
4 While we did not get to see any hump back whales (usually several this time of year) the overview along the northern coast of the big island was unforgettable.4 While we did not get to see any hump back whales (usually several this time of year) the overview along the northern coast of the big island was unforgettable.
There are several cool facts about the big island. This land contains 11 of 14 identified climate zones in the world. And the ridge line that splits the island blocks the trade winds at the eastern side: the east is more damp and cloudy getting 200-inches of rain annually, meanwhile the sunny west gets just 10-inches! And to beat that, depending upon the time of year you can ski/snowboard above 13,000 feet on Mauna Kea and just two hours later enjoy surfing in warm sunny weather.
Approaching the ridge from the west you can see a distinguished line of vegetation indicating the dry from the wet - along with acres of cattle farming.
Along the top of the ridge there are numerous valleys carved into the earth by water erosion. Many of these result in waterfalls along the Kohola coast.
Further in at one of the deepest valleys is a waterfall that stands nearly 2500 feet high: one of the 14 tallest in the world. Absolute spectacular views flying along valley walls and hugging the terrain.
