Kilauea Caldera 1 from the Southwest Rift Zone looking NE across Halema'uma'u Crater to Kilauea Iki and Pu'u Pua'i · A circular walk of 14.5 miles · Wednesday 24th September 1997 · walk from my camp at Nãmakani Paio to the Observatory and head SW around the crater rim · after an hour find painting site in the SW rift zone by walking down the rift and onto a lava ridge · continue around the edge of Halema'uma'u Crater · in the gas and steam I sacrifice gin and tea to the Goddess Pelé · walk across the fractured floor of Kilauea · up the crater wall · the transition from black lava to rainforest is absolutely abrupt · down into Kilauea Iki crater · across and back into forest · into Thurston Lava Tube · anti-clockwise around the rim and back to Nãmakani Paio after dark · exhausted · 25th September · up early and walk to painting site · the sulphur dioxide fumes are blown straight into my face by the fierce NE trade winds · this is an uncomfortable place to work · fumes / smoke / steam / wind / dust / sulphur persist until dusk · walk back to camp in the dark and drizzle · 26th September · in pouring rain I walk along the crater rim to Kilauea Overlook · draw a strip of rainforest until 4:00 · explore lava tube with BG until dark · 27th September · into the rift zone in a sparkling dawn but the wind quickly builds to a shrieking gale blowing all my equipment across the landscape · my eyes smart and my throat burns from the fumes · paint until dusk and hike back to camp in the dark · 28 / 29th September · rescued by LE · ME and PH for 2 days conversation and R + R · 30th September · painting the rainforest until mid-afternoon ·
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