Hiking in 'Lost' Country

For those who follow the maddening TV series 'Lost', repleat with Polar bears, 'others' and fat Americans, will know that the show is shot on location in Hawaii. When the producers were scouting locations in the Pacific for a suitable island that could at once be heart stoppingly beautiful but at the same time mysterious and faintly unnerving, they chose here.

Other islands can boast bountiful reef, searing heat or just fun to get along with cannibals. Here in Hawaii the sheer scope of the environment is mind boggling. 9 out of the earths 10 ecosystems can be found on these islands. The only one they don't have is glacial artic tundra. I'm sure they're working on it.

Go on a drive around the island and you see some dramatic changes in the environment in a very short space of time. On the Kona coast it is rocky lava flow created from the three volcanoes that dominate the sky and shoreline. only a few miles further to the north past the small town of Hawi the wind picks up and scenery changes to lush green. The north end of the island gets a lot more rain than the west coast and it shows in the lush lawns flanking the houses and thick vegitation which looks like second growth rainforest.

With my gracious host Phil and companion Kobe the dog, we hiked down a steep valley to Black Sands beach. Not suprisingly when you get to said beach it's volcanic black sand which greets you. The waves come crashing in and there's a heavy rip tide to catch anyone foolishly enticed in the water for a swim.

Climbing up the other side you get great views of the sheer cliffs which drop 200 feet straight into the raging swell. The waters between the Big Island and Maui are meant to be some of the most difficult in the world with 20 knot currents ripping through the channel. Hapless day sailors are routinely having to be saved from the channel. Not exactly 'Howards Way' here.

After getting a good soaking in a tropical shower, we drove inland and the scenery changed again, to bare moorland and mountain. It's a bit like the Black Mountains in South Wales. Minus the sheep. Wind and rain lashed in to our opensided Jeep as we made our way into the town of Waimea. The moorland fades away into Pasture where many head of cattle are ranched. It's suddenly deep cowboy country.

Stopping off in a bar, panelled with local Koa wood, pictures of herdsmen adorn the walls. The sofa in the hallway is covered with cowhide. It's like Arizona has just been dumped in the middle of the Pacific. I half expected John Wayne (real name Shirley, kids) to walk in wanting to round up a posse to rid the town of some troublesome ne'er do well. At the bar wasn't a local cowhand but a fisherman who regailed us with stories of fishing in a kayak and getting chased by a Tiger Shark.

"I was in a twelve foot kayak, and the shark was about 15 foot" He said grinning over a beer.
"It followed me for a good 45 seconds, I wondered if it liked the taste of plastic or if it wanted me as a meal" He started chuckling.
I started checking to see if he still had all his limbs intact.
"He gave up after a while. You gotta be careful in these waters man. Cos there's stuff in there that wants to eat you"

Gulp! I go fishing tomorrow....