KONA, HAWAII - There’s an air of excitement sweeping across the majestic Hawaiian Islands these days as the 50th state gets set to celebrate its 50th anniversary of statehood throughout 2009.

The eight volcanic islands that make up America’s most beautiful state were welcomed into the union in 1959 along with Alaska, the latter becoming the 49th state early in 1959 while Hawaii was admitted later, on August 21 of that year.

In addition, the spotlight has been on Hawaii ever since native son Barack Obama was elected America’s first black president in November, and a steady stream of the curious have invaded Honolulu, his birthplace, ever since.

However, the Hawaiian Islands were born long before the United States was a twinkle in the Founding Fathers’ eyes – a rupture in the Pacific plate between 70 million and 100 million years ago forced hot magma to gush to the ocean’s surface and form what now is America’s island paradise.

And the state continues to grow – the Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii, a.k.a. the Big Island, continues to spew an estimated 3,800 litres (1,000 gallons) of molten lava through its active vents every second, thus creating more land surface which should be ready to use as resort property in a few thousand years once it’s cooled down. More than 1.5 billion litres (two billion cubic yards) of lava rock have come from this eruption, which started in 1983.

So, for those wanting to see how Hawaii was formed in the beginning and what it has become today, there’s no better place to visit than the Big Island, which, as its name suggests is the largest in the eight-island chain.

As our Hawaiian Airlines plane touches down in Kona, the unofficial capital of the western side of the Big Island – Hilo is the top dog on the eastern portion, where most of the volcanic activity takes place – we are greeted by a sea of black land as far as the eye can see.

The black lava rock that covers this part of Kona was the result of an 1801 eruption of the great volcano Hualalai, named after the wife of an ancient Hawaiian mariner. The molten lava that spilled from Hualalai, which sits 2,500 metres (8,271 feet) above the Pacific, shaped the delta in which Kona International Airport and most of the island’s resort properties now sit.  The most sought after holiday destination in Kona is the Four Seasons Resort, not just because it offers luxurious accommodation and great service, but also because it preserves and promotes much of Hawaii’s culture and heritage on site.

We are quickly introduced to Hawaii’s culture – past and present – as we make our way to our seaside suite when we notice surfers navigating the large waves that roll ashore on the resort’s lava covered beach.

“Do you know,” says our porter Joe, “that when Captain (James) Cook discovered Hawaii (in 1778) he sent word back to England that people here could walk on water. They were actually the earliest surfers.”

Today’s surfers congregate on the public beach outside the Four Seasons early each day to take advantage of the high surf, which also carries huge sea turtles onto the beach where they rest under a relentless sun – Kona gets less than 304 milliliters (12 inches) of rain a year. Guests are encouraged to look at the massive turtles – but from a safe distance.

“The turtles are very much a part of our heritage – we are seafarers and we respect all creatures from the sea,” says Joe, a fifth generation Hawaiian, who encourages us to visit the resort’s cultural centre, where a delightful man named Uncle Earl and his staff educate visitors on the ways of their people and the land that has been formed over time by the island’s five volcanoes.

It’s Uncle Earl who suggests we hire a car and explore the Big Island because “what you see at the resort is just a sampling of the many wonders you will find on Hawaii.”

Each morning during our three day stay, we hop in our Mustang convertible to explore different parts of the island and we quickly discover the Big Island has changed little over the centuries.

Day One: At Uncle Earl’s suggestion, we take a leisurely drive from the Four Seasons along Kona’s Queen Kaahumanu Highway (Route 19) south until it intersects with Highway 190, better known as the Mountain Road, to lovely Waimea, where many Hawaiians live.

The highway twists and turns through a lush tropical forest and in the distance we see the snow capped peak of Mauna Kea, which, at 4,200 metres (13,796 feet), is the tallest of Hawaii’s five volcanoes. Mauna Kea is where island residents go to experience snow – the summit is covered most of the winter – and some skiing actually takes place there. The mountain is also home to the world’s most powerful telescopes, the largest adze quarry in the Pacific, and Waiau, the highest lake in the world.

Waimea is also the gateway to the island’s fertile ranch country, where cattle graze at the base of the Kohala Mountains, and we pay a quick visit to the Parker Ranch, the largest of its kind in the United States. The Waimea area gets the most moisture on Hawaii.

The mountain highway connects with the Queen Kaahumanu Highway again at Waimea and we make our way back to the Four Seasons Resort along the coastal Highway 19, where many of the island’s top resorts are grouped between lovely Kawaihae and Kona. A number of state parks, wonderful beaches and historic sites line our route before we get back to the resort.

Day Two: We’re up early because Uncle Earl tells us the drive along Highway 11 to Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park in the Puna District near Hilo is long and full of sites where we must stop.

Highway 11 cuts along Hawaii’s rugged west coast where much of the island’s famous Kona coffee is grown in places Keauhou, Napoopoo and Captain Cook, the town named after the first European to visit Hawaii and where a simple monument him honouring stands.
 
The rich volcanic soil here is perfect for the coffee locals call “Lava Java” and which is now shipped all over the world.

A number of beautiful bays and pristine beaches supply us with lots of eye candy during our journey which takes us through the lava desert called Kau and past the “Great Crack,” a blemish left on the land near Kapaoo Point by a large earthquake. Highway 11 turns into Volcano Highway at Pahala and leads to the Kilauea caldera, which at 1,240 metres (4,078 feet) above sea level is the youngest of the island’s five volcanoes. Kilauea has erupted intermittently since 1983, making it the world’s most continuously active volcano, which has added 200 hectares (500 acres) of landmass to the island.

There’s so much to see and do in this area we decide to book a room at a Hilo hotel and stay in the area overnight so we don’t have to retrace our steps from the Four Seasons the next day. While the highways on the Big Island are all excellent, they are narrow and cut through small villages, thus reducing progress to a snail’s pace at times.

Day Three: Highway 130 is another coastal road that cuts through Hilo, and leads to some dramatic ocean views between Hilo Bay and Onomea Bay, a four-mile stretch that offers vistas a chance to see whales slipping through the gentle surf just offshore and leads to the area’s famed waterfalls. Rainbow Falls, located just outside Hilo, is an awesome sight to behold. Part of Highway 130 has been made impassable by the lava flow from the Pu’uoo volcano vent, which is an awesome sight in the early evening, when the red-hot lava seeps into the sea.
By the time we have to turn in the Mustang, we have covered much of the Big Island but we realize there is still much more to discover.

“Guess you’ll have to come back next year and explore some more,” says Uncle Earl as we bid him farewell at the Four Seasons Resort’s cultural centre.

One thing is certain – the Big Island has some pretty big thrills.

The Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai on the island of Hawaii is a 5-star plus hotel that offers special throughout the year. Go to www.fourseasons.com/hualalai/ to find out more about their special offers