There are many damage to the Big Island but the airport is ok & Kona > Hilo
is ok if you travel Saddle Road or South-bound. No circle island until more
accurate report and county reports safe road and bridge condition.
homes, roads, hospitals, schools, ancient heiau, old sugar cane mill site,
historical church, hulihe'i palace, etc... For update news & locals photos
of damages , please open:
www.westhawaiitoday.com
Major damage: Royal Kona Resort, Kona Hospital, Hulihei Palace, Hawi Sugar
Mill.
Road damage: Hamakua Hwy 35 mile marker, many huge raku seki (falling rocks
& land slides)
Checking for damage: Hilton (structure), Mauna Lani(gas leakage), All
Hamakua Hwy bridges
All the tours are operating or will operate in couple days. IRONMAN
Triathlon is on schedule next week end 10/21. The circle island is a big
question! Road closures due to cracks, bolders (big rocks - some tons), and
parts of road lost to land slide.
Unfortunately, Oahu's electricity was completely out until midnight last
night and the weather condition was rain due to a storm front.
The news reports that this has NOTHING to do with the Mauna Loa or any other
volcano eruption. Tourists are not to be alarmed as volcanic eruption.
Geologist are reporting that it is an earthquake triggered by shifting
weight of the volume of magma pressing down on the Pacific Plate.
It is predicted to be a 60% chance of rain today which may trigger more land
slides around the Big Island. We will have more information in couple of
days. Governor Linda Lingle has issued a state of emergency and will
release disaster funds to apply to damage.
a'a tour is going to lava today south-bound and probably return Saddle Road
or via south. Koji will report back actual conditions of all area he is
traveling today.
My name is Stan Yamauchi of A'a Tours, Inc. We operate the Kalapana Lava
Adventure tour here on the Big Island of Hawaii. We also created the Ainori
Donkey Highway shuttle from South Kohala Resorts to Kailua-Kona town. Thank
you for your member's support, we appreciate your kind suggestion and
accurate information about our island.
At this time, we are operating our tours as usual, only via different route
through the Saddle Road.
I am concerned that visitors from Japan will think that nothing is operating
and the damage will not allow you to have the usual sun & fun on our island.
Yes, there were earthquake damages, but the report of injuries were minor to
none and roads are passable...slowly. It's not business as usual but
everyone has put their energy together to accomodate the visitors and
residents like a normal day on the Big Island. I took passengers on the
Ainori tour from Hilton Waikoloa to Dotour Coffee and then to Kailua-Kona
today. There was a big ocean liner (Ship from Mainland USA) in the harbor.
The Kailua town was full of walking ship tourists
looking on the Triathlon runners & bikers training. Also, today as well as
yesterday my lava adventure guide/driver took guests to Kalapana and walked
50 minutes and enjoyed the clear perfect day at Kalapana Pele's Eyes
Skylight view.
People in Japan should NOT worry about bad experience due to the earthquake
damage. After all, this is my first earthquake of this magnetude in
Hawaii...period. It was action packed, people panic'd, travel agents
over-reacted, news media went crazy all over the world. We got SO MUCH
ATTENTION! Now let's come visit!
There are absolutely no new volcano eruption. Just a regular lava flowing
since 1982 flowing nto the ocean at the Hawaii Volcano National Park.
The broken roads, walls, historical sites will be fixed and restored in no
time. All of us on the Big Island will take you on a wonderful journey as
usual. Only, we will avoid some traffic conjested areas due to road works
on the highway(s) here and there.
Current Highway/Road conditions:
Road damage: Hamakua Hwy (19) 35 mile marker north from Hilo and Akoni Pule
Hwy (270)
Falling Rocks: Has been all cleared
Pololu Valley Trail: Closed
Hulihee Palace: Closed
Kona Hospital: Closed
All Resort Hotels: Open
Tour Activity Report:
One Day Big Island Tour route is being examined at this time.
Mauna Kea Sunset tour
It is not passable according to the falling rock as of Monday, Oct 16.
Please check update info since all other areas are cleared of fallen rocks.
Hawaii Volcano National Park: Open as usual.
Again, I assure you that there are no problem sightseeing on our island.
The Iron Man Triathlon
Village & Sponsor Headquarters (Ford, Gatorade, etc.) opened today in
Kailua-Kona. The Triathlon festival has begun this week for the big race on
Saturday, Oct 21.
It was a just another clear perfect day with gentle tradewind breezing down
Mt. Hulalalai.
Mahalo!
A Concerned Hawaiian Travel Host of 30 years,
Stan Yamauchi
a'a tours, inc. & ainori highway donkey
Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle was staying at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel And Villas, near the epicenter of the earthquake, when the room started to shake at 7:08AM on Sunday morning.
"It shook very strongly and knocked the televisions off the bureaus in the hotel," she said in a radio interview. "TV's fell, books fell, mirrors fell off the wall." Not long after, the Governor toured the Kona coast by helicopter and noted that she didn't see any structural damage, but was amazed at the land and rock slides coming down the cliffs at Kealakekua Bay south of Kona, even 3 hours after the main quake.
The only hotels reporting significant damage are the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the Hapuna's sister hotel the Mauna Kea Beach Prince Hotel, both on the Kohala coast. These hotels issued the following statement today: "Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and Mauna Kea Beach Hotel are currently open and operational for in-house guests only at this time. Over the next 24 hours we will be assessing the situation and will determine the status of future reservations."
Here at Travel Hawaii, we're busy assisting clients whose flights were delayed, or who have current or future reservations at the Hapuna or Mauna Kea hotels. As usual, Hawaii's hotels, car rental companies, and airlines have all been graciously assisting any travelers who have been delayed or inconvenienced.
But over all, the earthquake of Oct 15, 2006 has had very little impact on island visitors. Whew, glad that's over!
And, this just in, the Hawaii Visitor and Convention Bureau released this statement today:
"Hawaii is fortunate that the October 15 earthquake did not result in any loss of life or serious injury. The earthquake did cause a power outage, which temporarily disrupted air traffic and transportation systems. Electrical power has been restored and conditions in Hawaii have returned to normal. All hotels and resorts in Hawaii are reported open and operating."