From the southern tip of the Big Island, it's a three mile hike across desert conditions to get to the Green Sand Beach

It was a very hot day, pleasant for soaking up some sun but on this hike there is no shade anywhere!

The surf crashing on the lava in the bay is quite impressive.

If you go closer to the shoreline, there is all kinds of garbage - plastic strainers, bags, cans, you name it - which apparently comes off ships sailing in the Pacific as far as Japan!

At last, our destination comes into view

The beach is inside an old volcano cinder cone, which collapsed into the sea years ago; you have to hike down the inside of the cone to get to it.

 

The green sand is made up of olivine, a green semi-precious stone which is a byproduct of the volcano, mixed with black lava and ground up by the pounding sea.

And it does pound - you are warned not to go out more than about 20 yards, or risk a free express trip to Antarctica!

After that long hot hike we couldn't resist a short paddle anyway - nothing ever felt so refreshing ever!