It was 50F at the summit and was t-shirt and shorts weather in the crater. One of the popular day hikes is a 12mile trail that starts at the summit (10,020ft), descends down sliding sands and goes through the crater, passing cinder cones, the silversword loop and Holua cabin and campsite at 6940ft, then it ascends up the Halemau’u  trailhead also known as the switchbacks, over rainbow bridge, and ends at the carpark at 8000ft. Weather can change dramatically very quickly, so hikers are advised to prepare well.

This spotted dove was posing on a wall of one of the many single lane bridges on the road to Hana, on Maui’s North Shore. They are very common on Maui, along with the smaller zebra doves. Often seen feeding on the roads causing approaching traffic to slow down because they are pretty slow in flying off .

Even the Pueo (Hawaiian Owl) came along to check out the sunset..

And even the rising moon was worth getting the camera and tripod out for.

Hookipa wasn’t very  busy because all the SUP’s, surfers, windsurfers and kiters that could brave these conditions were at Jaws  instead. But Hookipas waves were beautiful and great fun to photograph. The waves were huge all along the coastline on Mauis Northshore. After last nights rain though, I didnt even attempt to visit Jaws beacuse the tracks through the pineapple fields would not have been negotiable in my car. Never mind – there’ll be another time..  

View as a SLIDESHOW <- click here

The funniest thing happened while I was photographing a Black Noddy sitting on a small rock island off the cliffs at Hookipa in Maui. The Noddy had just landed, and the landing had caught my interest so  I went to investigate. He wasn’t bothered by me getting closer and closer until I was right at the edge of the cliff and couldn’t get any closer. I setup my tripod and began to photograph. The Black Noddy was sharing the rock with some fairly large crabs. One crab kept venturing a bit too close for the Noddy’s liking and presumably began to irritate it. The Noddy did a 180 degree turn, which surprised me, he now had his back to the crab, and as the Noddy began to crouch down a little I recognised the body language and realised the Noddy was preparing to defecate. What I didn’t realise until I had taken my series of photographs of the action, was that the Noddy had actually taken careful aim and accurately hit its target spot on. How clever.

There are often stunning rainbows on Maui’s Northshore, due to the North side being the rainier side. But its not usually solid rain all day long unless a storm is passing through, its mostly more like short sharp showers which  pass over quickly because they are driven by the trade winds. The sun often comes out between the showers creating tall rainbows and short rainbows depending on the time of day. The higher the sun, the lower the rainbows seem to be. I took this photograph just before then next really black cloud came along to blot out the sun behind me when the heavens opened. I had to make a run for it to keep the camera dry.

 
View other galleries from the links in sidebars
This photograph has been added to the Maui Scenes Gallery

NEW “ABSOLUTE MAUI”

Maui Photography Book - AVAILABLE NOW from Costco Stores in Hawaii !!!

I’m thrilled !!!  I’ve had two Maui photographs selected  for the NEW,  just published,  coffee table book called  ”Absolute Maui”

“Absolute Maui” contains 175 stunning photographs of Maui, taken by 32 photographers. We were selected from 50 photographers and our 175 images selected from 9500 photographs.

“Absolute Maui” is available for purchase from Hawaiin Costco’s at a great price of $28 (RRP is $45). It will also be available from Amazon in a couple of weeks.

I’ve been asked by Mutual publishing to be available at the Maui Costco store for a session of book signing along with some of the other lucky photographers on the 5th December,  which is tomorrow, but I couldn’t stay away and popped in to Costco today, and met some of the other photographers who had also been successfull in getting some of their photographs published in ‘Absolute Maui’ .  

More about ”ABSOLUTE MAUI” - extract from Mutual Publishing’s Press release

THE NEW MAUI COFFEE TABLE BOOK—FIRST IN OVER TEN YEARS

In these times, it is comforting to know that some things remain the same—the timeless, inspiring beauty of soulful Maui, as revealed by Absolute Maui, the first new oversized coffee table book about the island in over ten years.

Absolute Maui is a photographer’s book, developed by asking Maui’s leading photographers to submit their best images that capture the look and feel of 21st century Maui.

Of the more than 9,000 images submitted, 175 were selected to appear in Absolute Maui. They represent 27 Maui photographers (and four who have visited Maui frequently over the years).

The photography reflects the best of the best, revealing perfect moments frozen in time, breathtaking images, scenic moods and feelings. Each image was selected because it was either splendidly colorful, masterfully composed, exquisitely vivid, sharply focused, richly detailed, or brimming over with reverence, elation, and soulfulness.

Considered individually, each says something both timely and timeless about the island. Viewed collectively, the photography forms a composite portrait of Maui as seen by those best able to capture it visually—its foremost contemporary photographers.

Also unique about Absolute Maui is how the images are organized. There is a Maui from an aerial perspective, a Maui from a walker’s perspective, and a nature lover’s Maui that incorporates conservation efforts. The Maui most familiar to its longtime residents is revealed in the “Maui Ways” chapter showing famous local eateries, festive fairs, parades, cowboys, dancers, and music makers.

The “Hawaiian Ways” chapter of Mauians of Hawaiian ancestry imbues their cultural practices with the solemnity befitting an ancient lineage. This is one of the first-ever modern four color treatments of this theme in a Hawai‘i book.

Absolute Maui was inspired by the award winning Maui On My Mind (Mutual 1985) and by Robert Wenkam’s Maui: The Last Hawaiian Place (Friends of the Earth 1971), both now considered classics. It thus provides an update to an island timeless in its beauty.

10 x 12 inches
232 Pages
175 Photographs
Padded Hardcover
French fold Jacket

Suggested retail $45.00
Available wherever books are sold

Photo editor Douglas Peebles, Writer Tom Stevens
Mutual Publishing, established in 1974, is one of Hawai‘i’s largest trade publishing houses.

Got any questions : email me at AnitaHarrisPhotography@live.com

Check out my Maui Birds Gallery and some other Maui Wildlife Photography

What a beautiful start to December…There was not a single breath of wind outside this morning – thats really unusual. So many flowers still had last nights raindrops hanging from them.  With the sun out in the blue sky, and the raindrops hanging motionless from petals,  the flowers were glittering around me everywhere. I rushed back inside to get my Macro lens and monopod and hit the shutter button about 200 times… What a sparkling morning its been..

View these and more Macro Photographs in my Maui Macro Flowers Gallery

Last year it was the same, just about this time of year. The house is surrounded by yellow and black wasps over an inch long. They sneak in open screen doors the moment you turn your back.  There are at least 10 investigating the front of the house as I type. They dont seem aggressive, just busy!  Earlier, one settled on the window outside, and I got close enough with my macro lens to get this one admiring its own reflection

Mirror mirror on the wall ????

View more Maui Creatures in the Maui Creatures Photo Gallery

Haleakala is the world’s largest dormant volcano, having last erupted in the 1790’s. Its crater has many cinder cones. Many trails lead from the summit and various locations around the rim of Haleakala into the crater and a number of cabins (which must be pre-booked) provide hikers (who have to be very well prepared for all fast changing weather conditions) with overnight shelter as many trails are many miles long. Not only do the weather conditions change minute by minute but also the scenery from inside the crater. Its spectacular.

I’ve just completed Novembers Full Moon Crater hike which took us 2 days to complete. The first day was a clear blue day, a little chilly at the start, but perfect once down below the summit on our decent into the crater down the sliding sands trail. The second day it rained virtually non stop. But having the correct clothing and rain gear meant both days were great fun and enjoyed by us all. Most of the photos though were taken on the first day, because it was too wet too even get the camera out of the bag on the second day.

View More/Larger Images from this Gallery/View the Slideshow <- click

I’d never heard of a REVERSE sunset not to mention seen a reverse sunset with the rising Full moon. The first photo above is exactly that. Its when the sunset colours are seen in the East as well as the West.

Petworth park was covered in Umbrella mushrooms this September. I only had my little Canon Ixus with me, but was happy with the result… It got me motivated to take more funghi photos in October.