Hi... just notice I had a msg!

Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind for when we get there. We are going to Hilo so that's a good start!

Cheers, Nige

I posted a reply in the thread with some info re the boat tours.. Here's more. Two other tours that would be good are Kalapana lava tours www.kalapanalaveboat.com and Lava roy Home. The main thing is a boat that is 6-8 passangers. More than that the viewing gets bad for photos. Thats why I do not recommend Lava Ocean tours. The boats get 30-50 yards from the lava flow.
The trips are from Issac Hale beach in the south of the big island. So you need to get to Hilo.
The trips cost $140- 140 per person. Take either the sunrise or sunset trips. We took a sunset, mid-morning, and after dark trip. For the after dark you will need to contact the tour company. I know the zodiac guy and Captian Browine will do those. I sorry I can't find Captian Browine's # or remember the zodiac's guys name. The hotels in Hilo would know about the zodiac,. Not sure about Captian Browine. Hope this helps
Dma