Off Roading in a Jeep 4×4 on Hawaii

And now I present for your viewing pleasure about 20 minutes of off-road footage shot during our vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii.

This is all Point-of-View videography, so you’re more or less seeing what we saw when we were driving – at least through the front window. The way I accomplished this was to use a small clamp-on camera mount combined with my Panasonic FX07 digital camera.

The camera has optical image stabilization, so the ride doesn’t look quite as bumpy as it actually was.

Part 1

This first one is full of all sorts of surprises. It starts right off with a guy driving a riding lawnmower down this rain soaked dirt road. Keep an eye on what he’s got on the hood of the tractor. Later you won’t believe what else comes driving down the road…

Part 2

This is the part where we stop to talk to another guy in a Jeep who tells us to watch out for the 3rd “puddle” down the path. They inform us that it’s so deep the water came in through the doors and flooded the cab.

Part 3

This is the part where (eventually) my better judgment kicked in. But not until you get to see some good action. Tip: keep your eye on the angle of the horizon. I’ve never been in a vehicle that I put in that steep of an angle before.

Part 4

And here is a re-run of part 3 when we’re on the way back.

Hawaii Wind Farm

I should have mentioned that in order to get to the off road trails you have to drive by this magnificent wind farm. You must stop to listen to them (and gawk). They are absolutely silent and huge.