On Maui, though, lushly groomed fairways undulate next the sea in the shadow of the spectacular volcano Haleakala.

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The 1.8m (60-inch) diameter telescope on Haleakala will also spot many small, faint bodies in the outer Solar System that hid from previous surveys.

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Visit Ulupalakua, Maui's second largest cattle ranch, on the slopes of Mount Haleakala, where, in the mid-1800s, ranchers cultivated sweet potatoes, taro and sugarcane in the rich, volcanic soil.

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To start with, nearly all the sailing was done while we slept, giving us maximum time ashore to explore the likes of the 10, 023ft Haleakala, a one-time monster of a volcano but now a stunning, sterile ruin.

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