Wednesday 4/03/2015 Whakaari – “White Island”
Bay of Plenty, NEW ZEALND
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report)
White Island (Whakaari) is an active marine (cone) volcano situated in the Bay of Plenty. To the Maori Whakaari is a treasured ancestor and features in many stories and legends of the region. It is estimated to be between 150,000 and 200,000 years old and is 49km offshore. The closest town is Whakatane, on the North Island of New Zealand. At the time of our trip it was possible to visit the island by helicopter or by boat and guided tour with White Island tours.
Tragically, on 9th December 2019 White Island erupted while tours were being conducted resulting in numerous deaths and horrific injuries. All tours were immediately suspended.
This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.
Max elevation: 23 m
Total climbing: 34 m
Total descent: -34 m
Average speed: nan km/h
This trip was recommended to us by locals that we met while walking the Travers Sabine route. They also remarkably invited and allowed us to stay in their holiday home near the very conveniently located Whakatane.
We booked the day tour, unsure of what to expect. We boarded the boat for the quite bumpy ride to the island. which included a short safety briefing. Once at the island we were transferred by zodiac to the old jetty which had been used when sulphur was mined on the island around the 1930s. We were given hard hats, safety glasses and breathing apparatus which at the time we felt was quite over the top, that is, until we were on the island amongst the noxious emissions. Then we could barely breath.
Fumeroles in action
Being on White island was really like being transported to another world. The starkness of the landscape, like a moonscape and the bubbling, steaming pools emitting sulphur gases were unforgiving. This was nature in all its rawness, at the time we felt privileged to be there.
Our guide gave us commentary and some history of the island. We were told there were sensors on the island to test for volcanic activity and so felt relatively safe. We had to stay on the path and away from the hot pools, to basically use our common sense. We were lead to the main crater with steam and gases energetically swirling around.
We spent about an hour on the island and then returned by zodiac to the main boat. It was time for another bumpy ride back to Whakatane but we felt fulfilled after a once in a lifetime experience. We feel very fortunate to have visited Whakaari and to have done so safely, as it is likely that tours will not be possible in the future.
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