On the 28th, Alex and I drove down to Whakatane for the day to visit White Island. It's one of only two active volcanoes in the country - the other being in Tongariro National Park - and is probably one of the most accessible in the world.
After an hour or so drive, we took the 12:45 tour out to the island, which lasts six hours. With the volcano being 28 miles out to sea, further than the narrowest point of the English Channel, four hours is spent on the boat while the other two are for a guided walk around the island.
Remarkably, the sea was as flat as a river that day, so we got across to White Island in good time and saw a huge pod of about 200 dolphins on the way out. Apart from the island crossing and two trips out on Alex's boat in Tauranga, I've seen dolphins on every boat trip I've been on in New Zealand; in the Bay of Islands, Milford Sound, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura and here. Not bad, eh?
So we got to the island and it reminded me of the one in King Kong, which I saw in Tauranga. The volcano looks like another world with steam gushing out and an abandoned sulphur factory eerily quiet close to the shore. The only tour operator to run boats out to the island (you can also get a helicopter) transfers you in an inflatable boat to a small ladder, which you make your way across before clambering over a few boulders to the beach.
They then split up up into two groups of about 20 each, briefing us on the history of White Island and the potential dangers. Three things could happen, we were told. If there's a landslide or lahar (a mixture of ash and water into a mudslide), we should find high ground. If there was a flash flood, we should do the same. If there's an eruption, we should find cover, make ourselves as small as possible and "wait it out". Don't worry, "most eruptions only last 15 minutes anyway"!
They gave us each a helmet and a small gasmask which was for use whenever we thought it necessary, then we were off. First we walked up to a huge sulphur deposit which was coloured like a yellow fluorescent marker pen and spewed out big clouds of gas, then on to the crater lake. Of course, the entire tour takes place in the crater of the volcano, most of which is hidden under the sea, but this was the crater within the crater, if you get what I mean. So anyway, this was the furthest point away from the boat on the tour and the closest we would get to the centre of all the action. I've seen a lot of lakes, but none like this one. It was a strange turquoise colour, which changes a lot apparently, even to blood red, and it had a constant layer of steam rising from it. Very spooky, I assure you.
We then continued to a part of the crater which used to be the main attraction, but is now empty of liquid, and then back towards the shore. We climbed up to the higest point on the tour to get a view of the entire island, but even here you're dwarfed by the sheer size of the crater you're in. Add in all the weird colours and you've got a area that looks like very few others on Earth.
From there we went down to a river, albeit one with milky white water with brightly coloured rocks either side. We then finished the tour with a walk around the old sulphur factory which was abandoned in the '30s after the company quarrying went bankrupt; not the first one to do so. Interestingly, White Island is actually a privately owned island, and is only accessable because of an agreement with the family who owns it. Usually these sorts of natural landscapes are National Parks or public scenic reserves.
We got back on the boat, had lunch and headed back towards Whakatane. It was a great trip because it's unique that these sorts of places are so accessible. I don't know whether it's a shame or not that White Island isn't on the main tourist trail around New Zealand.
