ESCAPE ERUPTION WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO & ROTORUA
- Traveldriven
- Apr 20, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 29
The most dangerous place I have ever been to is
White Island
-Traveldriven
White Island Volcano, North Island
Active andesite stratovolcano situated forty-eight km (30 mi) from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. The island covers an area of approximately 325 ha (800 acres), which is just the top of a much larger submerged volcano.
White Island is New Zealand's most active cone volcano. Continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years has increased the volcano in size.
The nearest mainland towns are Whakatane and Tauranga. Whakatane pronunciation is fuh-kuh-taa-nay Very similar to common curse words.
Rotorua, North Island
Ride a 900-metre-long cableway Gondola with views of steaming geysers and bubbling mud pools on its way to Skyline amusement park. Slight incline unlike the very steep chairlift in Queenstown. Rotorua is about one hundred km by road to Whakatane and the now discontinued White Island tour boat jetty departure point.
White Island Daily Tours
There were daily conducted tour groups of White Island to view the island's steaming crater and allowed up until a deadly eruption occurred in 2019.
An eruption in December 2019 killed 22 people and 25 were left injured on the island. All tourists were on organised adventure tours. Before this some 10,000 tourists visited White Island (Whakaari) each year. Usually by tour boat. I was one such tourist. But I was arriving by a day tour bus. White Island is the most dangerous place I have ever been to. At the time I was fully aware of this. This was in late 2015. Before the tour I did my White Island research. Tour leaflets were scant on the dangers. I discovered steam driven eruptions do occur on occasion with little or no warnings. A few miners in 1914 had been killed by a sudden eruption. The science agency monitoring the island were reluctant to send personal to check equipment on a frequent basis because of risk. Yet tour operations were deemed ok to visit daily. Visitor's required to wear a hard hat, carry a gas mask have sturdy enclosed footwear and wear long trousers.
I knew these offered no protection for the body against volatile steam. Distal hissing steam vents and strong sulphur smells protection, maybe. Like many others, perhaps not as aware of steam eruptions as me, I thought one hour on the island is risky but a very brief visit somewhat safe. I decided to go. I made a mental note do it once and never go back. I have experienced a raging bushfire, gale force storms in a sailing boat, and even an aviation forced landing. White Island was the most dangerous of all and I knew it.
Walking The Volcano
The transfer from the tender boat to the shore required careful consideration and teamwork. The water was choppy, and the crumbling makeshift jetty, which had clearly seen better days, was in a state of disrepair. Each person had to navigate a small jump from tender to shore while balancing the risk of falling into the somewhat rough waters, which added an element of excitement and danger to the journey. The sound of waves against the jetty filled the air, creating a backdrop of nature’s raw power.
Upon reaching the shore, the group was greeted by the sight of heavily rusted old mining structures that lay scattered across the landscape, remnants of a bygone era. These dilapidated buildings, once bustling with activity during the mining boom, stood as silent witnesses to the harsh realities of the past. The area was steeped in history, with evidence of previous volcanic eruptions that had dramatically altered the landscape and caused significant destruction. The tour guide shared poignant stories of the miners who had worked in these harsh conditions, many of whom had tragically lost their lives about one hundred years prior due to the unforgiving environment. This history added a layer of gravity to the exploration, reminding everyone of the dangers that once lurked, and still do, in this beautiful yet perilous setting.
All participants in the tour were explicitly instructed not to deviate from the designated track and to maintain a single file line behind the tour leader, who was well-versed in the intricacies of the terrain. The landscape was both captivating and treacherous, characterized by near-boiling shallow streams that shimmered with a spectrum of colors, each less than a stride wide, potentially hazardous to those who strayed too close. These vibrant streams, a result of the mineral-rich waters bubbling up from the earth, were mesmerizing yet posed a risk to the unwary; thus, caution was paramount.
As the group navigated the path, they were repeatedly reminded to tread carefully on the uneven ground, which was riddled with rocks and loose gravel that could easily cause a misstep. Participants were particularly warned to avoid any ground depressions that lay off the walking track, as these low areas were notorious for trapping sulphur gas, a toxic byproduct of the geothermal activity in the region. The pungent smell of sulphur hung in the air, serving as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the environment they were exploring.
After about a good twenty minute walk. Most ventured to the crater's rough edge. The main steam vent, a natural phenomenon of geothermal activity, was boiling vigorously and releasing thick clouds of steam that spiralled into the air, creating a surreal atmosphere a few hundred meters away from where we stood. Somewhat small against the surrounding bare hot rock and mud. No lava was observed as such, being a steam volcano.
Our small group then returned to inspect the mining ruins near to the jetty. Then once again hopping from the old rough concrete jetty with its exposed rusted iron cables of reinforcement into the tender craft before returning to the relative safety of the boat.
Eruption Day
An eruption on April 27, 2016, occurred at night without warning when no one was on the island.
Tourist visits in 2019 coincided with a large eruption. The eruption occurred on a Monday afternoon. Killing twenty tourists and two tour guides. Although infrequent, eruptions can occur on any day, any time. However, daily visits around the island by boat or aircraft and forbidding setting foot on the island would have been a much better safer option from day one.
That said, it's still a risk to go near the island.
After all, it's an active unpredictable and deadly volcano.
All White Island tourist actively is permanently suspended.
Traveldriven
ENTER CLICK/TAP
WHITE ISLAND READY TO BLOW
STEAMING WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO
SURVIVORS OF WHITE ISLAND
AFTER THE VOLCANO ERUPTION
ROTORUA
