White Island Overview

Fifty kilometers off the coast, Whakaari (“that which can be made visible, uplifted to view”) and its vapor sheath are in fact visible from Whakatane on most sunny days. Captain Cook, in his circuit around New Zealand, coined the name “White Island” because of the steam cloud perpetually hanging above its volcanic peaks. Composed of three distinct cones, two of which are now extinct, White Island is a landscape of lunar quality, with craters and steaming vents, boiling sulfuric acid pools, and sinuous flows of solid rock. The volcano occasionally becomes more active, spewing out ash carried as far as Whakatane by the wind. Even in such an inhospitable environment, ever-resourceful humans attempted to eke out profit with a sulfur mine that operated intermittently throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. This evidently did not please the gods: a violent explosion and landslide killed 10 men in 1914. Today, mining for tourist dollars has become White Island’s most profitable enterprise. For a price, anyone can strap on a gas mask, brave the noxious sulfur fumes, and make his or her own offering to the volcano. The last eruption was in 2000; today a 400m diameter lake of teal-blue acid has been rising ominously at the epicenter of the volcano’s most seismically active area.

On clear weather days, the most affordable approach is by boat. PeeJay Charters was named “guardian” of White Island. The company’s near monopoly on transport means it can charge steep rates, but few travelers who make the splurge come away disappointed. (☎308 9588 or 0800 733 529; www.whiteisland.co.nz. 6hr. $150; includes lunch and morning tea.) Alternatively, call Dive White to scope out White Island’s underbelly. (☎307 0714 or 0800 348 394; www.divewhite.co.nz. 2 dives $225, children under 13 $80.) Air Discovery offers flights. (☎308 9558 or 0800 535 363; www.scottair.co.nz. 55min. $199, 2hr. $349.) For a touchdown on the surface, contact Vulcan Helicopters. (☎0800 804 354; www.vulcanheli.co.nz. $395 per person.) Planes and helicopters are at the airport on Aerodrome Rd.