White Island Things to Do

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El paisaje de la isla es impresionante
La comparación con el infierno es fácil , aunque no sepamos como es .
La aridez , los colores imposibles , los gases y olores , hacen que sea un sitio difícil de olvidar y que recordaremos siempre

The landscape of the island is impressive
The comparison to hell is easy, even if we do not know how it is.
The aridity, the impossible colors, the gases and odours, make it a difficult place to forget and that we always shall remember

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El Crater de White Island
Una erupción en el año 2000 originó una nube de escorias, de barro y un nuevo crater que cambió toda el paisaje de la isla , que actualmente es un lago
La profundidad del lago está cambiando constantemente y es usado como una guía de la actividad volcánica actual. La coloración oscura del agua es el resultado de que el líquido tiene una acidez con pH 0.
Estuvimos al borde, encima del lago y podíamos escuchar el borbotear del agua que indica las altas temperaturas del lago.

White Island Crater
An eruption in 2000 caused a cloud of slag, clay, and a new crater that changed the entire landscape of the island, which is now a lake
The depth of the lake crater is constantly changing and is used as a guide to measure the current volcanic activity. The murky colouring of the lake is a result of the acidic liquid which is pH 0.
We were able to stand on the rim, high above the lake and listened the bubbling of the water that indicates the lake's excessive temperatures.

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No vamos a dar ninguna justificación ni explicación de porque hubo una mina de azufre en la isla , simplemente vamos a ver unas fotos para que os hagáis una idea

We will not give any justification or explanation of why there was a sulfur mine on the island, just you are going to see some photos to make you an idea

El paseo por la isla dura unas dos horas
Hay que acercarse a la orilla con una lancha , pues el barco no puede acercarse al playa .
La visita se hace en grupos pequeños de diez o doce persona , con un guía muy bien preparado y aparte de la serie de instrucciones que te dan para hacer la visita segura te dan un casco y una máscara pues dentro de la isla se están respirando constantemente gases sulfúricos con un olor muy penetrante

The tour of the island takes about two hours
We must approach the shore with an small boat because the boat could not approach the beach.
The visit takes place in small groups of ten or twelve persons , with a well trained guide and apart from the series of instructions and recommendations that they give to you to make the visit safe , they give you a helmet and a mask because within the island you are constantly breathing sulphur gases with a pungent odour

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Lo primero que se ve cuando se desembarca en la isla son los restos de las consrucciones y los equipos de la mina de azufre que abandonaron en los años treinta
Casas destruidas y máquinas oxidads son la antesala de del espectáculo tan interesante que vamos a ver

The first thing you see when you land on the island are the remains of the buildings and equipments of the sulfur mine that were abandoned in the thirties
Destroyed houses and rusted machines are the prelude to the interesting place that we are going to visit

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También vimos la nube blanca que vió el Capitán Cook cuando ibamos hacia isla y poco a poco nos fuimos acercando en un extraño mar de color azul turquesa que nos permitiá ver una isla realmente sorprendente con formaciones rocosas estrañas , azufre por todas partes , grandes y pequeñas fumarolas blancas ...
La primera impresión es impactante

We also saw the white cloud that Captain Cook saw when we went to the island and slowly we approached in a strange turquoise blue sea that allowed us to see a truly amazing island with strange rock formations, sulphur everywhere, large and small white fumes ...
First impresion is reall
The first impression is shocking

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Cunado sales en barco hacia la White Island llama la atención la estatua de Wairaka , que está en una roca a la entrada del río Whakatane . Era la hija de Toroa, capitán de la canoa Mataatua, y según la leyenda cuando la canoa de su padre comenzó a derivar cuando estaba llena de mujeres y niños , aunque las mujeres no podían remar , ella los salvó remando y gritanto "Kia whakatane ake au i ahau" ( dejarm actuar como un hombre)

When you go by boat to the White Island, it draws your attention the Wairaka statue, which is on a rock at the entrance to the Whakatane River. She was the daughter of Toroa , captain of the canoe Mataatua, and according to legend, when his father's canoe began to drift ,that was full of women and children , though the women couldn´t row , she saved it rowing and yelling "Kia Whakatane ake au i ahau" (let me act like a man)

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There is exactly one 'things to do' tip: just visit White Island.

Although some companies offer helicopter-flights over the island, I highly recommend to do the guided boat tour from Whakatane with White Island Tours. It is more than worth the money. Total duration of the tour is about 6 hours, including 2 hours visit of the volcano itself. The cost of the tour is NZD 175,- (December 2008). In the summer season it is possible (weather depending) to swim or snorkel in the surrounding waters of White Island.
White Island Tours offers also a shuttle bus between Rotorua and Whakatane.

White Island is New Zealand's most active marine volcano and steam and gas are rising continuously from its craters. The plume of smoke and gas can be seen from the mainland.

It is an extremely fascinating scenery. So remote, so pure, so different from many other spots. It is almost if you are witness of the birth of the earth or walking on the moon. The bright yellow sulphurous vents, the smell of the gases and rumbling of the inner earth under our feet provide an unique experience.
Always steam, gas and sulphur; everywhere lava and ash. As soon as we arrived on the island we got a safety briefing and were supplied with gas masks in case something should happen with one of the craters.

Fondest memory
The highlight of our visit was standing on the edge of the main crater overlooking the fluorescent green lake and the steaming (little) craters with amazing colours. OVERWHELMING !!!

For more pictures: see my travelogues about White Island.