We left the campground around 7 because we have reservations on the afternoon boat to White Island. White Island is an active marine volcano off the coast of Whakatane (pronounced Fa-ka-tane). We had tried to go out on Friday but the seas were too rough and they canceled. So we weren’t sure if we were going to make it today, but we needed to be in the area because they make the final decision at 11 and the boat is supposed to leave at 1. The ride from Hehai to Ohope is about 3½ hours.
We stopped in Katikati along the way for some breakfast. On a side note, many towns have Maori names and many Maori names repeat syllables, not sure why.
We arrived in Whakatane around 10:30. We were going to go to the campground so Rick could shower but we got a message that the trip to White Island was on and check in was from 11 to 12. Yippeee! So we headed to the office and got checked in. We boarded the boat. The seas were rough so we had to stay seated inside. During the ride we learned a little about White Island. It had been built up by continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years. In the last 150 years, there have been four attempts to mine sulfur on the island but the last attempt ended in the 1920’s.
As we neared the island, the crew distributed inflatable life jackets, hard hats, and gas masks. The boat tied up to a mooring and we were taken ashore on a zodiac. Once ashore we were instructed on how to use the gas mask and what to do if there was an eruption, earthquake or landslide. Luckily we didn’t have to put that knowledge to the test. We walked around with a guide. The rocks were yellow and red from the sulfur and iron, respectively. Also there were cliffs that had obviously been formed by flowing lava. Steam was billowing everywhere. The center crate was filled with bright green, very, very, acidic water. The green color was from bacteria growing on the water surface. Behind the lake in the midst of the steam was a mud geyser. There was also the remnants of sulfur mining activities that took place in the prior century. It really felt like a once in a lifetime experience!
We returned to the boat and enjoyed a snack while motoring back to the mainland. After leaving the boat we headed to the campground where we had dinner and felt sad that it was our last night in the campervan.