Trip to White Island

This trip is one to add to your bucket list, very enjoyable.

White Island Tours, The Strand, Whakatane is our destination for this trip and where we climb on board the boat to take us to the island. The boat trip is quite long so plan this when the weather is good. The boat round trip takes about 6 hours including a tour of the island. Bookings are essential.

"I've been to a lot of places in New Zealand, met a lot of people, done a lot of things.  White Island is the best thing I have ever done.  Peter and Jenny Tait have put together a world-class operation, going to a world-class site." 

- Allan Dick, Editor and Publisher of NZ TODAY, DRIVER and CLASSIC Driver magazines. 

Map; the journey can take in many different towns including; Matamata, Hamilton, Rotorua, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga. This is one way to cover the 300km, takes about 4 hours.

When you leave the sheltered harbour at Whakatane you pass by a statue to the Maori maiden Wairaka, who saved an important canoe from being washed away by breaking tribal bans on women paddling.

We were lucky enough to see a large group of dolphins who enjoyed playing in the boat wash.

Arrival at White Island

If you are in a hurry a helicopter ride could be the answer.

The melting point of sulphur is 115 degrees centigrade so do not go near these steam vents

You are issued a gas mask, which we practiced with, but did not need thankfully.

The remains of the sulphur factory, nothing lasts long in the sulphuric acid environment.