White Island in Bay of Plenty (North Island) is the only active marine volcano in New Zealand. It is located close to Whakatane and 30 miles from the coast and the only way to get there is either boat or helicopter. Our day trip to the volcano was a guided boat tour. Well, I think if you are visiting an active volcano site, having a guided tour is a good idea isn't :P
The guides took us around the volcano and told us stories of how so many mining operations tried their luck to mine sulphur there but sooner or later, their attemps failed. We saw ruins of an old mining factory on the island just rusting away. It was hard to believe miners would stay there for months, on a lonely island. The fumes of sulphur, the mud pools, the volcanic rocks, the huge crater with boiling water....all of it seemed unreal. The surface of mountain showed signs of aging, been there was generations, seen it all and probably wondering when mankind would cease to be greedy and start living in harmony with each other and with nature. More often than not, I wonder that too....and just pray, someday we will.
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The guides took us around the volcano and told us stories of how so many mining operations tried their luck to mine sulphur there but sooner or later, their attemps failed. We saw ruins of an old mining factory on the island just rusting away. It was hard to believe miners would stay there for months, on a lonely island. The fumes of sulphur, the mud pools, the volcanic rocks, the huge crater with boiling water....all of it seemed unreal. The surface of mountain showed signs of aging, been there was generations, seen it all and probably wondering when mankind would cease to be greedy and start living in harmony with each other and with nature. More often than not, I wonder that too....and just pray, someday we will.
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