Eight Days in the Taupo Volcanic Zone – Day 1: White Island

Like many Australians, this year my partner and I have decided to holiday close to home and, having a long-standing interest in geology, we thought a trip to New Zealand’s thermal regions would provide us with some great picture-taking opportunities and, at the same time, provide a chance to explore some radically unfamiliar landforms.

We were encouraged by our friend, Trevern Dawes, who has written a series of travel guides on New Zealand and had some inspiring pictures of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, where most thermal activity is centred.

This area ranges across the North Island from Mount Ruapehu to White Island in the Bay of Plenty and measures approximately 350 kilometres long by 50 kilometres wide. It is named after Lake Taupo, the flooded caldera of an extinct volcano, which has resulted from several major eruptions. The earliest is estimated to have been around 26,500 years ago, when an estimated 1,170 cubic kilometres was expelled, reaching the highest ever level on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. The last was in 181 CE, with more than 120 cubic kilometres of ash blasted high into the sky in an explosion that turned skies red in Rome and China.

Although the centre of the zone has been relatively dormant since then, the ends remain active. Mount Ruapehu at the southern end had its last major eruption in 1995-96 with minor outbursts in 2006 and 2007 and a Level 1 warning issued on 2 May 2008 (although no significant additional activity has been detected since) remains in place to this day.

Our first goal was at the north-eastern end of the zone, where White Island (known to the Maori as Whakaari, meaning that which can be made visible) is located 48 kilometres off the coast in the Bay of Plenty. Roughly two kilometres long, the island is the top of an active marine volcano that is still erupting and attracts scientists and volcanologists from around the world as well as adventurous tourists.

Access to White Island is strictly controlled and tourists can only visit it in organised groups. White Island Tours (www.whiteisland.co.nz) run boat trips to the island from the nearby port at Whakatane (weather permitting) and helicopter trips also available from Rotorua and Whakatane. We opted for the sea trip as it allowed us a longer time on the island and also provided the added interest of the 80-minute trip across the intervening water, which is renowned for its marine life (whales, dolphins, seabirds and fish).

Consequently, once we had collected our campervan from the depot at Auckland airport and discovered that the weather on the following day was forecast to be ideal for our trip, we wasted no time in heading for Whakatane, arriving at the camp site just after seven p.m. The trip took roughly five hours and, en route, we used our mobile phone to book positions on the Monday morning trip.

It’s about a 25 minute walk from the camping area to the Whakatane wharf where we boarded our vessel and, by 9.00 a.m. we were heading down river and across the bar into the Bay of Plenty. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The sea was calm, the sun shining and the wind light. I loaded both cameras with 8GB memory cards, adjusted their ISO settings to 100 and selected aperture-priority auto mode in preparation for a great day.

The Pee Jay V, awaiting passengers at the Whakatane wharf. (Photographed with Canon PowerShot G10, 8.1mm focal length, 1/400 second at f/5.6.)

En route to the island we were treated to displays of diving gannets, frolicking dolphins and the occasional flying fish, all of which proved very difficult to follow, given the speed of our vessel. Without a stabilised telephoto lens, there would have been no chance of capturing the few successful shots I took.

A leaping dolphin, photographed en route to White Island. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens; 135mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/6.7.)

At the beginning of the trip, the island appeared as a small shadow on the horizon but as we came closer it was possible to see intermittent puffs of ‘cloud’ arising from behind the hills in the centre. We assumed (correctly) that this indicated volcanic activity.

Forty-five minutes after leaving Whakatane, the island was still a silhouette on the horizon, with intermittent puffs of ‘cloud’ suggesting volcanic activity. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens; 300mm focal length, 1/500 second at f/8.)

As we drew closer, more of the island was revealed, including a shallow inlet which was the site of a former sulphur mining venture, which closed in 1933. The crew issued everyone on board with hard hats and gas masks, both of which were required equipment for all visitors to the island. Full instructions on their use were given to all passengers.

Passengers gather in the foredeck of the Pee Jay V to take their first pictures showing details of the island. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 24mm focal length, 1/45 second at f/11.)

The remains of the sulphur mining operation can still be seen on the approach to the island. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 24mm focal length, 1/45 second at f/11.)

On landing we were divided into groups of approximately 10 people and each group was allocated to two guides, one acting as a leader and the other to ensure no tourists strayed off the safe paths. As there are no barriers – or much in the way of any formal structures – on the island, this was an important safety measure that in no way compromised our picture-taking activities.

First steps on White Island. The ruins of the sulphur mine can be seen in the foreground with a group of tourists in middle distance towards the left. Just right of them is one of the helicopters that bring tourists to the island from Whakatane or Rorotua. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 28mm focal length, 1/15 second at f/16.)

Aside from the clouds of steam emerging from different points within the crater, the first thing you notice is the coloured deposits on the rocks and along the stream verges. These are largely due to sulphur, although some other minerals also contribute adding different hues. Parts of the island are dotted with fumaroles (vents through which steam is emitted). These range from roughly pin-hole sized to large orifices that puff out clouds of vapour. The prevalent smell is of rotten eggs, due to sulphur dioxide gas in the air. In places, the concentration becomes so strong a gas mask is necessary to prevent you from choking. (Our guides distributed handfuls of hard lollies for us to suck as we walked around the island in order to minimise the effects of the airborne gases.)

Deposited sulphur surrounding a small fumarole produces different hues ranging from pale lemon yellow through to rich orange. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 24mm focal length, 1/500 second at f/4.8. A fast shutter speed was chosen to ‘freeze’ the rising steam.)

Another, slightly larger, fumarole with an even bigger vent behind it on the hillside; all emitting vast clouds of sulphurous steam. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 24mm focal length, 1/350 second at f/8.)

A different viewpoint on one of the largest steaming vents on the island, showing the colourful deposits on the rocks bordering the stream of liquid that condenses from the steam. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 35mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/11.)

Naturally, taking pictures was a high priority for all participants on the tour – and many of them wanted pictures of themselves in the more colourful areas. Our guides – and some participants – were often called upon to take these pictures.

One of our guides photographing a trio of tourists in a colourful, sulphur-rich area. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 75mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/8.)

The tour led us past the main crater lake, which is highly acidic (pH -0.1) and boiling. It was quite difficult to obtain a clear photograph of the entire lake, partly because I couldn’t step back far enough for even the 24mm lens and partly because it was just too steamy. The clouds of vapour arising from the surface of the lake were blown back and forth by the slightest breeze and their acidity made wearing the supplied gas mask necessary. (It’s really difficult to use a viewfinder with a gas mask over your nose!)

To solve both problems, I decided to shoot a panoramic series of JPEGs (instead of sticking to RAW+JPEG as I normally do). It was largely a matter of point and guess but, by moving quickly and decisively, I was able to capture a usable sequence. Subsequent stitching with Photoshop’s Photomerge function produced the panoramic image shown below.

A view of the White Island crater lake, obtained by combining three JPEG images with Photoshop’s Photomerge function. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 24mm focal length, 1/90 second at f/13.)

From the crater lake we were led across the island, behind the area reserved for helicopter landings and up to a vantage point that provided an overall view of the island. Members of our group, walking the track a little behind me provided an opportunity to take pictures in which people provided a sense of scale that emphasised to size of the landforms and volcanic activity.

A line of tourists pass in front of the crater lake with clouds of vapour behind them. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 55mm focal length, 1/30 second at f/13.5.)

The walking tour ended at the ruins of the sulphur mining operation, which provided opportunities for some interesting ‘industrial’ shots. It was then time to return to the boat for the trip back to Whakatane.

Ruined buildings from the sulphur mining operation provide a frame for the Pee Jay V, which was waiting for us just off-shore. (Photographed with Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; 40mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/11.)

A relaxed group of tourists returning to Whakatane after an interesting and rewarding day. (Photographed with Canon PowerShot G10, 6.1mm focal length, 1/400 second at f/6.3.)

Both the sun and the tide were low as we walked back to our camper van that evening feeling glad we’d made the effort to join the day’s trip. (Photographed with Canon PowerShot G10, 10.8mm focal length, 1/50 second at f/8.)

Two canoeists, paddling towards the river mouth, presented a tranquil picture at the end of the day. (Photographed with Canon PowerShot G10, 21mm focal length, 1/30 second at f/5.6.)