White Island is New Zealand's only active marine volcano. It is constantly creating ever changing hissing fumaroles that spew-up eerie steam and acrid pungent gasses into the atmosphere; all surrounded by bright yellow sulphur deposits and bubbling mud.
I am determined to get up close - to see and feel Mother Nature’s awesome power at first hand.
0:915am - Embarkation onto PeeJay V
We leave the mouth of the Whakatana River at high tide
Around an hour and a half later we approach White Island, as the sky turns overcast
Disembarkation onto the former working wharf
Our tour guide, Tiffany, talks us through the Island's history
This place stinks!
The remains of the long-abandoned and now decaying sulphur factory
Two hours later it's time to get back to the mainland
Goodbye White Island.--------------------------------------------------
So I think I will indeed stay a third night here in Whakatana and catch-up on all my chores.
On Thursday morning (22/02) I shall be up bright and early riding along SH35 around the Raukumara Mountain Range to and beyond New Zealand's most easterly cape. I'm told that the region has a low population, comprising predominantly of Maori people. Apparently it's like stepping back to the 1950s.
I've even heard it referred to as "Bandit Country" .. :o(
So I'm not expecting to see any cathedrals, multi-storey car parks, or chic latte coffee shops along the way around the East Cape! And I don't expect to be plugged into the Internet again until I turn-up at Gisborne, probably at the weekend, which is some 375 km (234 miles) away from here, Whakatana.
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