"Live Volcano" White Island by littlebush

White Island is 50km off the coast of Whakatane in the North Island. It gets its name from when Captain Cook saw it, believing it to be white(he saw it from a distance).Theres only a few tour companies who do trips there, some by boat and a couple by helicopter.
The island is not that big but is active and erupted about 5 months before i got there. You can walk right up to the rim of the main crater. It can be hard to breathe and the company will supply gas masks. You get to see the sulphur flows as they flow through cracks in the ground. Beware the flies which bite, who are unique to the island. I went to the island with a company called 'Pee Jay' who do a boat trip lasting about 4 hours. They charge $95 which includes lunch. to be honest it was one of the best trips on my round the world trip, totally off the beaten track too! Another company Vulcan helicoptors do a helicopter flight, although you dont get to feel the island as you dont set foot on it! Its worth checking out their website though as they have an awesome panoramic 3d image of the island. Check it out at : www.vulcanheli.co.nz/panorama