White Island (Whakaari). Mouth of the Volcano. West Side

White Island is 48 kilometers from the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty or Whakaari, as it is called in the Maori language. An unusual island with unearthly landscapes is the summit of the most active volcano of the country. The height of the island is 321 meters above sea level, its outlines are round, with a diameter of two kilometers.

Prior to the discovery of the island by Europeans, the local Maori inhabitants extracted sulfur there. James Cook named the island “white” after having seen a cloud of steam above it. The extraction of sulfur was conducted until 1914, when the collapse of the edge of the volcano crater occurred. The works were resumed only in 1933.

You can visit the landscape reserve by ordering a tourist trip. White Island is privately owned.