White Island - active volcano

White Island is the summit of two overlapping stratovolcanoes and one of New Zealand's most active volcanic sites. It has had around 35 small to moderate eruptions since 1826. The Maori name for the island is 'Te Puia o Whakaari', which means 'the dramatic volcano'.

The island is roughly circular, about two kilometres in diameter and rises to a height of 321 metres above sea level. However, what you’re seeing is only the peak of a much larger submarine mountain - the main vent is below sea level but shielded from the ocean by high crater walls.

Scientists and vulcanologists from around the world find White Island fascinating. On an eruption scale of one to five, the island is usually on an alert level of one or two. In March 2000, three small vents appeared in the main crater and began belching ash which covered the island in fine grey powder. An eruption later that year blanketed the island with mud and scoria and a new crater appeared. At most times the volcanic activity is limited to steaming fumaroles and boiling mud.

Althought it's privately owned, White Island is a scenic reserve that can be visited by launch or helicopter. From Whakatane and Tauranga you can arrange a walking tour of the island, which leads right into the huge main crater. Hard hats and gas masks are provided for the walking tour - it's an extraordinary experience.

A surprising sight is the remains of a sulphur mining operation. Several attempts were made to mine sulphur on the island, but mining came to a sudden halt in September 1914, when a mudslide killed all the workers. They disappeared without trace; only the camp cat (named Peter the Great) survived.

There's virtually no vegetation on the island (a large pohutukawa forest was destroyed by eruptions during the early 1980s), instead yellow and white sulphur crystals grow around the edges of hissing, steaming fumaroles. It's possible to walk right inside the main crater, which has a spectacular lake and many steamy vents. Donald Duck and Noisy Nellie are two other craters that will demand the attention of your camera.

Mount Maunganui Beach

""The Mount"" is the colloquial name for Mount Maunganui, a beach town that occupies a peninsula at the southern end of Tauranga Harbour. The peninsula is actually a huge sandbar, with a sheltered bay on the inner harbour side and a magnificent surf beach on the ocean side. At the very tip of the peninsula is a dormant volcano -Mauao - which rises to 230 metres above sea level. There's a choice of tracks leading to the summit, some more challenging than others. Huge views of the harbour, beach and Pacific Ocean make the effort totally worthwhile.

For decades New Zealanders have been holidaying at the Mount. It's a place for surfing, fishing, beachcombing and lying around on the sand. The glorious surf beach is patrolled by lifeguards throughout the summer and by volunteers for the rest of the year. The busiest section of the beach is close to Mauao; if you walk eastward toward Papamoa you'll find fewer people and more sand to call your own. The beach's reputation as a surfing mecca recently moved up a level with the installation of an artificial reef that produces consistently perfect waves. The reef is located 250m offshore and sits 0.4m below the lowest tide level, so it's not visible above water. It has been designed to produce fast peeling, tubing, right-hand and left-hand waves, suitable for competent and experienced surfers.

As befits a resort town by the sea, the Mount has a lively array of cafés, restaurants and shops. You'll also find a variety of ways to enjoy the environment - big game fishing, dolphin tours, blo karting and dive trips are easy to organise.