WHITE ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14301, 22 February 1910, Page 7

WHITE ISLAND.

[from a correspondent.]

White ,Island, which has been aptly called tho safety-valvo of Now Zealand, is an isolated pice of land of volcanic origin, some 300 acres in extent, situated in the deep waters of the great Bay of Plenty, about 40 miles northward from the mainland. It takes its name from the great steam cloud that hangs perpetually above its bleak and serrated summit. Though its thermal attractions cannot be equalled in the Dominion, its interesting, yet forbidding, shores are seldom visited, partly an account of its isolation and partly owing to landing difficulties, for its one and only means of access is only approachable during fino weather conditions. The Northern Steamship Company run an annual excursion in February in connection with the Opotiki show, but. at other times of the year the smart, reliable oil launch To Kaha, which does the outward run under four hours, can be hired. .

_At close range the island has a truly appalling and uninviting aspect, iraiug destitute of any vestage of plant life excepting in odd places close to the water's edge, where old guano deposits give footing to a few stunted, wind-twisted pohutukawas. These slopes are also covered with green masses of Joe-plant, which serve as a partial screen to the holes of the mutton-birds which in season infest the island. On the eastern side the coastline is made up of gaunt, storm-stricken, detached piles of rock, but the northern end consists of a series of precipituous headlands that swell' tip to enormous heights. Landing takes place at the one safe anchorage in boats on a shore thickly strewn with gigantic boulders, and care has to be exercised in bringing the boat close in, for the swell of the ocean is apt to deposit the small vessel too precipitately upon the, rough exposed beach. To avoid such a calamity it is necessary to jump overboard when the water shallows L and haul the, boat up on the next inrushing wave. Long before the island is reached an -occasional whiff of wind-carried sulphur fumes meets the nostrils, but when in tho vicinity, of the landing-place tho smell is painfully unpleasant. The sea is very deep, and as the land is neared the blue of the water becomes. deeper in tone, and fish of various kinds, including the hapuka and kingfish, can be seen swimming lazily about with striking distinctness, Quite near the shore in one particular spot an underground mineral stream empties itself into the sea, giving it, for a small space, a murky yellow appearance. ;> ■ The . huge boulders in the vicinity , of this outflow; particularly below high-water mark, are changed from homely gray to deep chocolate red, which shows plainly the strong nature of the presumably sulphurous discharge. • To ' all appearances White Island is an old volcano, with its 4 crater situated upon the outer edge of the island. A past convulsion of Nature apparently removed . the southern wall, leaving the floor of the crater, which,.lies just 'above sea-level, , exposed. ; Once clear of the beach one, enters what may vbe described, as a horseshoe-shaped amphitheatre about -a mile in length and nearly, the same in width. On all sides, except where qne enters, crumbling walls of intermingling yellow and pink meet the gaze. In the middle foreground a lake of most 'brilliant yellow .catches the attention and enthralls the ; beholder. In all probability it is a subterranean outflow of this remarkable-looking lake that discolours thesea at\the:.; landing-place:v his sheet of water has to.be detoured on the 'ray to the steam. vents, which are situated at the head 'of this desolate valley, and woe • betide the garment that . gets splashed ,by its vitriolic' water, for it is at once transformed into a beautiful .: red, • and . rots in a short space of time. - The ( . water,. - itself has a smarting effect ■ upon • the ; skin. Situated : " under . the' shadow of beetling cliffs at the northern end 'V of the lake the famous blowholes work off their superfluous energy with an accompanying -deafening' roar, not- unlike; the sound of broken water ; falling from great heights.' The sight of the great steam jets rising in whirling columns or ascending in majestic balloon-like clouds up and above a perpen- | dicular. background. of heat-riven rock is both beautiful and awe-inspiring. The whistle of escaping * steam as it comes in contact with cooler atmosphere can be heard a long way off, and at close quarters completely drowns one's- voice even when raised to its highest pitch. On every hand long shafts of white steam shoot up from the ground, and at times when gusts of wind break , their perpendicular ■ columns the sulphur fumes are absolutely overpowering, and it is wise to keep at a, safe distance. No matter where one turns' fierce. jets of steam rush furiously out from confined - sulphur-encrusted crevices. To the rear of the. most active blowhole a stream of hot water gushes out from the rocks, forming a miniature waterfall as -it' splashes down to • a lower- level, while in a confined ravine' to the right numerous boiling mud pools, and silica-encrusted terraces and yellow- : mouthed funiaroles meet the eye. It is . a truly wondrous and uncanny place, and a, spot that offers small inducement for minute exploration. ' Twenty • years ' ago an Auckland syndicate worked the sulphur deposits' of" the island, and signs 'of their occupation can still be seen in the shape of a few lengths of wooden tram rails and miscellaneous pieces of timber that crumbles away like , chocolate at the touch. ' The N huts - that once stood - here have long; since collapsed' through the corrosive action of the sulphur-' impregnated' . atmosphere . upon the. .nails that, held 1 the, boards together. * The lot of those employed • upon", the works, ; which were ' disbanded owing 'to the. increased thermal activity of the blowhole. of the ; island coincident; with the eruption " of- ■■Tarawera. mountain, must have been • an' unenviable one, for, ; apart from the awful suggest ivcne'ss' of the place, , the dependence upon tho periodical visits of a small vessel from tho mainland with fresh water and food supplies would by no means enhance * the attractions of'living upon - the island. Tho island is devoid of fresh water, and no animal life exists upon it, but largo numbers of:seabirds make their homo upon tho rocks in; the vicinity of the stunted shrub growth. • - . A visit to the gannet colonics amply repays one for any physical exertion expended in climbing; up the steep rock faces that lead to their rookeries. The birds squat in thousands upon their peculiar mound-like clay nests, and are little disturbed by the inquisitive actions of an intruder, but if one ventures in close proximity to their fledglings they arc not slow to resent it with vicious nips. It is unfortunate that weather conditions play so important a part in excursions to this weirdly fascinating island, for were it not for that many visitors' to' our shores would endeavour to include it in their itinerary. • . . ' "