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Volcanic Landscapes of New Zealand 299

event. Thus it can be said that risk factors and relatively confident that if tourists and local
management requirements at the sites of Aotearoa- communities have obtained and absorbed the
New Zealand’s premier volcanic attractions have information about risk management that is
been adequately interpreted and will be enforced available the resulting impact on their lives and
at the local community level, and that this in property will be minimized as much as possible,
theory includes the interests of visitors. especially in the Tongariro National Park.
Indeed, the recent experience of tourism at The New Zealand community and its visitors
White Island can be seen to conform with this have learnt a great deal about risk management
intention. Up until the 1990s anyone could land since the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera in the
there and walk around, but in the 21st century the TVZ that killed 150 people and produced an
2
New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear eruption cloud that spread over 15,000km at the
Sciences now monitors the island continuously as same time as it destroyed the then eighth wonder
it does for the Tongariro area. Alert-level data is of the world, the Pink and White Terraces
constantly made available to potential visitors by (Robinson, 2006, p121). The associated geothermal
the local tour operators and through web-based resources are still used for domestic and
information services (on a scale of 0–5, where 0 is international tourism, going in one case by the
dormant, 3 erupting and 5 is a national disaster). name of Hells Gate in order to increase the
While White Island-Whakaari last erupted in excitement felt by tourists, but nevertheless there
2000; it has been at level 1 continuously since then is a healthy local regard for the consequences of
and tour operators now take great care in advising increased activity and recognition that such events
their clients of the dangers and their risk are in fact commonplace in the TVZ. Nevertheless,
management procedures in the event of a change the average tourist to the centres of Rotorua and
in level of activity (the author, personal experience, Lake Taupo who does not go into the Tongariro
2006). However, the main risk prevention measures National Park as a walker or just experiences the
are the advice to stay away from the rim of the hot spring spas in every motel will not really
crater lake, to wear a hard hat as well as having a understand the true nature of volcanism until the
very basic face mask handy ‘just in case’. Tourists next major eruption, and there appears to be very
generally do not know what danger signs they little that can or perhaps needs to be done about
should look out for and follow their group while this situation even in such an active area.
taking photos. Unless there have been changes Nevertheless, there may be a need for some level
over the last three years no warning signs or of regulatory intervention with the aim of
interpretation boards are on White Island apart improving risk management practices among
from one (Figure 19.4). tourism operators (Northey, 2003).
Conclusions Postscript

The tephra dam at the Mt Ruapehu Crater Lake While not at the time of writing being considered
most recently collapsed on 18 March 2007 and as for the TVZ, the 2005 Cabinet direction to the
a result a moderate to large sized lahar passed Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Manage-
down the Whangaehu River. The emergency ment (MCDEM) to conduct national disaster
response ‘worked like clockwork’ (Department of exercises to test New Zealand’s all-of-nation
Conservation, 2008) and the lahar passed down preparedness for a major disaster is indicative of the
the river channel with minimal damage to importance of volcanic risk management in New
infrastructure in its path and disruption to the Zealand. The first of these, Exercise Capital Quake,
travelling public. This was despite the fact that the took place in November 2006 and tested response
lahar had a flow rate of about 1000 cubic metres to a Wellington earthquake. The second of these
per second at Tangiwai, which was about twice as exercises, Exercise Ruaumoko, commenced in
large as that of the disastrous 1953 event. Just what November 2007 (it took place mainly in March
happens when the TVZ complex of volcanoes 2008), and tested preparedness for a volcanic
erupts again is of course unknown, but we can be eruption somewhere in the Auckland Volcanic Field.

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