Page 349 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Geothermal Parks in New Zealand 325

Figure CS18.1 Aerial View of White Island, New Zealand

erected in 1908, is a relic of the spa era and today lies at the northern perimeter of the Reporoa
houses the Rotorua Museum. Even before these caldera, where the largest remaining sinter terraces
times, tourists visited the area in particular to see were located. However, these bear no comparison
the stunning Pink and White sinter terraces on the with the Rotomahana terraces, which were
shores of Lake Rotomahana in the Okataina comparable to terraces found today at Pamukkale
Volcanic Complex, about 25km from Rotorua. in Turkey or at Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone
Guests were accommodated at the small National Park, USA.
Rotomahana Hotel in the Maori village of Te Tourism briefly returned to the Waimangu
Wairoa, and were ferried by canoe to the terraces. Valley when in 1900 the largest geyser ever recorded
However, the 1886 Plinian eruption of nearby Mt became active at Echo crater (Figure CS18.2). This
Tarawera completely reshaped the surrounding erupted dark sediment-rich water up to a maximum
landscape, leading to a ten-fold increase in the size height of several hundred metres, and led to a
of Lake Rotomahana and complete destruction of guesthouse and several viewpoints being established
the terraces. The eruption was one of the largest in the area. Unfortunately, the geyser stopped
eruptions witnessed by man in this area. In less erupting in 1904 (Keam, n.d.).
than five hours, one to two cubic kilometres of Tourism at White Island existed as early as the
basaltic lava were erupted from a fissure which 1860s, when locals or day trippers from passing
bisected the pre-existing rhyolite dome complex Northern Star Company cruise ships occasionally
over a length of 8km, and extended a further 9km visited the island by boat. The island was also the
to the south-west through the lake and into site of several small-scale sulphur mining operations
Waimangu Valley (Sable et al, 2006). The loss of between 1883 and 1933. Remnants of the sulphur-
the terraces resulted in a shift of tourism away processing infrastructure can be seen today (Pee
from the area towards nearby Wai-O-Tapu, which Jay White Island Tours, n.d.).

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