Julie and Jessica Richards, a mother and daughter aged 47 and 20 respectively from Brisbane, were confirmed as deceased on Wednesday by a family friend. John Mickel said the family wished the mother and daughter to be remembered as “outdoor and adventurous people”. Their deaths have now been confirmed by police.
Stay safe. This is an active volcano with toxic fumes, hot gases and corrosive chemicals. The tour operators will have checked the activity alert level but still, in December 2019, 18 visitors died and more were injured when the volcano erupted. If you are concerned, consult the experienced guide.
There is no direct connection from Auckland to Whakaari / White Island. However, you can take the bus to Whakatane then take the travel to Whakaari / White Island.
The 2.5 to 3-hour tour of White Island costs $895 and a longer 3.5-hour tour that takes in both White Island and Mount Tarawera (with a landing on both) costs $1,045.
In New Zealand's Bay of Plenty on 9 December 2019, the White Island volcano, known as Whakaari in the native Maori, erupted explosively. Of the 47 people on the island at the time, 18 were killed and many more severely injured. Volcanologist Bill McGuire takes us through what happened.
The New Zealand workplace watchdog WorkSafe announced charges on Monday against those it claimed were responsible for the deaths of 22 people during the White Island volcanic eruption in December 2019.
The privately-owned White Island, or Whakaari, is a popular destination for day tours and scenic flights. It has been dubbed by some tour operators a "living, breathing, geological giant" and "the world's most accessible active marine volcano".
Scientists warn New Zealand's devastating White Island volcano eruption could trigger deadly landslides and TSUNAMIS as they brand tourist trips there 'a disaster waiting to happen' The devastating volcanic eruption on New Zealand's White Island, which has already claimed at least five lives, could trigger.
GOOGLE STREET VIEW WHITE ISLANDWhite Island is an active volcano situated in the ocean 48km from the township of Whakatane, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand. Plumes of steam can often be seen coming from White Island while standing on Ohope Beach.
Fewer than 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, and 23 have been taken off. Whakaari / White Island is New Zealand's most active cone volcano, and is a popular tourist destination and scientific research site. It last experienced a short-lived eruption in 2016.
THE DEAD: Julie Richards, 47, and her daughter Jessica, 20, from Brisbane. Martin Berend Hollander, 48, from Sydney. His two sons Berend, 16, and Matthew, 13, who attended Sydney's Knox Grammar, both died in hospital after suffering serious injuries in the blast.
nature and wildlifeWhite Island is currently is home to thousands of Australasian Gannets, one of the largest breeding colonies of this species in New Zealand. There are also Grey-faced Petrels breeding here. I have photographed them when they have landed on ships cruising past.
A deadly and short-lived (1-2 minutes) eruption at White Island began around 1411 on 9 December, prompting GeoNet to raise the Alert Level to 4 and the Aviation Color Code to Orange. The eruption originated from the crater floor and generated an ash plume that rose 3.7 km (12,000 ft) above the vent.
GeoNet, which tracks New Zealand's seismic and volcanic activity, raised its alert level on the island in November after increasing sulfur dioxide gas. Loÿc Vanderkluysen, a volcanologist at Drexel University, said he was surprised that tourists were on the island given the volcanic activity.
