White Island Tours
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5 The Strand East, Whakatane
White Island is a large submarine volcano 150, 000 - 200, 000 years old. It is New Zealand's most active volcano, lying 49km north of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. Its Maori name "Whakaari" means "that which can be made visible"- a name perhaps brought about by the island's tendency to disappear from sight on hazy days, only to reappear sharply on the horizon on clear days.
White Island Tours
Guided tours of New Zealand's only active marine volcano.
Climb aboard PeeJay for a six hour eco-adventure to White Island.
Step foot upon this unique volcano and discover an ever evolving landscape of hissing fumaroles, lava bombs, glittering crystals, unusual rock formations and hot thermal streams.
Venture to the edge of the spectacular crater where your guides will explain the workings of the volcano and point out evidence of past eruptions and lahars.
Explore the ruins of the historic sulphur mining factory and learn about the catastrophes and the final demise of the mining operation.
Back on board, sit back, relax and enjoy some lunch while the Captain takes you to view the Australasian Gannet Colony (in summer) and the site of the miners' living quarters. As you cruise home keep an eye out for marine wild life such as dolphins, whales or the NZ fur seal.
There tour to White Island takes approximately six hours. It includes a comfortable 80-minute boat journey out to the island in a purpose-built launch and a two-hour exploration of New Zealand's only live marine volcano with experienced and knowledgeable guides. Lunch is served back on the boat before the return home. At anytime during the day there is the opportunity to experience New Zealands's bird and marine life. They have a permit to view dolphins and whales and they will spend time with these mammals whenever they see them.
| Departure Times There departure times change throughout the year and are as follows: |
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| 01 March to 30 November | 9:15am |
| 01 December to 26 December | 8:00am, 9:15am |
| 27 December to 10 January | 7:00am, 9:15am, 12:30am |
| 11 January to 31 January | 8:00am, 9:15am |
| 01 Febuary to 28 Febuary | 8:00am, 9:15am |
Please note that these times are always approximate and subject to change. They may also run additional tours if passenger numbers require.
Bookings
White Island Tours operate every day (except Christmas Day), weather permitting,
and bookings are essential. The tour is weather-dependent and we call our passengers
the night before the tour, between 7:00pm and 8:00, to confirm whether the tour
is proceeding and the exact time of check-in. We recommend booking two weeks
in advance and we also recommend that passengers book an alternate day in case
the trip is cancelled due to the weather conditions.
White Island Tour |
Per Person |
| Peak Season/Adult/Child (1 December-31 March) | $185.00 |
| Off-peak/Adult (1 April-30 November) | $185.00 |
| Off-peak/Child-13 years and under (1 April-30 November) | $130.00 |
What to Bring
All passengers are required to wear fully-enclosed shoes on the island, no open-toed
footwear or sandals are permitted. We also recommend passengers wear older clothing
and bring with them a jacket or something warm for the boat ride, plenty of
sunscreen and a bottle of water for the volcano walk. During the summer months
passengers are welcome to bring swimming gear-if sea conditions permit, there
will be an opportunity to swim or snorkel off the boat after the island tour.
Suitability of Tour
There are minor physical challenges on the tour. Getting on and off the island
involves a transfer via inflatable boat to an original concrete wharf. Once
there, there is a short ladder to climb to get on to the jetty, a steel platform
to cross which spans a gap in the jetty and then a series of boulders to walk
over. There are no difficult hills to climb, however, the island surface can
be uneven in some areas. Passengers will need to be reasonably agile and prepared
to be on their feet for up to two hours. There is a recommended minimum age
of 8 years for this tour.
White Island Shuttle
The White Island Shuttle operates six days per week (monday-saturday) leaving Rotorua early in the morning to meet with the 9:15am White Island Tour departure.
Passengers meet us at one of five designated pick-up points in Rotorua where they board and 18 seater coach for a scenic 80-minute journey to Whakatane. They recieve a commentary as they travel through the beautiful Rotorua Lake district and pass by various points of historical significance along the way.
Upon reaching the Whakateane Wharf, passengers disembark from the coach, check-in for their White Island Tour and board a PeeJay vessel for the day trip to White Island.
Bookings
Bookings are essential as spaces on the shuttle are limited. As the White Island
Tour is weather dependant, the White Island Shuttle will only be operating when
the tour goes ahead. At the time of booking we will require a contact phone
number for the passenger(s). The tour is weather dependant and we call our passengers
the night before the tour, between 7:00pm and 8:00pm, to confirm whether the
tour is proceeding and the exact time of pick-up. We recommend booking the bus
and tour two weeks in advance.
| White Island Shuttle | Per Person |
| Return-Adult/Child | $65.00 |
| One Way-Adult/Child | $40.00 |
| Pick-up Points They collect passengers from the following pick-up points in Rotorua between 7-7.30am. Time of pick-up is confirmed the evening before. |
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| Anne's Volcanic Motel: | 107 Malfroy Road |
| Funky Green Backpackers: | 4 Union Street |
| Kiwipaka: | 60 Tarewa Road |
| Tourism Rotorua (Information Centre): | 1167 Fenton Street |
| Four Canoes: | 273 Fenton Street |
| Alpin Motel: | 16 Sala Street |
Passengers need to allow approx nine hours for the complete trip. Bookings are essential.
White Island Rendezvous
At White Island Rendezvous we provide a variety of quality accommodation is suit both the pleasure and corporate traveller. We have options for every guest for every guest-from a studio with spa bath or shower to an apartment with full kitchen facilities or the luxury of a super king bed in their boutique Kauri villa. Guests can wake-up to a hearty cooked breakfast delivered to their room or enjou the atmosphere of there on-site cafe.
The great outdoors is at our doorstep. Guests have a uniques opportunity to visit off-shore volcanoes - whether a day trip to White Island, the active off-shore marine volcano, or a shorter nature excursion to Whale Island - a dormant inshore volcano which is now a wildlife refuge. They can stroll down to the harbour entrance ato watch the boats come and go or enjoy one of the local bushwalks to view the spectacular scenery of our bay. The motel complex is situated opposite the picturesque Whakatane Wharf and within walking distance of the town centre and many fine restaurants.
Motel Complex
There are 25 units in the complez - all with a Qualmark-endorsed 4 star plus
rating.
All units have Sky Television, an ensuite bathroom and ironing stations. Our Deluxe units have the additional luxury of remote controlled air-conditioning or heating, heated bath room mirrors and other extra features. We are a Wireless Internet Hot spot and wireless access is available in all rooms except The Villa. All units are designated as non-smoking.
Studios include a dining table and kitchenette, complete with microwave oven, refrigerator, toaster, kettle and cooking/eating utensils.
The standard three-bedroom apartment has a large lounge area, dining table and kitchenette with full cooking facilities, automatic dishwasher and pantry. It has remote control air conditioning, an ironing station and a spa bath. The master bedroom has a queen-sized bed in it, and the second bedroom ahs two single beds.
The Villa has one spacious bedroom with a super-king sized bed and French doors opening into a private garden and outdoor seating area. There are two large flat screen televisions - one in the bedroom and one in the lounge, a leather lounge suite with two big-hearted 'lazy boy' recliners and a huge bathroom with shower and antique 'feature' bathtub. The Villa has a kitchenette with electric hobs, fridge and microwave and a convenient laundry area with washing machine and dryer. The Villa is suitable for someone looking for a special overnight retreat or for long-stay guests.
| White Island Renezvous | Rates Per Night |
Extra Person |
Infant's Cot |
Max. in Unit ² |
| Standard Studio Unit | $130.00 | $35.00 | $25.00 | 3-4 |
| Deluxe Studio Unit | $140.00 | $35.00 | $25.00 | 2-3 |
| Deluxe Studio with Spa-Bath | $150.00 | n/a | $25.00 | 2 |
| Standard 3 Bedroom Unit | $150.00 | $35.00 | $25.00 | 5 |
| Deluxe 2 Bedroom Apartment | $190.00 | $35.00 | $25.00 | 4 |
| The Villa | $180.00 | n/a | $25.00 | 2 |
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