Category: New Zealand

The Factory – White Island

Factory then.

Factory, White Island, New Zealand
Factory Now,

Factory, White Island, New Zealand
Perhaps the reason why there is still lingering interest in the island, is the presence of the factory.

Jinx
This ill fated operation was subject to a number of explosions and re-locations, at one point the factory was blown out to sea along with the sulphur miners.
This didn’t stop the Kiwi’s coming back for more.

Here’s what they were attracted to.

Sulphur, White Island, New Zealand Sulphur.

New Hope
With the construction of a new factory further away from the crater, and the creation of huts outside the active area of the island, the miners believed this would put an end to the deaths.

After 3 months of operation this fresh factory blew one of the settling vats, killing three and injuring 1.

One of the miners threw himself to his death in one of the acidic lakes.

All labour in vain
Had they had risk assessment in the 1930’s they would have realised that the sulphurous rocks were not pure enough to sustain a profitable operation.

Had it happened in the modern day, health and safety would have closed it down.

Still, it makes a nice day out for us.

PeeJay’s tours run two boats a day, plus there’s helicopters if you want to pay the extra.

Holidaying on White Island

Travelling with PeeJay’s.

White Island is about 40k off-shore. Takes about 1 1/2 hours to get there.

In 1932 there was a sulphur mining operation on the island. After repeated eruptions, deaths and eventually bankrupcy, operations ceased.

The island now is like a moving sand of volcanic activity.

White Island, New Zealand
As you can see the place is not exactly Hawaii.

Don’t look into the Rain
We are told stories of melting radio’s zippers, trainer islets, items of clothing, the rain is acid, the floor is a shifting crust of ash beneath which lies pools of boiling mud.

It is home to the worlds most acidic lake.

White Island, New Zealand
At PH1, this lake is pure hydrochloric acid, there were still Germans rolling their towels out beside it as we arrived.

White Island, New Zealand
Everything on this island seems to explode or break. Which is why we are given helmets and gas masks when we arrive.

Weblinks: PeeJays
Weblinks: White Island

Day in training

I’ve been learning how to use my camera.

Here’s some shots with different aperture settings.

f/32
f/25
f/20
f/16

f/11

f is a measurement of the focal length. A constant if you like. Depth of field it’s sometimes called.

It’s to do with the intersection of the lines of vision through an aperture or hole, the bigger the hole the more you can see kind of thing.

This is all new to me, previously I’ve been in with the pocket camera’s. Better for the round city ad-hoc photos.

Not much good for panoramic landscape shots.

Eos
Elected for the Canon for consistency.
Have found it easier to use than expected.
Many of the pre-sets are the same as you might find on your point and shoot: Giving you the confidence to move quickly on to making shots with your own settings.
The last one is just about the right level of exposure.
This should save me a lot of time fiddling round on photoshop if I can get a good level of color and exposure will keep the time down.