NZ is adrenaline capital of the world so a little excursion to the heart of an active volcano 30 miles offshore in the Bay of Plenty seems like something we can manage! Piloted by Ross our little helicopter swept into the lava plain and landed like Eagle on the moon like landscape - we spent an hour walking through the crater, occasionally grabbing our respirator masks as wafts of acrid choking sulphur laden gases blew in our direction. The torrent of gases coming from the crater was roaring away and huge clouds rose up sometimes turning blue. The liquid in the crater has a PH of less than 1, sometimes even negative, basically sulphuric acid so don't go there! Sulphur mining came to an end in the '30's after an eruption killed all the miners! Happily the helicopter engine started and we were swiftly airlifted out of the crater back to Whakatane airport.
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