Luxury Volcanic Adventure Cruises

The Volcanic Islands

Serene and beautiful at sea level, the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty regions are full of dark secrets below ground. And every now and then, this subterranean angst rises to the surface. On our Volcanic Islands adventure, a fascinating geological history is revealed as you enjoy the luxury of seagoing life aboard Island Passage.

Landscapes shaped by volcanism

Our five-night Volcanic Islands adventure departs from the city of Auckland, which sits on a large volcanic field. There are 49 volcanoes within a radius of about 20km centred on the CBD. The most recognisable is Rangitoto, the huge black basalt lava volcanic island that symbolises Auckland more than any other geographic feature.

Volcanic islands at rest

While it’s calm and peaceful today, Great Mercury Island was created by ancient volcanic activity. Volcanic vents at the southern end of the island were responsible for much of the island’s land mass. Mayor Island is a much more recent example of volcanic land building. The currently-dormant island volcano is dominated by a massive caldera collapse crater and has been active off and on for the past 130,000 years. Mayor has erupted at least 52 times and is greatly admired in volcanic circles for its wide range of eruption styles.

A living volcano

White Island, 48 kilometres off the Bay of Plenty coast, is currently New Zealand’s most frequently active volcano. It’s between 100,000 and 200,000 years old, but has only been above the water for about 16,000 years (about 70% of the volcano is under the sea). This is not the lava flow kind of volcano; instead it’s known for explosive eruptions and pyroclastic flows. The volcano is closely monitored by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. White Island’s last major tantrum was in 1998 – ash from the eruption made it as far as
Rotorua; some 150 kilometres away.