The White Island tragedy.

[Sandy]

I believe the local maori put a tapu on the island within 48 hours of the eruption, so no one bar police and other officials are allowed out there until after the tapu is lifted.. The tapu's are usually put on and taken off by one of the elders from which ever Iwi is doing it, the locals are of course expected to respect it because of the deaf..

I haven't found out as to who owns the island as yet, I only know it's privately owned, I suspect the local Iwi may own it, but I don't know for sure.. In my opinion the island shouldn't have been open to tourists given how active it's always been, it seems someone thought it was an easy way of making money, let the local tourist operators take people there in exchange for a set fee per person going out there.. I hope after this our government stops tourisim to the island and only let geologists and such visit to do their studies into active volcanos, it's to dangerous for tourists to be there in my opinion, especially bigger groups of tourists as it takes to long to get them off safely if something happens..