WHITE ISLAND/Whakaari

With the latest eruption of white Island/Awhakaari I have had time to reflect on my own visit to the Island back in the late 1980's. For me as a member of a team sponsored by Civil Defence & Emergency Management it was a time of wonderment.  The landscape was what I imagined it might be like to step on to a moon.  I dont recall any fear of the visit but more of awe at the sights, sounds and smells. We had a briefing as it was a visit by a scientific Party but I dont recall much about being told of any danger.  We were each given masks to use if we got into sulphurous steam - but it didnt happenand it all went very well with a highlight of pearing into " Noisy Nell " as it belched away as it no doubt had done for perhaps hundreds even thousands of years? On reflecton I have done some things in my life which have been quite dangerous - but I never gave them a thought.  Many thanks to my guardian Angel.
Rgds Ian K 

PS the picture here is from one of my self-published books