A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Whakatane, New Zealand by TravelPod blogger Rich titled "Whakatane and White Island!". TravelPod is a company of TripAdvisor™. Rich’s travel blog entry: "I arrived in Whakatane on Tuesday afternoon, and as is often the case in the Bay of Plenty, the weather was gorgeous. So too was the lovely Nadene who picked me up from town and took me to Karibu Backpackers (www.karibubackpackers.co.nz). She owned the hostel with her husband (nevermind!) and I was very impressed with the clean and cosy feel of the place. The fact that I had a 4-bed dorm to myself was an added bonus - 2 nights of luxury on the trot! I immediately set off on the River Walk that took me into town and towards the information centre. It was a very peaceful 45 minute stroll and as usual most of the people I passed said "hello" (although I've noticed that some joggers don't like to be disturbed and/or waste unnecessary energy!). Straight away, I knew that Whakatane was my kind of place. It is a small and picturesque little town set along the Whakatane River and with a stunning backdrop of trees and steep cliff faces. Therefore I extended my stay by an extra night so that I could explore the surrounding area. Before I could do that though, I had the small matter of visiting New Zealand's most active volcano to look forward to. Whakaari, or the White Island, lies 50km off the coast of Whakatane. As it is privately owned, you can only reach the Island by boat ...