Kiwi's Attention! Mt Tongariro has just erupted at 1.30pm.

thank god

Yeah, that was good news.. Apparently they were two hours into the walk. O.o

[link to media.nzherald.co.nz]

tamatea is a napier school, isnt it?

yes an intermediate school.

Stay safe Kiwis. Prayer said.

Thanks Resister, this one is not such a biggie.. The one to watch out for will be ruapehu.

Very strong Sulphur smell here in Napier now. Had to close all the doors and windows.

Stay safe all!

Mount Tongariro in the central North Island has erupted sending a black plume of gas and ash up to 2km into the air, the Department of Conservation says.

The department closed the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing walking track on Wednesday afternoon and staff and police were urging people tramping the crossing to leave the mountain as quickly as possible.

An eruption earlier this year sent rocks smashing into a trampers hut.

Wednesday's fine weather meant hundreds could be in the vicinity, but as the eruption happened in the afternoon most people would already be making their way down, department spokeswoman Kim Turia told NZ Newswire.

"It's not a large scale search and rescue exercise, there are no volcanic rocks in the eruption, just ash and gas."

Staff were trying to get people off the crossing with a minimum of panic, she said.

The crossing would reopen once GNS Science had given the all clear.

Civil Defence is monitoring the situation, but described the event as minor.

[link to nz.news.yahoo.com]

Nice reporting OP! Quick and concise - invaluable.


I have to wonder if its at all unusual for there to be no warning signs and just an eruption.

I also noted one observer said the eruption stopped quite suddenly.

I also heard unverified reports that this eruption and the raised status of Mt Ruapehu last week was unrelated, hope someone can shed some light on that for me cause that sounds like BS.

all our volcanoes are connected by flowing magma, AC

maori people have always known that

it is a fact

but scientists adamantly deny it all over the world

NZ radio

[link to www.radiolive.co.nz]

Is this a 30 day warning shot?

Its seems logical that they would be connected, I mean its hot flowing magma and the volcanoes are within spitting distance from each other.

The assertion that they would be separated is preposterous.

You're all going to die. Soon.
Land-based and oceanic eruptions will destroy NZ.

yep, it sure is preposterous

hamilton international airport?.. (i loved hammy)

Last Edited by CitizenPerth™ on 11/20/2012 10:15 PM

Prayers and blessing to you all- stay safe.

Live in love,

1221

Why does that not surprise me you bloody bogan.

lmao!... hey! i had access passes to dolly at UA for 12 months when i was there, and helped make your remote triage technology.. bogan not..... lol.... waikato beer was nicer then the red lion.... over....

don't make me cranky.. i worked with nurses.. you may need them with a volcanoe :)... GRIN....

Last Edited by CitizenPerth™ on 11/20/2012 10:20 PM

:) My gratitude for the triage thingee CP, hope beer and the nurses were good to you >.< Figure the only thing that makes you cranky is when said beer is all gone.

Much appreciated

I thought we were waiting on Ruapehu.

WTH?

so when ruapehu goes, we will have 2 active volcanoes going?

NZ = natural disaster central

but at least it isn't the south island this time

You are most welcome.

And yes, I agree - bull shit!

School students hurried off Mt Tongariro when a crater erupted only about 1km from them, sending a plume of ash and gas about 2km into the air.

Tongariro erupted for about five minutes on Wednesday afternoon but did not appear to cause the damage and disruption to flights as an earlier eruption in August.

Trampers were on the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing at the time of the eruption at 1.25pm and quickly made their way down the mountain.

Students from Napier's Tamatea Intermediate School were among up to 90 students doing the walk and were near Te Maari crater when it erupted.

"We were right up there next to it. It was just amazing. We were probably only a kilometre away from it... We saw all these tourists running away from it. We didn't stick around long," teacher Lomi Schaumkel told Fairfax.

Another school group of 20 students and 11 adults from Gulf Harbour School were on their way down the mountain when it sprang to life.

"There was no noise, it was just pluming smoke," principal John Petrie told One News.

"Initially we stayed there looking at it and the kids got out their cameras out and then as it got bigger and bigger we thought `this is interesting'.

"We felt quite safe - ash was going downwind and we just got off the track as fast as we could."

[link to nz.news.yahoo.com]

Prayers for everyone in New Zealand