Belching ash and coughing up rocks as big as cars, New Zealand's Mount Ruapehu volcano came to life again last week. Black mud and rock blocked the sunlight, and residents were told to expect showers of ash.
The government closed a highway around the 9,000-foot-high volcano and the ski resorts on its slopes. But tourists gathered to watch the spectacle. Ash and mist steamed 12 miles into the sky. The sightseers cheered every explosion. "It looks like thousands of rockets going up," said one man.
At the beginning of last week, officials put the area on a "Level 4 alert," which means that a large eruption may be near. For years, area residents have watched Ruapehu's sputterings. The volcano's last big eruption began 50 years ago and went on for 10 months.