Most of the Auckland volcanoes were one-offs - they popped up like zits and never recurred.

The hot plume seems to be moving north-east - Rangitoto's eruption 500 years ago was the last. The reassuring thing about that is that it puts the likely spot for the next bang just offshore from the poshest houses in town (the big ones on the beach on the North Shore). It's hard to feel heartbroken about the prospect of people getting their swimming pools filled with ash.

I lived somewhere near where Gurney appears to be for a bit - Akiraho Street in Mount Eden. Socially it hasn't changed a whole lot in 40 years, and the house I lived in looks exactly like it did when I left in 1976, not one extra fencepost or flowerpot (or did when I visited 4 years ago). Weird little timewarp.