White Island Mines, New Zealand

Indigenous people have been living in Australia and New Zealand for thousands of years, but in more recent history colonists from Europe came to the island nations and began building homes, factories and industrial sites. With weather extremes that range from volcanic eruptions to wildfires to flooding, its no surprise some of these buildings have succumbed to decay or been toppled by natural disasters. In the following pages we explore some of the eerie sites that have been left to rot in Oceania.

Located off the northern coast of New Zealand, White Island (also known by its Maori name 'Whakaari') has been an active volcano for at least 150,000 years. The sporadic eruptions weren't enough to deter miners who came to the island for sulfur, however. Sulfur, which is used in a variety of chemical processes including fertilizer manufacturing, mineral extraction and wastewater processing, was mined on White Island starting in the 1880s. But on Sept. 10, 1914, all 10 miners working on the island were killed when a part of the volcano's crater wall collapsed, says New Zealand History. Although the mining recommenced in the late 1920s, it was less profitable and mining operations ceased in the 1930s.

Although the mines are no longer in operation, there is plenty of activity on White Island. The New Zealand geologic organization, GNS Science, continuously monitors White Island for eruptions and seismographic activity, says the GNS Science website. Visitors can also tour the alien landscape of the island, where no vegetation grows, and observe the disintegrating mining equipment that remains there.

NEXT: A former dolphin habitat in decay

Atlantis Marine Park, Australia

Built in 1981 in the coastal fishing town of Two Rocks, the Atlantis Marine Park survived for less than 10 years before financial setbacks and a lack of visitors forced the facility to shut down. But closing the park was more complicated than simply hanging some signs on the doors and locking the gates. The marine park had captured 7 bottle nose dolphins from the local coastal population and trained them for shows, reported PBS. By the time the park was closing there were nine dolphins in total, three born in captivity and the other six having been brought in from the wild, meaning the park would have to find a way to return the animals to the wild or give them to another facility. The dolphins were eventually rehabilitated and released to the wild after several years or preparation.

The park, however, continues to be an object of debate in Two Rocks and the nearby city of Perth. According to Western Australia Today, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition on social media asking for something to be done with the park's ruins. The company that owns the park has said they plan to turn it into a mixed-use space with a combination of residential housing, open public spaces and a town center. For now it attracts mainly graffiti artists and curious visitors.

NEXT: The sheep have overrun the Shire

Hobbiton Set, New Zealand

For fans of The Lord of the Rings movie franchise, a visit to the Shire where the hobbits live might sound like a perfect quaint vacation. But the Hobbiton set isn't entirely empty — the hobbit holes have been overrun by sheep. According to Telegraph, a British publication, the green pastures were originally farmland and have been retaken by 12,000 sheep and 250 cattle.

Luckily for fans, the Hobbiton Movie Set tour still offers the opportunity to see Bilbo Baggins's home as well as The Green Dragon Inn and other features of Middle-earth near Matamata, New Zealand. Check out the movie tours website to learn more about pricing and availability for a day out with the hobbits and the sheep.

NEXT: A ghostly gold town

Big Bell, Australia

This Australian ghost town had a short-lived history. After being founded in 1936 as a mining town for those who worked at the Big Bell Gold Mine, the mine was closed in 2003 after the mine owners learned the costs of production were too high to justify continuing. According to the Shire of Cue, a nearby city, the town of Big Bell used to have everything from a hospital to a first class hotel, all of which have slowly crumbled in disuse. Today visitors can tour the ruins, and see some of the old pensioner's huts that were moved to Cue in 1958 from the town of Big Bell.

NEXT: An asbestos disaster brought an end to this town

Wittenoom, Australia

The town of Wittenoom in Western Australia has an infamous reputation as the site of one of Australia's worst industrial disasters. Originally a rural pastoral town, Wittenoom opened its first blue asbestos mine in 1943. At the time, the town was Australia's only source of blue asbestos, and the product was used in cigarette filters and in early gas masks before the substance was found to be harmful. According to the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, mining operations continued until 1966 and exposed 7,000 workers and 13,000 residents to dangerous levels of asbestos, which can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. More than 2,000 of those people have now died from asbestos diseases.

Despite the dangers of living in an area where asbestos still fills the air, there are several residents who have chosen to stay in the otherwise abandoned town of Wittenoom without water and electricity. The local government is working to relocate the five residents and remediate the contaminated site, reported ABC.

NEXT: A decaying toy factory

KangaWooden Toy Factory, Australia

When it comes to abandoned factories, one typically thinks of industrial complexes more than local tinker's shops. But in Perth, Australia an old wooden toy factory has succumbed to the elements and the work of illicit graffiti artists after being abandoned. The Kanga Wooden Toy Factory once supplied children around the area with a stock of wooden toys, but in 2010 the abandoned site was demolished, reports 6000 Times.

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