East Coast and the Volcanic Zone Sights

Shopping

1. Buried Village of Te Wairoa

At the end of the 19th century, Te Wairoa (tay-why-ro-ah, "the buried village") was the starting point for expeditions to the pink-and-white terraces of Rotomahana, on the slopes of Mt. Tarawera. As mineral-rich geyser water cascaded down the mountainside, it formed a series of baths, which became progressively cooler as they neared the lake. In the latter half of the 19th century, these fabulous terraces were the country's major attraction, but they were destroyed when Mt. Tarawera erupted in 1886, burying the village of Te Wairoa under a sea of mud and hot ash. The village has since been excavated, and of special interest is the whare (fah-ray, "hut") of the tohunga (priest) Tuhoto Ariki, who predicted the destruction. An interesting museum contains artifacts, photographs, and models re-creating the day of the disaster, and a number of small dwellings remain basically undisturbed beneath mud and ash. A path circles the excavated village, then continues on as a delightful trail to the waterfall, the lower section of which is steep and slippery in places. Te Wairoa is 14 km (9 miles) southeast of Rotorua.