Mount Tarawera
Our people have been hosting visitors to the Tarawera area for hundreds of years, since the first tourists travelled to visit the Pink and White Terraces, thought to be the 8th Wonder of the World. Tarawera is steeped in history and cultural significance. The eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 devastated the area, killing more than 150 people, burying the villages and destroying all plant life. Today, the area is known not only for this history, but also for the incredible natural environment created by the eruption. Discover lakeside hiking trails through regenerating native bush, hike to the 65-metre high Tarawera Falls, and relax in natural lakeside hot pools. Come and experience the stunning landscapes of Tarawera and uncover the stories of this special place in our history.
Mount Tarawera eruption and the birth of Waimangu
Before the most recent eruption of Mount Tarawera, the area now known as Waimangu Volcanic Valley was rolling scrub-covered hills with no surface hydrothermal activity.
During the night of 10 June 1886, a line of craters from the northern end of Tarawera was formed by a violent eruption, creating the world’s youngest geothermal system.
Everything we see at Waimangu is either a direct result of the 1886 eruption or, if it is alive, has arrived here since the Eruption.
The Round Trip –
Pink and White Terraces Legacy Tour
Follow in the footsteps of New Zealand’s first tourists, and uncover the stories of the Pink and White Terraces and the Tarawera eruption.
The Round Trip is a full day comprehensive guided tour of the Tarawera region including Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Lake Rotomahana (home of the Pink and White Terraces), Lake Tarawera and the Buried Village of Te Wairoa.
A must-do for any history lovers out there, looking to get fully immersed in the stories of this very special place.
