THE BURIED VILLAGE

Te Wairoa was a small village where Māori and Europeans settled in 1848. The village was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Tarawera on June 10, 1886. The eruption lasted 6 hours, with an ash column 10 km high and explosions heard as far away as Blenheim on the South Island. It claimed 120 lives and Te Wairoa was buried under mudflows. In 1930, the Smith family bought the land and began excavation work, which soon led to the opening of the site to the public and the creation of a museum telling the story of the village. A very interesting visit.