What to Expect
The Tarawera Eruption of 1886
The Buried Village is New Zealand's most visited Archaeological Site, where stories of the 1886 Mt Tarawera Eruption come to life.
Te Wairoa was established by Tūhourangi, an iwi of Te Arawa, alongside Christian missionary Seymour Spencer in 1848, initially to farm the more fertile, flat land available.
The village of Te Wairoa then became the base for intrepid travelers during their visits to the famous Pink and White Terraces, commonly known as the 8th Wonder of the world.
The village survived for fewer than 40 years before it, and the nearby Pink and White Terraces were destroyed by the eruption of Mt Tarawera on June 10th 1886.
