In 1931 the young Smith family purchased a freehold property in Tarawera. They were a hoping to make a new life during the great depression of 1930's New Zealand.
There had been an old tearooms on the site which had been closed for the better part of 20 years. So Vi set about restoring the old tearooms and the young boys worked the land while Reg biked into Rotorua everyday to his accountancy practice.
The Smith boys, Dudley and Basil both went to war in 1940 and unfortunately only Dudley arrived home safely (after capture and subsequent escape).
Over the years the family uncovered the secrets of the land at Te Wairoa and people were becoming more interested in the history of the area and the tales of the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Soon excavated sites were visited by many tourists all hoping to hear the stories and see for themselves the village that had been buried by a volcano.
Dudley continued to manage and develop the Buried Village with his daughter Pam and her husband Pat taking the reins in 1994 . Today with the help of the 4th and sometimes 5th generations of the Smith family the Buried Village of Te Wairoa continues grow and develop as an iconic historical tourism destination.
Come and find out the facinating history of the Tarawera eruption and see the family's dedication to the restoration of Te Wairoa.
Pre-book your admission tickets today.
