Te Wairoa; a Maori buried village; New Zealand
S 38° 12.710 E 176° 21.797
60H E 444258 N 5770489
Buried by volcanic activity in 1886 and partially excavated. Self guided tours take you inside some of the buildings.
Waymark Code: WM15XW
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/26/2007
Views: 249
Te Wairoa is a short distance from Rotorua. It was a very active village for the local Maoris and Europeans. Volcanic activity from a nearby mountain (Mt Tarawera) buried the village in 1886 along with destroying a very prominent hot springs bath that was popular with tourists. Two other villages nearby were also destroyed.
The village consisted of several Maori homes (whare) and settler buildings, including a blacksmith shop and hotel. Many of the structures were excavated and the remains are still visible today.
The walking tour around the property will also take you to a wonderful lookout and water falls. Story boards are located along the trails telling personal tales from survivors and rescuers. It even gives a good perspective how the landscape in this area dramatically changed due to the volcanic activity of 1886.
This museum is worth a visit.
Visit Instructions:
If possible post a photo of yourself and your GPSr next to the site otherwise a photo of your GPSr and the waymark.