Discover New Zealand’s most famous archaeological site at the Buried Village in Rotorua.
When Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886, Te Wairoa village, which had been established on the shores of the lake just 40 years earlier by the Christian missionary was obliterated.
Today, you can explore the sites of former houses, whares and the Rotomahana Hotel that have been excavated from the volcanic mud and ash.
The 12-acre site includes mostly flat walking trails through native bush and a pretty waterfall.
The Buried Village also has a museum with fascinating relics and interactive stories that explore one of New Zealand’s deadliest natural disasters which also destroyed the world-famous Pink and White Terraces.
