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Te Wairoa Buried Village, Photo was taken on 21 January 2005 by James Shook-
Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Te Wairoa Buried Village
The Te Wairoa buried village is New Zealand’s most visited archaeological site. It is where the volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera happened in 1886. This eruption buried the peaceful village of Te Wairoa. It was one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever happen in New Zealand. 150 people perished in that calamity.
The early European settlers did not notice that Mt Tarawera was an active volcano when they pitched camp in the region around the 1800s. They were attracted by the sight of the pink and white terraces on the shore of Lake Rotomahama. This landmark was also buried by the volcano.
Archeologists were able to excavate and preserve the remains of the Te Wairoa village in a museum. The following are ten amazing truths about Te Wairoa buried village museum.
1. Te Wairoa buried village was established by Christian missionaries
Te Wairoa began in the year 1848 by missionaries as a modern model of the village. It survived for less than 40 years before the volcanic eruption that destroyed it. The village boasted the presence of pink and white terrace attractions. It was a magnificent site to marvel at. Though lost during the eruption.
2. The volcano eruption took place during the morning hours
Eruptions of volcanic bombs-
Historians record that Mt Tarawera erupted in the early hours of 12.30 am. The eruption was followed by an explosion of the lake Rotomahanan. This resulted in the burying of the Te Wairoa village with a coat of mud about 1.5 -2 meters deep. There were about 153 casualties and 17 were from Te Wairoa village.
3. The museum houses a valuable collection of relics of the Te Wairoa event
Since the eruption, there have been continuous excavations through the years. The museum displays a range of items recovered from the post-eruption of Te Wairoa. The museum shows visitors a different view of the devastation that took place.
The 1886 incident changed life as well as the landscape of the area forever. The exhibition in the museum centers on themes that recorded significant parts of the eruption. It extends to capture the Maori and European cultures.
4. Te Wairoa buried village was a model village
The Te Wairoa village was a model village as per historical accounts. Its layout focused on the English village plan recommended by the reverend Samuel Marden. The houses were laid out in streets each having a fence around it and a 100 square meter garden. The establishment of Te Wairoa was slow because land disputes arose between the Ngati clan and their neighbors.
5. Te Wairoa buried village possessed famous terraces
Te Wairoa Pink Terraces were destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera, near Rotorua, New Zealand. Image from a scanned book on Wikisource, Photo by Muir & Moodie-
In the 1880s tourists loved the thermal region of Rotorua and Tarawera. They traveled to see the astral attraction of pink and white terraces on the shores of Lake Rotomahana. They were tiers of delicately tinted silica and cascading hot pools. A wonder of the world.
6. The meeting house survived the eruption
The meeting house is where some survivors took shelter beneath the roof. Sophia was the owner of the house and she housed almost 60 people during the fatal night. In the year 1891, the house was bought for 50 pounds and transported to England where it remains till today.
7. The Smith family bought the buried village after the eruption
Smith family purchased the land and began excavating to salvage the remainder of the lost village. Today visitors can explore the 12-acre site including the excavated village museum and reconstruction of a pioneer-era cottage.
8 There was no warning before the eruption
Te Wairoa hot water basins and white terraces were destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera, near Rotorua, New Zealand. Image from book scan at Wikisource, Photo by Muir & Moodie-
In the days leading to the Mt Tararawe eruption, there was an increase in hot spring activity but no clear warning signs of a brutal scenario. Several days earlier some tourists had reported a phantom Maori war canoe sailing across Lake Tarawera and a surge in water.
9. The landscape changed after the eruption of Mt Tarawera
Wairoa River near Te Reinga Falls in Hawke’s Bay Region, North Island of New Zealand, Photo by Krzysztof Golik-
The landscape around Rotomahana and Tarawera was covered with thick mud. Hundreds of square kilometers of the region were ash-coated and large cracks formed on the surface.
Where the terraces sat became a crater over 100 meters deep. The steam eruption continued in the crater for several months. But in 15 years it filled with water forming a new lake Rotomahana much larger than its predecessor.
The chain of craters at the Waimangu end of the rift became the site of many new geothermal features. It includes the Waimangu geyser the largest in the world and New Zealand’s largest Hot Spring Lake.
10. The disaster at Te Wairoa village was unusual
The night of eruption is also known as the night of a thousand stars by witnesses to the event. Because Mt Tarawera eruption was heard as far south of Blenheim in the south island. The explosion woke up many people and they saw distant flashes on the horizon.
One of the event chroniclers was captain Stephenson who saw what he described as a large ball of fire that appeared and then broke into a thousand stars. The large powerful explosion pulverized the land and blasted it out.
The Tarawera eruption observers considered it unusual as they had never seen such occurrences before. It began with the ejection of molten basalt scoria. Then the rising magma mixed with groundwater followed. Several lakes formed as a result and turned the water into steam. Eventually, a powerful explosion was heard blasting the surroundings with a huge volume of hot mud.
The Te Wairoa buried village museum is the most visited archeological site in New Zealand. The facility has interesting things to learn about the events of the Mt Tarawera eruption that disrupted life for the people of Te Wairoa’s buried village.
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