Buried Village

The village of Te Wairoa is gone... along with 153 souls. So are the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Pink and White Terraces. They were all lost in the massive, overnight eruption of Mt. Tarawera on June 10, 1886.

For "four terrifying hours," the mountain exploded and hot ash and boiling mud rained down on the village. Buildings collapsed. Homes were buried under a couple of meters of ash and mud. The terraces were destroyed.

Today, you can see what's been excavated. The family who bought the land in the 1920's began the task of uncovering the village.

The village's tragedy is partly told through the letters of a woman named Margaret. She seems to have written letters to family and friends every hour, on the hour documenting the devastation. Jeff points out, "She needed the comfort of a man." Amen.