living history

On the shores of Lake Rotomahana the Pink and White Terraces were a taonga of the local iwi.

Hinemihi was the tribal meeting house of the Tuhourangi people of Te Wairoa. Carved by Master Carver, Wero Tāroi and his young apprentice, Tene Waitere, Hinemihi took a little over a year to build.

The scenic waterfall trail at the Buried Village allows you to be immersed in the natural beauty of the area.

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.

The birth of New Zealand tourism began in the 1850's when the local Tarawera iwi, Tuhourangi started guiding tourists on a journey to the Pink and White Terraces.