The village of Te Wairoa was once the main staging post for Victorian-era tourists coming to visit the famous Pink and White Terraces. When Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, the entire village was covered in mud up to 2m thick. Today, excavations and a museum housing objects dug from the ruins tell its Pompeii-like story. A walking track (40 minutes) loops through the village's excavated area, with a side trail that descends steeply to the base of 30m-high Wairere Falls.
Of the 153 people killed by the eruption, 17 died at Te Wairoa. That number would have been much greater if it weren't for the actions of famed tour guide Sophia Hinerangi, who sheltered 62 people in her small whare (traditional slope-roofed house). The Pink and White Terraces, considered a wonder of the world, vanished without a trace; some scientists believe they may still lie buried near Lake Rotomahana.