Buried Village of Te Wairoa

The Buried Village has an excellent little museum that details the eruption of Mount Tarawera and its aftermath. It displays many of the objects unearthed after the Mount Tarawera eruption buried the small village of Te Wairoa in 1886. A meandering pathway set among trees and meadows by the Te Wairoa Stream connects the Buried Village's excavated dwellings. You'll see remains of a flour mill, Maori whare (house), stores, the Rotomahana Hotel, and more. Thirty-minute guided tours (included in the admission price) begin at various times. If you're fit and agile, make sure you include the steep path to view the pretty waterfall -- to my mind it's the best thing about the place. It's certainly a pretty spot with an interesting story, but I can't help feeling it's a little overpriced for what you get.

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