Fifteen kilometres from Rotorua on Tarawera Rd, beyond the Blue and Green Lakes, is the buried village of Te Wairoa, interred by the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera. Te Wairoa was the staging post for travellers coming to see the Pink and White Terraces.
Today a museum houses objects dug from the ruins, and guides in period costume escort groups through the excavated sites. There's also a walk to the 30m Te Wairoa Falls and a teahouse for coffee and snacks.
Booking ahead online offers a good discount.
