Mike Yardley: Time out in Tarawera
(Photo / Supplied) Sat, 24 Jul 2021, 2:29PM
It’s the cradle within the cradle of New Zealand tourism, the Buried Village of Te Wairoa. If the 1886 Tarawera eruption was our version of Vesuvius, Te Wairoa is surely our homegrown mini-Pompeii. As the birthplace of New Zealand tourism, prior to 1886, moneyed Europeans flocked to these parts, to see, photograph, paint, sketch and bathe in the mineral waters of the legendary Pink and White Terraces. Te Wairoa was the staging post, from where they’d board a whaleboat, in their crinoline dresses and bowler hats, to cross Lake Tarawera to reach those tantalising terraces on Lake Rotomahana. At the time of the eruption, Te Wairoa was humming, home to 150 residents, two hotels, the Hinemihi meeting house, a church and school. It was the Tuhourangi people, a sub-tribe of Te Arawa, who owned most of the land in the area, astutely cashing in big-time on the booming tourist trade.
New Zealand rocks: Wonderful geology experiences you won t believe exist
28 Apr, 2021 06:19 PM
6 minutes to read
New Zealand s landscape is full of geological gems. Photo / File, Composite
NZ Herald
Ewan McDonald
Land of volcanoes, glaciers and ancient forests, the diverse geology of Aotearoa is truly astounding. Better yet, it s easily discoverable and accessible.
We ve dug up these top tours and experiences to help you appreciate our unique geology, not take it for granite. Even if you don t know your Cambrian from your Devonian.
Striking profile: Kaiaraara Rock in Whangaroa - also known as the Duke s Nose. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Northland
For this celebrity sports couple, a holiday isn’t a holiday unless it involves a generous dose of physical activity.
For Richie and Gemma McCaw, a holiday isn’t a holiday unless it involves a generous dose of physical activity. When the former All Black warned his former Black Sticks wife en route to the Bay of Plenty that they’d have an early start the next day, she quipped: “Is it going to be one of your early starts into a casual 30k walk up a mountain?”. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” he replied. Cue knowing laughter from her.