The morning of May 31, 1886 dawned cool and calm over the tiny settlement of Te Wairoa, near Lake Tarawera. On the opposite shore, feathers of mist swirling up from the lake surface softened the brooding hulk of Mt Tarawera.
Guide Sophia and other members of the Tuhourangi tribe were preparing to paddle a group of tourists across the water to the famed Pink and White Terraces of Rotomahana, which tumbled like wide silica waterfalls through tangled rainforest to the lake edge. Suddenly the lake level fell, then rose again, accompanied by an eerie whimpering sound.
Then the group saw a ghostly war canoe slip silently out of the morning mist, its warriors sitting with heads bowed, wrapped in cloaks of death. No such canoe was known in the area, but other tourists and Maori also saw the apparition.
Frightened Maori called it a waka wairua - a spirit canoe that foretold disaster. A tribal tohunga warned that his people would soon be punished for the increasingly lax behaviour brought about by contact with Europeans.
Ten days later in the early hours of June 10, 1886, the three peaks of Mt Tarawera erupted in a cataclysmic event that spewed glowing debris thousands of metres into the sky.
Worse, beneath the bed of Lake Rotomahana, a deadly mixture of water, gases and magma exploded, blowing apart the Pink and White Terraces and smothering the surrounding land with ash and mud.
Te Wairoa and neighbouring villages were buried, and at least 120 people died in what remains the largest eruption since European settlement.
It was also the death knell for Tarawera tourism. Guide Sophia and others took refuge with relatives at Rotorua's Whakarewarewa, beginning a new kind of tourism related to the healing waters of the region.
These days, Tarawera languishes in the shadow of its bustling neighbour.
Instead of attracting hordes of overseas tourists, it's a relaxing getaway spot where you can walk, fish, go boating or simply relax and soak up the scenery. Nature has done a magnificent job of covering the physical wounds of 1886 with native bush, and as we neared Lake Tarawera we could only catch fleeting glimpses of the lake and mountain. Occasionally, anonymous driveways dived through the trees towards secluded holiday homes.
The lodge where we stayed had a similar understated approach. The stylish building is almost camouflaged by bush. It has an expansive deck, and an immaculate lawn stretches to a private jetty. Most of Tarawera's shoreline is accessible only by boat, so we called a water-taxi and sped across the choppy waters to some natural hot pools. The first was hidden in a bushy grove in an obscure bay, while the second was a natural lakeside spa where fallen rocks formed a pool exactly where thermal waters bubbled up from below. When it became too hot to bear, we simply stepped into the cooling waters of the lake.
We did the same at Hot Water Beach, where hot springs seethe under the sand and heat up the shallows. Apparently freshly caught trout taste fantastic cooked in foil in the sand, but I preferred the suggestion of chocolate fondue melted the natural way.
Fresh air and talk of food whetted our appetites so the water-taxi whipped us to the Landing Cafe for a hearty dinner. You can reach the Landing by road, but it felt incredibly romantic to arrive by boat - and it took away the worry of having one glass too many.
Lake Tarawera is still dominated by Mt Tarawera and there is something compelling about this dormant volcano, which huddles long and low on the far shore. To see the scars of its violent past we took a 4WD tour that bounced us up the slopes to the crater rim.
On the summit, the sky was breathing low cloud down into the chasms, obscuring the depths momentarily before sucking the cloud up again to reveal gaping red rifts in the earth. It was spooky - almost spooky enough to give credence to the legend of an evil sorcerer who lay entombed in the mountain until he burst forth spouting anger and hate.
Back at Tarawera we stopped at the Buried Village of Te Wairoa. For me, this archaeological site gave the 1886 eruption a human face and brought it closer in time. As our guide Huru explained the exhibits, he pointed out a photo of the paramount chief who died in the eruption. He quietly added that this was his great-great-grandfather and that the tohunga who predicted the disaster was his great-great-uncle. Suddenly, 120 years didn't seem very long ago at all.
When I saw photos and paintings of the stunning Pink and White Terraces I felt sorry that I'd never be able to see them. But if they still existed, Lake Tarawera would not be the peaceful, undeveloped place that is today, so maybe Mt Tarawera's night of fire had a silver lining after all.
CHECKLIST
Lake Tarawera
Getting there
Lake Tarawera is a 15-minute drive from Rotorua along Tarawera Rd.
Accommodation
Lodge 199 offers tasteful lakeside bed and breakfast. Dinner can be arranged. Phone (07) 362 8122.
Eating
The Landing Cafe, ph (07) 362 8502.
Getting around
Lake Tarawera Water Taxis take you anywhere, any time (07) 362 8080.
Activities
The Buried Village is commemorating the 120th anniversary of the eruption and its own 75th jubilee with special events this year. Phone (07) 362 8287.
Mt Tarawera Volcano Tours, ph (07) 349 3714, Helipro on (07) 357 2512.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley phone (07) 366 6137.
Rotorua Museum phone (07) 349 4350.
Whakarewarewa Thermal Village, phone (07) 349 3463.
The Tarawera Legacy package combines Rotorua Museum, Buried Village and Whakarewarewa. Self-drive for $53 adult, $21 child, or take a shuttle for $80/$47. Prices valid until September 30.
Heather Ramsay was a guest of Tourism Rotorua.
