Pink and White Terraces
They were known as the eighth wonder of the world - glistening pink and white terraces of silica, created by the warmth from the centre of the earth.
Cascading into the remote Lake Rotomahana, people from all over the world travelled by steam ship, then horse and cart, a two-hour canoe journey and finally on foot to see nature’s masterpiece.
The white terraces, Te Tarata (the Tattooed Rock), covered three hectares (seven acres) and were 30 metres high, while the pink terraces of Otukapuarangi (Fountain of the Clouded Sky) were smaller and lower. At the feet of the steps were pools of clear blue water, with a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
In 1886, the terraces were destroyed when Mt Tarawera erupted, devastating most of the surrounding landscape, and killing more than 150 people.
Today you can visit naturally recreated terraces. The Wairakei Terraces, near Taupo, were initially helped by man, but nature is now fashioning the cascading silica steps in pinks, blues and whites.
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