Mount Tarawera, Rotorua: Inside the Grand Canyon of New Zealand

The sheer force of nature is awesome. I have just set foot on the sacred peak of Mount Tarawera, and for miles the earth has simply opened up. Huge valley-like fissures stretch for 17 kilometers.

In some places, the mountain is wildly contorted, with a deep volcanic red crust that falls into a distant crater below. In other areas, there is an almost peaceful symmetry of ‘V’ shaped valleys that appear to be formed by a slow moving glacier; much like Milford Sound.

But what happened here was violent. At 2 am 134 years ago, explosions echoed across New Zealand. Some thought that the Russian warships were organizing an attack.

But no one in distant parts of New Zealand could imagine the horrors unfolding on the Central North Island when Mount Tarawera erupted. A 10 km column of ash shot up into the atmosphere, enveloped in a horrible blanket of constant lightning.

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Most of the life in a radius of 6 km was extinguished and the villages were buried. Lake Rotomahana was blown up to 20 times its size destroying the unofficial Eighth Wonder of the World: The Pink and White Terraces. The force of the eruption was so significant that 15 craters formed. What happened here more than a century ago is beyond comprehension, unless it is here, where the evidence is chillingly evident.

Our journey to the crater began 20 minutes ago, on the boardwalk of Lake Rotorua. It is remarkable to think that the lake was also formed by a “supercolossal” eruption some 240,000 years ago.

We make a quick circle over the Waimangu Volcanic Valley; the youngest geothermal area in the world that was also formed by the Tarawera eruption. Its two main features are a brilliant blue ‘Inferno Crater’ and the world’s largest hot spring, aptly named ‘Frying Pan Lake’.

As we approach the top of the mountain, the pilot asks how close to the crater rim the helicopter should land. We all answer “close,” and then silence fills the booth as we find out how close it is. I blurt out a shy “close enough” before the helicopter doors open, and we’re free to explore.

The pilot offers a guided tour to the top, where the spectacular scenery stretches out in all directions. We are the only humans up here; It reminds me of a large version of the Tongariro Crossing. Except it’s even better – it’s the New Zealand version of the Grand Canyon, and one few kiwis have seen.

IT IS SAFE?

After the devastating eruption at Whakaari / White Island, you are right to ask if volcanic tourism is safe. GNS Science says it is important to remember that Tarawera is a recently active volcano, and that you need to know the risks before you go. Their volcanologist Brad Scott says: “Caldera volcanoes like Tarawera often give weeks, months or years of warning signs that they are entering a period of unrest. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any unexpected eruptive activity in Tarawera, as can occur in cone volcanoes such as Ruapehu, Whakaari and Ngauruhoe. ”

GNS Science has more than 16 monitoring stations in the wider area of ​​Okataina. You can check the current level of volcanic activity here. As of October 2020, Tarawera is currently at zero alert level, which means there are no volcanic disturbances.

More information: The Eruption Trail Tour and Guided Helicopter Hike are 40 minutes and $ 465 per adult and $ 349 per child. The longer Mount Tarawera volcanic adventure includes more flights over the region’s crater lakes in the Waimangu and Wai-O-Tapu geothermal reserves. They are $ 695 per adult or $ 521 per child. See: volcanicair.co.nz Flights depart from central Rotorua.

The author’s trip was supported by Rotorua NZ.