Year 10 students from Water Whanau enjoyed a ‘Rotorua Road Trip’ field trip yesterday, that was a part of their Term 4 ‘Identity’ learning context.

A highlight of the day was a fascinating visit to The Buried Village, where students learned about the Tarawera eruption and visited the excavated Te Wairoa archaeological site. The eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 is one of New Zealand’s greatest natural disasters. The violent and unexpected eruption buried Te Wairoa and several smaller villages in the area under hot heavy ash and mud. It completely destroyed the famous Pink and White Terraces, one of New Zealand’s first tourist attractions. Sadly, around 150 people lost their lives as a result of the natural disaster.

Students also visited the ‘Skyline’ facility and enjoyed gondola and luge rides!