Reviews of Buried Village of Te Wairoa. (Museum) in Rotorua (Bay of Plenty).
Buried Village of Te Wairoa
1180 Tarawera Road, Lake Tarawera, Rotorua 3076, New Zealand
Description
Information of Buried Village of Te Wairoa, Museum in Rotorua (Bay of Plenty)
Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.
This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!
Map
Open hours of Buried Village of Te Wairoa
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thursday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Friday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Reviews of Buried Village of Te Wairoa
M. J.A beautiful serene place with a sad history. The village has a museum which is full of information and the walk around the property is special. Do the waterfall walk if you can. It’s fantastic! The cafe on site is wonderful with a great assortment of cakes and slices as well as sandwiches, pies etc. all made on the premises. Well worth a visit.
V. S.This is a great place that boasts history, physical sites and a hunt for clues for children under 15. My teen enjoyed the hunt. There is also an option to visit the waterfall that is hidden away in another section of the trail - stairs are steep and may not be suitable for young children. For those who are still young explorers at heart - take your time going down and up the stairs. Otherwise you can stay on the easy trail to get back to the main area which has a reasonably priced cafe with delicious food. We enjoyed our time there so highly recommend. :)
A. M.A lovely walk around the ruins of the buried village. The museum explains the history before walking through the remains of buildings, kitchen, huts etc . Signs along the way tell the story through letters written between family. Towards the end there is a beautiful waterfall that you can get very close to and view from several points along the track. Steep stairs in and out but it's worth it!!
C. J. V. d. W.Great experience. Lots of information that is easy to digest in a variety of formats. Suitable for all ages for specific caterings for children (i.e. treasure hunt). Fantastic walk around the premises with plenty to see and an awesome waterfall (steep steps required but bypassable for those unable). All this and super cheap. Kids are free! And a lovely little cafe and mini playground to finish. Plenty to go onto look at in the surrounding area including the lakes. Well worth the visit.
S. R.We are locals and it's been many years since we went out to the Village. It's beautiful out there and the grounds are lovely.
The lady who served us was so nice and informative and she was very kind to my children.
We had a lovely little snack before starting off on our journey at the Cafe. Can definitely recommend the pies.
It was really informative and such a lovely way to spend a few hours wandering round.
G. N.A historical site telling the story of a long gone natural wonder of the earth.
Read the stories, experience what remains, and let it remind you to explore the world while it's still there!
D. v. L.I liked the first part with the information. The burried village itself was less interesting as expected. Eventually, I liked the waterval valley way more. That was beautifully.
The older lady at the counter was really nice. She told us something about the history because nobody else was around. A person telling about the history was way more interesting than the village itself. I still liked the experience as a whole.
F. E.Lovely to visit. Not quite what I expected but still really good. Food was quick and nice. Gift shop enjoyable. Staff friendly
M. A.Great family day out! Lots of interesting information! Great for all ages! Pram accessible except for the waterfall extension. We let the teenagers do the lots of stairs to see the waterfall which was beautiful. The oldies, pregnant mumma and baby in pram went along the path and skipped that part. We found it very interesting and had an exceptional day!
The coffee and cakes was 10/10! Freshly made! Good prices!
Highly recommended this to anyone!
Z. C.A must if you’re interested in the history of the area. There was a lot of information in the museum (almost too much), but it definitely gave me a deeper appreciation of the other Volcanic attractions around the area. I reckon the attraction would be better with a tour guide as I feel like I couldn’t appreciate most of the attractions, and also got tired of reading. Also make sure to go down to the waterfall towards the end of the walk - it was very pretty. You can walk back towards the lookout after the waterfall
E. P.Gorgeous way of presenting history of Wairoa and Tarawera.
Plenty of parking, toilets, cafe, and fun orienteering for the tamariki. Gives intention to your roaming through the Buried Village.
W. S.This open air museum pleasantly surprised us. It was very educational and interesting to learn more about the aftermath from the eruption. And to understand that the white and pink terraces are no longer visible die to that, but that they must have been a pretty sight. The kids enjoyed the scavengers hunt. It was very enjoyable. Not too difficult, but also not too easy to find.
A.We visited specifically to try the new Virtual Reality experience. We have been to the Buried Village before and found it fascinating. The VR is exceptional and provides an immersive incite into the history of the area and volcanic eruption of 1886.
The family loved it.
D. G.Fascinating history of the devastation caused by the volcanic eruption. The 10 min introductory presentation was extremely informative for both this valley but the region of rotorua. Our family all enjoyed the outdoor walk viewing these archaelogical sites in beautiful surrounds. The walk to the Wairere waterfall is a must. There are a number the steps but once there, you come up close to a beautiful 30m waterfall and the cascading stream. The price of admission is very reasonable.
V. T.My Brother us over for Christmas - We went to Rotorua and the Buried village among other things -
We were totally captivated by the place - The staff were lovely - We spent time in the Museum - it was So interesting and informative about a sad event in NZ history - we read everything
We then walked around the village - stopping and reading the texts - I really enjoyed reading the 'Margarets letters' they gave some more insight
We had been told that it would take maybe 45mins to walk the route - we were So engrossed in the details that it took just over 90mins to compkete.
The Cafe was nice - staff were friendly and welcoming - the food was delicious
We would recomend anybidy to go there
P. P.For anyone interested in a bit of history on the tragic eruption of Mt Tarawera, then this activity is a must.
The visit includes a museum which contains a wealth of information on the eruption and its devastating effects on neighbouring villages, including Te Wairoa, and their inhabitants.
One can also go for the extensive walk through what's left of the village, dug up from the layers of volcanic ash. This is not Pompeii but emotionally moving all the same. The track also takes visitors to a beautiful waterfall.
A.Very interesting place. Highly recommend to upgrade to a VR experience, it’s a game changer.
Have yourself a lunch at the cafe, it serves fresh homemade food and great coffee.
D. M.Alot of really awesome info in the musem but felt that alot of the locations outside couldve been maintained better. There were a few signs that need to be cleaned up. And several locations that have insifficant drainage causing paths and locations to be mudpits
L. A. (.The history is fascinating. We enjoyed the walk and learning new things. The view across the valley is stunning as is the waterfall. Just be mindful that the path to the waterfall is quite steep. At the end of the walk you are rewarded with yummy treats and coffee from the cafe. Well worth a look.
D. K.Awesome experience reliving the past. Sad but totally enjoyed the history. Great map and track. Water fall awesome. Staff very knowledgeable and friendly
Z. R.Neat experience, self guided and I was invested in Margaret’s letters!
Lots of interesting history and a great add on. Went in the middle of winter on a bit of a drizzly day, mostly outside but wasn’t too muddy.
Lovely proprietor- friendly and you could tell how much she takes pride and enjoyment out of the experience.
P. P.Really great walk-through interpretive trail about the Pompei-like disaster of Te Wairoa. Beautiful waterfall.. great gift shop.. staff member was really nice and helpful. They even have a cafe!
C. B.Really interesting history here, the museum was great. And the stream and waterfalls are an absolute must. Staff were lovely also.
T. E. F.Amazing place to visit and bring the whole family! Our whole family was entertained and excited. There’s a lot of interesting history for you too look at! There’s a treasure hunt around the area, and at the end you get rewarded for your time! There’s also a massive waterfall that you get to look at take in!
R. W.This was a great outing, learning what happened here in 1886. Family had fun, even our fur baby was welcomed, dogs can visit but is not allowed to enter museum, cafe and reception areas, Rotorua locals gets discount pricing on entry and items bought on site
J. G.Great place. Very beautiful scenery with a breath taking waterfall, I definitely will be back again. The letters from Margaret one of the whiteness to the destination hits home to the human cost. A 10/10 experience.
F. C.Lovely little quaint cafe with tastey homemade food. I can recommend the cheese & mince pie & carrot cake!
Given key background information talk by a guide. It discussed the whole area and it's history before we embarked on the museum & exploring the village ourselves. Great informative museum & lovely walk in grounds around exhibits.
c. g.Our family of 6 had a wonderful time here! Our 8-year old loved the treasure hunt, with the clues taking us from site to fascinating site through the very well maintained grounds. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. A great deal of thought has been put into the museum, with plenty of interesting artefacts for young and old to view and plenty of nicely presented information for those who have time to soak it up. The beautiful bush walk and superb waterfall are a huge bonus - highly recommended. Our 4-year old was able to cope easily enough with the steep steps required to access the waterfall. The icing on the cake was the opportunity for us all to dress up in Victorian era costumes and have a family photo taken by one of the staff in an authentic setting for no additional charge. Overall we found this place great value for money and a fun and memorale experience!
N. C.It was interesting walking around, especially reading the recounts of the eruption of the volcano. Apparently the lava shot up straight into the sky 1000s of feet high from three different points. My favourite part though was seeing these trees that grew from fence posts after the ash and mud buried them!!! There was about 30-40 trees that grew from FENCE POSTS! They recently cut them all down though after a couple of the trees fell. There were also these two trees planted next to this gorgeous creek that were planted by these brother before they went to war. Only one brother came home. The other has passed down the land to his family and the three generations have been doing the excavating.
Part of the self guided tour included a walking track to see a waterfall. The walk along the creek was gorgeous in itself, it was so clear and inviting that we were tempted to get in. Then we saw the waterfall! It was huge and the force and noise coming from it was incredible.
A. L.This place has a cool museum where you read a lot of stories about what happened and then you get to see a fantastic waterfall which is well worth the walk to. You need to have OK fitness to do the walk to the waterfall, there's steep stairs.
N. K.Nicely explained and presented museum. Cafe is good. Nice arrangements. Nature is very beautiful here. Excavation work is also great. You are taken back to 1886 when volcano eruption buried the village and surrounding. Sorry we'll said. Must visit. Allow atleast 3 hours to thoroughly see the museum and surroundings.
P. N.Really good experience for my almost 2y.o. son, my husband and even my father in law who just turn 81. After finish the walk we stop by and rest at the little food shop/cafe they have. Just make sure you bring water to drink on the way and snack for little kids too.
A.Very educational and interesting. The stream walk and walk to the waterfall were amazing and if you sit and watch you can see trout. The waterfall walk wasn’t as difficult and we thought though be careful using the railings as I put my hand straight in fresh animal poo. Was also very muddy with the recent weather so wear boots/gum boots.
Also the lady at the counter dressed in the old-timey dress was so friendly and had so much information to share, she is a star!
J. A.It's was pretty amazing to see what's left. The houses had an energy to them as if you could feel the people who lived there, still around. I didn't to the waterfall walk as my kids were already whinging 🤦. Will definitely go back.
M. R.If you are in Rotorua for a few days, Te Wairoa is well worth a visit. We recommend hiring a guide who can truly help you bring the place alive (they do have notes, but they can only capture a snapshot).
Walking around the property gives you a profound sense of the disaster, and the resilience of the people to recover and rebuild.
There are plenty of period pottery, and numerous artifacts.
C. H.What a delightful lady at reception. A fabulous start to our adventure. This taonga is very well looked after, informative and interesting. Really enjoyed our hour here. Such great smells coming from the cafe too.
S. R.If you want to learn about history then this place is for you .
L. 4.Good experience , need 2 hrs if you want to read all the information. Very interesting. Main walk way suitable for walkers. If you want to see the water falls closeup Must have good knees. Very large beautiful trees.
M. p.Quiet friendly place to visit with a load of history!
T. M.Informative place. Easy walk around site even on a day that had rain spitting.
Enjoyed it. Staff super friendly. Nice for them to do a Treasure Hunt for the kids which made the walk enjoyable and exciting for them 😊👍🏽
P. A.Fantastic place to learn about the history of the area and the people, The walk to the waterfall is a must to do.
D. T.We went to visit not really knowing what to expect. When my kids seen it was a walk they cringed. That soon became a distant memory when they were asked if they were interested in doing the treasure hunt😁.
The Buried Village really is a beautiful place to visit and the history learned along your travels is great.
The waterfall is absolutely beautiful, definitely worth taking that path as you have a choice to walk down to the waterfall or back to the cafe. We took many photos there, just gorgeous.
The staff are so welcoming and friendly I couldn't fault them for hospitality. Will definitely visit again and it wasn't expensive either $64.50 for 2 adults and 2 children. By far the cheapest adventure on our holiday 😁.
N. H.An insightful, engaging and lovingly preserved time capsule in to the events of 1886. If you're an international traveller, this is an excellent opportunity to learn the history of the area - and some extraordinary stories of resilience in the face of apocalyptic events. You'll start rooting for names like Guide Sophia.
N. L.Beautiful place loved the waterfalls but when I went to get something from the Cafe I had to wait 12 minutes when the guy behind the counter walk past me and went to go give to another girl and was ignoring me other then that it's a beautiful place but the service needs to improve
J. S.Only went to waterfall, SPECTACULAR as you look out the near-closest environment to what dinosaurs used to live in. Many ferns, and delicate small mosses and plants. Great place to stop and absorb history if you do go to the village. the underlying theme is that volcanoes rules, the land adapts and humans make a plan.
J. H.It’s a very peaceful place to visit.
In the end, will see that there is a nice waterfall l.
K. J. W.The last time I visited was 25 years ago, so much has changed. The museum has a great amount of information and the walk is stunning.
M. B.This family owned museum does a great job of educating visitors on the destruction of the pink & white terraces by the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886. The museum showcases much about the history of the area as well as artefacts and ruins from excavations of the site. At the end of the course through the museum and grounds is an up close walk past Wairere Falls.
The two lovely ladies at the front were very friendly, welcoming and provided lots of great information.
M. K.Such a great piece of history to see. Highly recommended you get to know whole are before and after eruption plenty of information.In the end there is bearifull waterfall which highlights the experience.
K. C.Every time I'm in NZ I stop at the buried village. The staff, history and amazing grounds are what keep me coming back. The staff talk to you in a way that makes you feel like family. They are very welcoming and informative. There is a really nice museum which you start with and then walk out onto the grounds where you can see the remains of the village. Take your time while you are here, and enjoy everything. I wouldn't do this in a rush if you can help it. For something so tragic to have happened here you cant help but be in awe of the grounds. Walk down along the babbling stream and down a flight of mossy stairs to an amazing secret waterfall! I feel like the Buried Village is less touristy than other places nearby. When we went it was mid-day and there was hardly anyone there. Once your down hiking up from the waterfall stop back in the museum and grab a snack in the cute little cafe.
F. G.We took 2 groups of primary school students to suppliment our natural disaster unit. The staff were amazing. Very welcoming and informative. Our guide was spectacular spoke clearly and in a way our students could understand. I loved how he included te reo māori as well. The students had a great day and learnt a lot. Beautifully presented space, clean and the displays were clear and informative.
Will definately be returning.
S. B.Not that great, you should skip the village and do the waterfall instead..but if you're genuinely interested in Maori culture, it might be a good thing to do the village tour.
C. R.We enjoyed our visit to this park. The family has painstakingly unearthed an area that had been damaged and covered by the volcano eruption in the late 1800's. Our tickets included the outbuilding trek, museum and the waterfall trek. Be advised the waterfall trek has a lot of steep stairs but the scenery is worth the hike!
K. H.The Buried village of Te Wairoa is a museum, outdoor museum and waterfall trail in 1. You can book a 3 in 1 combo ticket for 35 dollars or a 14 dollars Falls walk. That is not cheap, but you pay for a privately exploited museum and tour. The waterfall is not huge but beautiful situated between the fern and other trees.
W. M. K.Hostess was super friendly and kind. The Hike and museum was beautiful and educational. Learning about this tragedy was very humbling. Waterfall at the end was gorgeous!!!!
N. D.Excellent and insightful tour of a heartbreaking event in 1886, when a village was swamped by mud falling from a volcanic explosion into a nearby lake. A must see!
A. T.A wonderful spot for a couple of hours of exploring history. Very easy route, a little boring for our littlest humans though as there's lots of stopping to read the historical information.
J. W.Interesting archeological site of the buried village and the history and stories of its residents. The extra steps to the waterfall is worth the trip. Lots of plant info along the track explaining its medicinal properties.
A. K.An excavation site of a village that was burried under volcanic eruption from a near by volcano many years ago. The site take 2-3 hours to visit. Has very beautiful and relaxing cafe and waiting lounge. 30 dollars for adults though 😵
N. C.Firstly it’s money well spent. If you do the entire walk you come down to the beautiful waterfall and arrive back up to a gorgeous forest view. Our 8 year old loved it and enjoyed finding the clues for the treasure hunt. Awesome history that was actually interesting and kept us all entertained throughout our trip. Highly recommend a visit here!!
S.Great day out, so interesting and tour guide was very good. Relaxing and informative for all the family. Beautiful walk with plant information on route. Lovely café with good food selection and friendly staff, a gift shop and period dress photo opportunity.
a.Really interesting to learn about the 1886 volcanic eruption, the personal stories of people who endured it, the heros and heroines, and to see the historical photos, archaeological remains and reconstructed parts of the village. Displays are a little dated, and the price a little steeper than expected, but it is great as a laid-back stroll through botanical gardens, a waterfall, and through this slice of history.
H. R.Staff on arrival were very welcoming & knowledgeable. Enjoyed the museum and the grounds - really loved learning more about New Zealand’s history. Definitely recommend the waterfall at the end, quite beautiful.
M. A.Lots of info about the 1866 eruption and the dramatic events for the occupants of the town. All very informative. However, there are no examples of geothermal activity in the park, although the waterfall is quite spectacular.
S. B.Beautiful place. A step back into history!! Family friendly. Highly recommend. Awesome views, delicious cafe! Walk is not to long for young ones.
C. B.It’s good to visit a place that is and feels real. Although the story that sits behind the discovery of the buried Maori village and European Hotel is horrific the waterfall, that is a real clamber to see, uplifts the spirits. As you visit learn about the 8th wonders of the world in the form of the white and pink terraces and wonder at the lengths people went to to visit this place and the people who lost their lives or survived the volcanic eruption.
C. D.Had a very enjoyable time walking around the village. Amazingly people survived the eruption and subsequently lava flow that buried the village. The waterfall is really with a look. Cafe at the end great had several gluten free options.
B. H.Awesome history, nothing left of the village bar some excavated holes and a fire place. Great museum. Expensive at $30. Big let down was not having the significant guide Sophia's house as covered in gorse / fenced off.
M. V.Great piece of history. Well paced and awesome staff.
K. G.Loved it, very good piece of our history to have preserved so well! Nice to see lots of improvements have been made since I last went about 13 years ago. Love the walk along the stream, the treasure hunt made it fun for the kids, and the dressing up at the end! Was an awesome morning! There is a bit of walking to do, but that's what we loved about it:)
C. A.A wonderful experience & also heart wrenching what happened in the early hours of the morning on June 10 1886. Means so much to me as I am writing my own story about it to visit the actual place was so special for me. A place you must visit coming to Rotorua 👍👋
C. (.Well worth the visit for the history and the waterfall !
Also something interesting on a rainy day
M. B.Great! Such an interesting, educational and historic place. They maintain it very well. Waterfall is a must see!
C. W.An easy paced tour around the geographical site of the buried village left by a vasive volcano eruption in 1800s. Loved the personal touch where the real families, residents and travellers were introduced, letters and diaries displayed or read out, bringing the tragical historical event closer to everyone's heart.
J.Beautifully kept piece of history of the area. The lady who greeted us was friendly, warm and keen to share stories of the village. Learning the story of the village but also the family that rediscovered it was fascinating, and the walk down to the waterfall was spectacular.
J. H.Informative displays, lots of interesting archeological sites throughout the park, and a short detour to a great view of the falls
R.Very interesting place to see and hear about history. Wonderful to walk the grounds and see the waterfall.
a. f.Interesting and the indoor museum is very informative. Loved the waterfall as when we went it was after rain
B. H.Only visited the gift shop but got a great background on the place, its stories, and history. The gift shop items are carefully curated and actually would make excellent gifts!
a. h.One of the best historical sites in New Zealand. Amazing.
l. g. t.Must see and experience in Rotorua with fascinating displays and archeological exhibits . The settings of the buried village of Te Wairoa and serene waterfalls are deeply moving and reminder of the powerful Mt Tarawera eruption. Hours can be spent wandering and then indulgence if tasty treats at Smiths Cafe .
A. K.A bit exaggerated but worth it. You can spend a good 2-3 hours here. It's a story about the pink and blue pools here that were destroyed in 1856 volcanic eruption. Interesting excavations.
K. L.Great to learn the history of the buried village. Lovely kept grounds. Could be better sign posted? Expensive for what it is.
A. E.Interesting area,with a beautiful waterfall.Great Cafe on site.
l. E.Excellent guided tour and information and just a short walk away is a beautiful waterfall. Plus there is also a museum and gift shop
T. S.Great place to revisit history. We had a great visit and could have absolutely spend longer.
a. c.Absolutely amazing place to visit and to learn about the history of the place
K. B.What and unique and interesting place.. had such a wonderful time, worth doing the extra walk to see the waterfall.. seen trout swimming in the stream!! Absolutely magical.. take warm clothing!
M. W.Quite pricey at NZD35 but it is a historic site where tourists love to come. Buried in 1886 from the Mt Tarawera eruption, the remains will require more than an hour to do them justice. It's not a big area, just a lot to read. The inside museum has won awards.
K. O.Museum and village were informative, such a historical place, peaceful and good walk
J. P.Great history walk, plenty to occupy kids. Check in out the waterfall it was great in the rain.
M. W.Spent a wonderful couple of hours here today and was really impressed... from the wonderful friendly service to the informative displays, the way the excavations had been done to show a glimpse of what life would have been like before the eruption, to the detour to the seriously impressive waterfall. Finished off our visit with a cold drink at the onsite cafe. highly recommended 💯
J. S.Good food at cafe. Pesto pasta salad and feta quiche and garden salad.
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