63 and free

Of the 7 villages destroyed in the 1886 Tarawera eruption, only one has been excavated: Te Wairoa. The others are buried.

Before the eruption Te Wairoa was a thriving tourist town; as described in the last post it was the kickoff point for the final leg to the Terraces. It had two hotels, a small school, a blacksmith, and a population of about 125 people, the vast majority being Maori.

“Only” 17 people died during the eruption:

The strong Maori “whares” (homes) with their steep-pitched roofs withstood the volcanic onslaught, and those that made it to these shelters survived. The European-designed buildings did not fare so well.

“1.5 metres of volcanic mud.” It sounds so innocuous.

But to see it:

There were many heroes that day, but one really caught my eye: Guide Sophia. She managed to stuff 50 people in her whare! She was a much-beloved lady whose descendents are still in the area (she had 17 children 😳😳😳).

Please take a moment to read about her. I love how they discuss her in the present tense.