More than 120 years have passed since Mt Tarawera erupted in the early hours of the morning of June 10, 1886.
During New Zealand's biggest natural disaster villages were buried under layers of volcanic mud and over 150 lives lost. This eruption completely changed the face of Rotorua.
Today, the eruption's debris has become a drawcard of international repute, not just for its historical significance, but also its top eco-action status.
Take Mt Tarawera, for example. Its dormant belly is the location of an action-packed 100 metre scree slide right into a crater.
A one-way downhill mountain biking trip is an absolute blast and a summit hike gives a bird’s eye view of mountains in the Tongariro National Park, White Island, and Rotorua's geothermal valleys.
Naturally warmed by the geothermal waters flowing up through the sand, Hot Water Beach can be found on the shores of Lake Tarawera.
The heat of the sand is so high that in some spots you can literally cook your food in it. And that’s just what people do — particularly if a day’s fishing has produced a trout (and it's not unusual for a seven-pounder to be caught).
All of Rotorua's 16 lakes contain trout, with Lake Tarawera being one of the area’s most popular fishing spots during the eight-month fishing season.