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Published: July 27th 2012
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The tour I made with
Volcanic Air Safari was Tour 6 in a floatplane to Mount Tarawera in combination with the
Buried Village. The base of the company was situated at the lake front of Lake Rotorua and good to find due to a good labelling of the site and an easy and understandable description with a map on the back of their flyer.
Arriving at the site we were welcomed by the pilot and a huge, but kind dog. We gave our names and vouchers to the pilot. The only thing we had to do then before take-off was to measure the weight of all passengers. Therefore we should only stand all together on a red platform in the ground. After this we were walking over the landing stage to
the floatplane. After taking some photos, we climbed into the plane and took a seat. When all passengers were sitting in the plane the pilot were doing the push-back of the plane by pushing the plane away from the landing stage. Then our guide/pilot was taking a seat left on the front and closed the door. We were 3 people, but the plane was providing seats for 2 more
persons. Everybody got a headset with a microphone, so that we could hear what the pilot was saying and that we could ask questions during the flight as well. Furthermore the seats were comfortable and it was enough space for legs and feet.
After the
take-off we flew
over Lake Rotorua, where we left the city behind us to fly over
Mokoia Island in the middle of the Lake. Our pilot was giving us interesting information about every important spot, beginning with Mokoia Island. From there we made a turn to the right in direction to Lake Tarawera. At the beginning we were able to see the whole city of Rotorua with the bay of sulphur and Mount Ngongotaha behind the city. Next we flew straight to Mount Tarawera over the
Lakes, accompanied with the interesting facts about what to see, provided by our guide. Then we flew a loop over
Mount Tarawera with a following extra round over the volcano, where we could catch a glimpse at the summit from a bird’s eye view. Furthermore one was able to see slightly the ocean in the north and the mountains of Tangariro in the south. Moreover one had a
stunning and breath-taking view on the picturesque landscape of the region with its lakes and steaming craters. After the flight we landed on
Lake Tarawera.
When we got out of the plane, a small shuttle bus was already waiting for us to take us to
the Buried Village. After the drop off at the site, we entered the entrance building of the Buried Village. The entrance was a combined shop with displays of original and very valuable Māori carvings and jewellery. The stuff was wearing traditional clothes of the 19th century.
The museum’s exhibition rooms showed nice displays and interesting information about the volcano eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 and its effects on Rotorua and its tourism. Furthermore the development of Rotorua’s tourism and facts about volcano eruptions were depicted. Moreover the exhibition provided information about the pink and white terraces as an 8th world wonder and the history of the Te Wairoa village and its inhabitants. The visitors could also see displays of old glasses, bottles and objects, which were found in the region after the eruption of the volcano.
After the museum followed a
walk through the old terrain, were the village used to be.
The remains of old houses and its foundations were visible, which were provided with information about the prevailing houses. For instance one could see the remains of an old warehouse, a mill, the hotel, etc. Furthermore we were walking along a small river, where we got the opportunity to see some trouts swimming upstream. Moreover an old waka (canoe) were displayed, which the ancestors used. At the end we had the choice between 2 tracks. The first one was an easy and flat walk to a lookout over the Waitoharuru Valley and Lake Tarawera. The other way, that we finally took, was going down to the waterfall and was 5 minutes longer than the other track. After walking down the stairs, we arrived some metres underneath the waterfall, so that we had an impressive view on it. The walk ended finally in the shop of the beginning, where you could also find a café and restrooms. After all a shuttle bus drove us back to Rotorua to our accommodation or where ever we wanted to be dropped off.
For any further information you may need, just check out the website of Volcanic Air Safaris
http://www.volcanicair.co.nz/ and the website of
the Buried Village
http://www.buriedvillage.co.nz/
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