The Lost Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana

In the Rotorua district, in northern New Zealand, about 25 kilometers to the east of the city of Rotorua, were two small lakes known to the local Maori people as Rotomakariri (Cold Lake) and Rotomahana (Warm Lake). The shores of Rotomahana were adorned by one of the most spectacular travertine terraces —  the largest in the world — created by the deposition of minerals from the nearby hot water springs. So wonderful were these terraces that they were called the ‘eighth wonder of the natural world’ and were New Zealand's most famous tourist attraction until the end of the 19th century. Then Mount Tarawera erupted and destroyed this natural wonder forever. The Pink Terrace with the White Terrace in the background, a painting by John Barr Clarke (1835-1913). Photo credit There were two terraces — the larger White Terraces, known by Maori as Te Tarata (the tattooed rock) and the smaller Pink Terraces, locally known as Otukapuarangi (fountain of the clouded sky). The White Terraces were at the north end of Lake Rotomahana and faced away from the lake. They covered 3 hectares and descended over approximately 50 steps to the lake’s edge 40 meters below. The extra sunlight they received from facing north gave them a more bleached or white appearance. The Pink Terraces were about 800 meters away or two thirds of the way down the lake sheltered from the harsh sun on the western shores, facing south-east. Their pink appearance was largely due to less sunlight reaching them and therefore less bleaching. It’s where people went to bathe on the lower levels because the temperature of the water was lukewarm. The Pink Terraces descended 30 meters over a distance of 75 meters. Both terraces were fed by water regularly spouting from two geysers located above Lake Rotomahana and cascading down the hill slope. The waters had dissolved minerals that crystallized over hundreds of years to form these brilliant stepped structures.