THE BURIED TERRACES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 8

THE BURIED TERRACES.

THERMAL PHENOMENA. '! SCHEME FOR RECOVERY. CHANNEL BETWEEN LAKES. The belief that if Lake Rotomahana Vere drained there would be every possibility of uncovering the wonderful Pink and White Terraces, which were destroyed in the Tarawera eruption in 1886, is still held by Mr. Alfred Warbrick, the famous guide of the Government round trip in the thermal regions. Mr. Warbrick's knowledge of the district is unsurpassed. He has been a guide for over 41 years, and the eruption itself is still to him a vivid memory. "If we had the terraces to-day," he Stated in an interview, " New Zealand ;would be the richest country in the iworld. Maijy people hold the view that the terraces were destroyed, but they have not been able to prove their contention, and I honestly think that it would repay the Government to explore the possibilities of draining Lake Rotomahana so that the site of the terraces may be exposed once again. This [ivould be a simple matter. " The /surface of the adjoining lake, [Lake Tarawera, is 146 ft. below that of Rotomahana, and if a channel were cut between the two lakes the terraces, or iwhat remained of them, would be exposed I do not think myself that the terraces were destroyed. Naturally they would be covered by deposits from the eruption, but they were made of graniteJike silica, and it is extremely probable that they were preserved. " Even if they could not be restored to their former state, they would still constitute the greatest wonder in the Dominion. They were perhaps the greatest phenomena ever created by Nature, and should only a portion of them be uncovered they would have an interest that" some of the buried cities like Pompeii in Europe have. " I have endeavoured for years to get the Government interested in the matter," said Mr. Warbrick, " and at different times the press has helped me in the matter, but so far no definite steps have been taken. The late Sir Thomas Mackenzie was interested in the proposition when he was Prime Minister, and admitted that even if a corner of the terraces were restored it would bring thousands of people to the site, but the negotiations did not obt further than that."