Eighth natural wonder of the world rediscovered after 131 years
Back in 1886, the eighth natural wonder of the world was believed to be lost in a volcanic eruption. Nobody knew the exact fate of the Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana in New Zealand. However, researchers believe that the famous terraces actually survived, according to Inhabitat.
During the mid-1800’s, people from all over the world came to visit the Pink and White Terraces, pools that cascade into Lake Rotomahana. In 1886 however, Mount Tarawera erupted, releasing as much energy as the biggest nuclear weapon ever detonated. Researchers thought that the terraces must’ve been destroyed or pushed down into the depths of the lake. Researchers Rex Bunn and Dr. Sascha Nolden of the Alexander Turnbull Library have a different perspective, as they think the terraces may be preserved 32 to 49 feet under the mud and ash.
Bunn told the Guardian the government never surveyed the area, so the exact longitude and latitude of the terraces is unknown. Bunn and Nolden observed data from an unpublished 1859 survey from geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter to establish the geologist’s location when he made his field notes on where the terraces might be today. The two researchers are positive that the terraces might be in reasonable condition, ready to be restored. They are now looking for funds to begin exploring the site. “We want to undertake this work in the public interest. And I have been closely liaising with the ancestral owners of the land, the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority, and they are supportive and delighted with the work,” Bunn told the Guardian.
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Previous claims of rediscovering the terraces that said much of the terraces had been destroyed is now questionable. Bunn said that the conclusion made by GNS Science New Zealand might have been based on 130 years of incorrect cartographical information. Bunn and Nolden research can be accessed here.
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