Tērā te Auahi

Tērā te Auahi is a contemporary interpretation of the 1886 eruption of Tarawera, one of New Zealand's most catastrophic natural disasters.

Beyond the raw force of nature, the Tarawera eruption also holds a deeper, more complex story, one that intertwines the fate of the people of Te Wairoa and surrounding villages at Tarawera, the early colonial settlers, and the timeless spirit of the land itself.

In this interpretation, Te Whare Tapere o Te Arawa explore not just the eruption’s destruction, but the resilience and the echoes of a culture that has lived with the land for centuries. Through the lens of memory, we seek to understand the power of nature, the fragility of human life, and the ongoing legacy of this cataclysmic event.