Photo by Misaochan, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
🇳🇿 New Zealand · Wairakei, Taupō, North Island
Photo by Misaochan, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
🇳🇿 New Zealand · Wairakei, Taupō, North Island
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📅 Established
1998 (Wairakei Terraces attraction opened)
✓ Verified on 2026-07-28
Wairakei Terraces, opened in 1998 in the Wairakei geothermal valley about 8 km north of Taupō, channels genuine geothermal water from the Taupo Volcanic Zone over engineered silica terraces built to evoke the historic Pink and White Terraces, which were destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. The site includes three adult-only thermal pools and is linked to Ngāti Tūwharetoa heritage, drawing on the long Māori tradition of using thermal and silica-rich waters for bathing, healing and wellness. The wider Wairakei geothermal field, developed from 1954 for power generation, was historically home to more than 800 mapped natural springs before development altered many surface features.
Wairakei Terraces were built in 1998 as a modern, engineered recreation of the natural Pink and White Terraces, which were destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera. The site is connected to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and draws on a long Māori tradition of using thermal and silica-rich geothermal waters for bathing and healing.