BURIED VILLAGE.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 344, 27 January 1937, Page 6

BURIED VILLAGE.

Presentation Of Te Wairoa Urged. Press Association—Copyright. Palmerston N„ Last Night. I Rotorua is noted for its many atI tractions and one of the mast inter--1 esting is the buried village of Te j Wairoa, which was destroyed when JSodnt Tarawera erupted in June, That appalling event happened just over 50 years ago, and during the intervening years decay has ravaged that which escaped destruction on that occasion. There will come time ,not far distant, when nothing . 'll be left whereby one can visualise the horrors the inhabitants went through and marvel at the fact that the death roll was not heavier. A Palmerston North citizen suggests that the time has arrived when there should be a national effort to preserve what remains of the Maori whares, houses, and the Rotomahana Hotel and to undertake further excavation work. As late as 1935 a stone Pataka, in which the’- Maoris stored food, was unearthed.?. It is a unique fird.*especially as the face of the pataka is carved. There must be very many more such objects to be found but as things are developing at present it looks as if the whole place will soon be overrun with blackberry and ragwort. The same Observer notes that the Oraka monument near Te Awamutu has fallen and asks it there is nobody whose job it is to re-erect the column. He also regrets that the boards giving descriptive accounts of events that occurred along Hongi’s track on the Rotorua-Wliukatane road have suffered at the hands- of irresponsibles. till now . they are al. most unreadable. Could not these be replaced?