Which New Zealand volcano erupted in 1886, destroying the Pink and White Terraces?

Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886, destroying New Zealand's famous Pink and White Terraces.

Mount Tarawera is a rhyolitic volcanic complex on New Zealand's North Island, near Rotorua. Before 1886, the Pink and White Terraces at nearby Lake Rotomahana were celebrated tourist attractions formed by silica-rich hot-spring deposits.

On 10 June 1886, a violent fissure eruption opened across Tarawera's domes and extended toward Lake Rotomahana. The eruption destroyed the terraces, reshaped the landscape, and buried settlements including Te Wairoa. More than 100 people died, most of them Māori residents and visitors.

The terraces were long believed to have been completely destroyed, although later research has debated whether small remnants may survive underwater. Mount Tarawera is sometimes confused with New Zealand's more frequently visited volcanic peaks, such as Ruapehu and Tongariro, but its best-known event is the 1886 eruption.