133 years ago today, the sky above Rotorua turned orange-black, as the three peaks of Mount Tarawera erupted, spewing molten rock and ash into the sky.
More than 120 people lost their lives, and some settlements were completely destroyed by the fallout.
It was also thought the famed pink-and-white terraces were lost forever, but that narrative has been challenged in recent years.
David Blackmore is the general manager of the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley and joins us to explain more about this momentous event.
