shem banbury

Rachel and I knocked off something pretty special this week — we climbed Maunga Tarawera with Kaitiaki Adventures (Kaitiaki Tours), and it ended up being one of those half-day missions that felt way bigger than the time it took. About 4.5 hours all up, leaving from Rotorua, and it was perfectly run from start to finish.

We started in Rotorua, cruised out to the base of the mountain, and met our guides. Straight away it felt like we were in good hands — not just in the “safety briefing” sense, but in the way they talked about the place. Tarawera isn’t just a cool volcano you climb for the views — it’s a maunga tapu (sacred mountain), and you could feel that respect in how the whole trip was delivered.

Then came the 4WD.

If you’re expecting a gentle little shuttle ride… you’re dreaming. It was a proper rough 4WD grind up to the final carpark — bumpy, dusty, and honestly quite fun in that “hold on and laugh” kind of way. From there, it was boots on and up we went.

The climb itself was steady, and the higher we got the more you started looking around thinking, how is this just sitting here like it’s totally harmless? Because the truth is… it hasn’t always been.

On 10 June 1886, Tarawera erupted and tore a long rift through the area. It was devastating — around 120 people died, nearly all Māori, and whole communities were affected.

So even while you’re enjoying the day, you’re also walking on a place that holds real loss and real history.

At the top, the views went absolutely huge — Rotorua lakes everywhere, big open Bay of Plenty vibes, the sort of panorama that makes you stand there for ages pretending you’re “taking a photo” when you’re really just soaking it in.

And then there were the colours.

I wasn’t expecting the landscape to be so vibrant. The volcanic ground wasn’t just “grey rock” — it was layers of black and charcoal, rusty reds, sandy golds, and those lighter ash tones that almost looked like someone had dusted the whole mountain with powder. In places the scoria had that deep, rich iron colour, then you’d turn a corner and it was pale pumice and bright sunlit grit. With the lakes sitting blue in the distance, it all felt ridiculously photogenic — like the whole place had been colour-graded.

Then we dropped down around the crater… and this is where it got properly epic.

The best bit: the scree run.

Going down was the highlight of the whole trip, no contest. We got to run down the scree slope into the crater — basically a controlled, guided “volcanic slide-run” where your feet are moving fast and the ground is moving faster. It was ridiculously fun.

And while you’re having the time of your life, the guides are also weaving in the stories — like how this same eruption buried the famous Pink and White Terraces (Ōtukapuarangi and Te Tarata), which were once world-famous.

It’s a strange mix: laughing your way down a slope, while being reminded you’re literally running through the aftermath of a massive historical event.

From the crater floor, we turned to the climb out — including a section called “The Punisher”. I can confirm the name was not a joke. It was a gritty slog of sand and rock, and it made us work for the finish.

Then we popped out, rolled back to the car, and that was us — dusty, buzzing, legs cooked, and feeling like we’d just done something properly memorable.

If you’re in Rotorua and you want a half-day adventure that’s got views, adrenaline, and a real sense of place (not just “another track”), Tarawera is it.