In the Rotorua district, in northern New Zealand, about 25 kilometers to the east of the city of Rotorua, were two small lakes known to the local Maori people as Rotomakariri (Cold Lake) and Rotomahana (Warm Lake). The shores of Rotomahana were adorned by one of the most spectacular travertine terraces —  the largest in the world — created by the deposition of minerals from the nearby hot water springs. So wonderful were these terraces that they were called the ‘eighth wonder of the natural world’ and were New Zealand's most famous tourist attraction until the end of the 19th century. Then Mount Tarawera erupted and destroyed this natural wonder forever.

The Pink Terrace with the White Terrace in the background, a painting by John Barr Clarke (1835-1913). Photo credit