Geothermal sinkhole closes main road into Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Village

A geothermal sinkhole has shut Wāhiao Drive in Rotorua, closing the main road into Whakarewarewa Village and stopping tours for almost a week.

Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village general manager Tanya Robinson said the “large hole” opened last Sunday, cutting off all vehicle and pedestrian access.

The entrance to Whakarewarewa Village has been blocked this week after a large hole appeared on the road in the village. Photo / Annabel Reid

“It’s been a hard week for us”, Robinson said. Tours had to be suspended to keep residents and visitors safe.

She said staff had worked closely with Rotorua Lakes Council and with its support, an alternative walkway will open tomorrow morning to welcome manuhiri (visitors) back into the village.

Robinson described the overall support as “fantastic” in helping the business get back on its feet.

“We really appreciate the support of the landowners whose land we’ll be crossing, and their support for the people in the village, their whānau and visitors.”

She said the incident was a reminder of Rotorua’s unique geothermal landscape.

“This is one of the things that we all across the city work with when we live in a geothermal environment.”

The Rotorua Geothermal System lies under about 12sq km of Rotorua, from the southwestern end of Lake Rotorua to the Whakarewarewa Valley.

Sinkholes and tomo are common occurrences, especially during rainy periods.

In 2022 a tourist fell into a sinkhole, or fumarole, that opened at the entrance to Whakarewarewa Village and was injured. WorkSafe charged Rotorua Lakes Council but later dropped the case.

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.