Rotorua's Pink Terraces appear for the Rugby World Cup

Part of Rotorua's world-famous Pink and White Terraces can be seen again 125 years after their destruction in the 1886 Tarawera eruption.
However, the Pink Terraces, which are about to be revealed in Rotorua, are not those few remnants of the original formation recently rediscovered by scientists at the bottom of Lake Rotomahana.
This time, the location of the Pink Terraces is the Rotorua International Stadium, venue for the region's three Rugby World Cup matches later this year.
The stadium's concrete seating terraces opposite the main grandstand have been transformed by Rotorua artist Marc Spijkerbosch into a modernised version of the historic Pink Terraces to create a visual replica of what was in Victorian times considered the eighth wonder of the natural world.
Mr Spijkerbosch, who has won numerous art awards in New Zealand and overseas for his realistic works, used the trompe l'oeil (deceive the eye) painting  style on the terraces, which is a technique involving  realistic imagery to create a three-dimensional optical illusion.
The project has taken 400 hours of the artist's time painting on-site, and many more hours planning and preparation work. More than 500 litres, or half a tonne, of paint has been applied to an area equivalent to a quarter of an acre (1200sq m).
Events & Venues Rotorua operations manager Crispian Stewart said the stadium's  concrete terraces were already scheduled for major maintenance, including water blasting and repainting, when it was decided to do something creative and memorable ahead of the venue's  Rugby World Cup matches.
Mr Stewart said  iwi had been consulted as part of the planning work to ensure any cultural items were  appropriately addressed.
"We anticipate our version of The Pink Terraces will intrigue visitors to the stadium and attract the interest of media visiting Rotorua.
"More importantly, it's an impressive piece of art and a visual and historic reminder of one of Rotorua's original visitor attractions," he said.
Mr Stewart said the timing couldn't be better.
"It's Rugby World Cup year, it's the 125th anniversary of the terraces' disappearance in the Tarawera eruption, it's just months since the discovery of some of the original Pink terraces at the bottom of Lake Rotomahana and, of course, the stadium terraces were already scheduled for a major repaint job this year.
"These things have coincided allowing us to create something very special and spectacular for Rotorua.
"The result is simply stunning. Marc Spijkerbosch has created a unique large-scale art work that is sure to attract widespread attention during the Rugby World Cup in September and October."