The next stage in the scientific quest to find out what happened to the famous Pink and White Terraces in Bay of Plenty is about to begin.
The cascading terraces were buried by the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886. Up to then, they had been New Zealand's premier tourist attraction.
Last year GNS Science found remants of the terraces submerged in Lake Rotomahana near Rotorua.
Project leader Cornel de Ronde says the team will use seismic equipment which will effectively allow them to see through the thick layers of mud on the lake floor and determine what lies beneath.
The ten-day project begins in early March.