The Pink and White Terraces were a natural wonder located on the shores of the lake. They were considered to be the eighth wonder of the natural world and were New Zealand's most famous tourist attraction during the mid 19th century. They were considered lost in the Mount Tarawera eruption on 10 June 1886 until in 2016 a forgotten survey was rediscovered in Switzerland. This recently enabled researchers to reestablish the Pink and White Terrace locations which proved to lie on land; raising the possibility the sites may be investigated and any surviving sections of the terraces recovered or made open to public view.