ce ▁was ▁the ▁larger ▁formation , ▁covering ▁about ▁ ▁and ▁desc ending ▁over ▁about ▁ 5 0 ▁layers ▁with ▁a ▁drop ▁in ▁elev ation ▁of ▁about ▁, ▁and ▁over ▁about ▁. ▁The ▁P ink ▁Terra ce ▁desc ended ▁about ▁ ▁over ▁about ▁. ▁The ▁P ink ▁Terra ce ▁started ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁ ▁wide ▁and ▁the ▁bottom ▁layers ▁were ▁about ▁ ▁wide . ▁Tour ists ▁preferred ▁to ▁bat he ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁P ink ▁Terra ce ▁po ols ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁clar ity ▁and ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁temperature ▁and ▁depth s . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁visit ▁Rot om ah ana ▁was ▁Ernst ▁Die ffen bach . ▁He ▁briefly ▁visited ▁the ▁lake ▁and ▁terra ces ▁while ▁on ▁a ▁survey ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Company ▁in ▁early ▁June ▁ 1 8 4 1 . ▁The ▁description ▁of ▁his ▁visit ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Tra vel s ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁inspired ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁P ink ▁and ▁White ▁Terra ces ▁by ▁the ▁outside ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁terra ces ▁became ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁most ▁famous ▁tour ist ▁att raction , ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Wonder ▁of ▁the ▁World . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁was ▁still ▁relatively ▁in access ible ▁to ▁Europe ans ▁and ▁passage ▁took ▁several ▁months ▁by ▁ship . ▁The ▁journey ▁from ▁A uck land ▁was ▁typically ▁by ▁ste amer ▁to ▁T aur anga , ▁the ▁brid le ▁track ▁to ▁Oh in em ut u ▁on ▁Lake ▁Rot or ua , ▁by ▁coach ▁to ▁Te ▁W