A procession up Mt Tarawera on Friday commemorated the 125th anniversary of the eruption that killed about 150 people and buried the famous Pink and White Terraces under mud and water.
Ngati Rangitihi Trust chairperson Ken Raureti says commemorating the eruption, which devastated the people of Te Arawa, united the region's eight iwi.
Mr Raureti says more than 100 people followed the footsteps of their ancestors to the peak of Mt Tarawera.
He says it is the first time many descendants have been up the mountain.
Mr Raureti says he hopes to one day see the parts of the Pink and White Terraces that have been discovered by scientists recently.
