I saw the mountain erupt

Overview

‘I saw the mountain erupt’ is a lyrical reflection on the Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau's history of forestry and milling, with logging seen from the historical perspective of colonial occupation, in which new settler homes made of timber sit on top of Māori pā sites. Previously one of the wealthiest towns in Aotearoa, Kawerau's primary infrastructure was built to accommodate the pulp and paper mills that provided the town's economic industry for a finite period of time.