The Phantom Canoe Sighting That Foretold a Catastrophic Eruption in 1886

A local legend born from events surrounding a 19th century eruption of a New Zealand volcano continues to fascinate sceptics and folklorists alike.
The Phantom Canoe Sighting That Foretold a Catastrophic Eruption in 1886
"The Phantom canoe: a legend of Lake Tarawera," 1888, by Kennett Watkins. Oil on canvas; 64.3 inches by 73 inches. Auckland Art Gallery. Public Domain
Jim Birchall
Updated:
0:00

Was a supernatural vision of a Maori warrior-laden canoe, a harbinger of doom for an eruption that would bury the so-called “ninth wonder of the world?”

The canoe (a waka), emerged from the mists on Lake Tarawera, in New Zealand’s North Island, on May 31, 1886.

Jim Birchall
Jim Birchall
Author
Jim Birchall has written and edited for several regional New Zealand publications. He was most recently the editor of the Hauraki Coromandel Post.