The Haunting Legend of the Ghost Canoe in Lake Tarawera: A Premonition of Disaster

The Ghost Canoe of Lake Tarawera

It consists of a series of lava domes. Today they lie in ruins, with huge chasms opening up on the slopes. This all happened as a result of a single, truly catastrophic event - a terrible eruption in 1886. It was one of the largest eruptions in New Zealand and resulted in the deaths of approximately 150 people.

Tarawera Volcano

The chasms stretch from northeast to southwest over about 17 kilometers. The main domes include the Ruawahia, Tarawera, and Wahanga domes.

There are several lakes, including Tarawera, that were completely transformed along with the entire landscape as a result of the 1886 eruption. The Tarawera River flows northeast along the mountain's northern slope. This restless giant has seen many eruptions, but none as destructive as that of 1886.

Interestingly, according to local legend, the spirits of the deceased may have tried to warn people.

Tarawera and its sister volcanoes have been erupting for thousands of years, although with long periods of calm in between. One of the earliest eruptions in this region was the Okareka eruption approximately 21,900 years ago.

It is believed to have caused the formation of a cloud of ash and debris with a volume of up to 12 cubic kilometers. The clouds were thought to have formed over several days or even weeks.

Five thousand years later, the Rereuhakaitu erupted. It was twice as weak as the Okareka eruption but led to the formation of numerous domes that can still be seen today. The estimated volume of lava that flowed from the volcano reached 2 cubic kilometers.

Another 4,000 years later, Waiohau erupted with approximately the same amount of lava as Reriuhakaitu. Once again, the volcano left its mark on the landscape, creating the Kanakana and Vostochny domes.

The mountain range had weakened significantly at this point due to the destruction caused by numerous eruptions. There is evidence of structural damage to the mountains surrounding these volcanoes, although some of the triggers for these eruptions have been lost due to subsequent events.

Finally, Mount Kaharoa erupted. This eruption dates back to around 1314 B.C., just a few years before the Maori settled in the area in 1280 B.C. This eruption had several stages.

This may have been the largest eruption to have occurred in the New Zealand area.

Lake Rotomahana and the White Terrace

These eruptions were spectacular and could have caused massive damage, but all seemed to have occurred when there were no people in the area. That was until 1886.

In 1886, tourists flocked to Lake Tarawera. People from all over the world came to spend time on the beautiful shores and experience the wonders of the Pink and White Terraces.

The area was rich in volcanic and geothermal beauty, dotted with volcanic cones formed as a result of previous eruptions. The geothermal and volcanic landscape played a significant role in the history of this eruption. Many omens and signs of the impending tragedy were recorded. One of them was a ghostly canoe.

The story often begins with the shadow of a burnt peak appearing on Mount Tarawera. The mountain casts a shadow over the sun. A sinister sign, perhaps even to the trained eye of a modern volcanologist, a clear danger sign. But despite this, eyewitnesses later said that tourists still flocked to the area.

The next sign was perhaps less scientific. Many claimed to have seen a ghostly boat with two rows of passengers on the lake. One was rowing, and the others stood beside him in linen robes, bowing their heads.

Eyewitnesses claimed that their hair was loose (a Maori custom in case of death) and adorned with huia feathers and egret plumes. According to Maori traditions, they were the souls of the deceased, transported to the mountain of the dead.

However, those in the lake who approached discovered that there was no canoe on the lake. It would seem like an act of fantasy if not for the descriptions of people who had never seen such a boat before.

This story would have remained a legend if not for the large number of people who claimed to have seen a ghostly canoe. This story has survived to this day.

A woman named Mrs. Size, a tourist aboard a real boat on the lake, wrote in a letter to her son that all the Maori natives who were not on a boat, and those who lived permanently in this area had never seen such a boat before. And it definitely should not have been on the lake that day.

Many witnesses confirm that there was a boat. And these people were not superstitious. The events that followed made us believe in an omen. The first sign that something was wrong was when the water in the lake began rising rapidly and then disappearing even faster. Then a white steam cloud appeared over the volcanic peak, and many guides decided it was not a good sign.

Combined with the ghostly canoe, this caused people to panic. Fortunately, nothing happened that day. The disaster did not occur until 11 days later. But then Tarawera erupted.

Modern Maori

On the night of the eruption, the mountain spewed fire fountains into the sky, raining ash down on nearby settlements. Three villages were completely destroyed, and around 150 people died.

The eruption was preceded by over 30 earthquakes, their intensity increasing until the mountain began erupting at 2:45 a.m. The most powerful blast occurred at 3:30 a.m. and destroyed villages within a 6-kilometer radius, as well as the Pink and White Terraces. These terraces were famous natural attractions in New Zealand but were obliterated by the eruption.

Fortunately, almost 125 years after the eruption, a small part of the Rose Terraces has been rediscovered beneath Lake Rotomahana. They were known in 1859 when they were discovered by the geologist and geographer Ferdinand von Hochstetter, but the results of these studies were lost and only restored in 2016-2019.

As a result of the research, it was found that on the lake shores, there are pink, black, and white terraces, meaning that not everything was destroyed as a result of the tragic eruption.

Many skeptics claim that the ghostly canoe was just a strange reflection of mist on the lake. But for those who saw it and for the local Maori, it will always be known as Waka Wairua, the spiritual canoe that warned those who saw it about the eruption if only they were wise enough to understand.