The Wreck of the Taiaroa was one of New Zealand's most spectacular shipwrecks.

The steamer SS Taiaroa left Wellington for Dunedin one sunny Sunday afternoon in April of 1886 with a cargo of freight and passengers. Before she had crossed the Cook Straight, Taiaroa met a strong southwesterly gale which blew her inshore. Further danger came as a heavy fog obstructed the view of the Kaikoura coast.

The master went below at 6.30 pm and left the first mate, Robert Monkman, to watch for the shoreline and to let him know of any danger.Half an hour later, the first mate alerted the crew that they were too close to the shore but the warning came too late. Between 7 and 8 o'clock in the evening, Taiaroa struck a reef or the shore on Waipapa Point, a little north of the Clarence River. Four lifeboats were launched, but all but one which carried the captain and some crew, capsized between the ship and the shore the next day. Three passengers were all that survived from the remaining three boats.

Thirty four people drowned out of the forty five on board and only nine bodies were recovered. It was said that if all had stayed on board the ship when she ran aground instead of trying to make shore in the lifeboats, nobody would have been drowned.After an enquiry was held it was decided that the captain had not taken sufficient action to avert the disaster, as he had blatantly refrained from looking at the compass during the entire stormy voyage.

- Research by Jane Davidson

- Otago Daily Times April 13, 1886

- 'New Zealand Shipwrecks 1795-1950, 2nd ed C. W. N. Ingram, AH & AW Reed Ltd, Wtgn. Pp 224-225