SS Miowera was a passenger and refrigerated cargo liner that was launched in 1892 in England for Australian owners, and was later owned by two of New Zealand's foremost shipping companies.

The ship should not be confused with an earlier steamship called Maitai, which was wrecked on Richards Rock near the Mercury Islands in 1889.

[1] Swan, Hunter built Miowera at Wallsend on the River Tyne, launching her on 25 July 1892 and completing her that October.

On the afternoon of 25 December 1916 Maitai arrived in Avarua Harbour, Rarotonga en route from San Francisco to Wellington.

Her first officer ran to her bridge and rang "full astern" on her engine order telegraph, but Maitai was stuck fast amidships and could not move herself.

In difficult and worsening conditions her crew disembarked her remaining passengers and put them ashore and unloaded all her mail.

[5] Rotorua had been bound for Wellington,[8] but with Maitai's mails and passengers she diverted to Auckland, where she arrived on the evening of 8 January.