In 1924, New Zealand experienced a fish rain, with small fish falling from the sky during a storm, surprising local residents. This event was reported in newspapers and became part of New Zealand's folklore of strange weather. The phenomenon was likely caused by a waterspout picking up fish from coastal or freshwater sources.

The New Zealand fish rain was noted in settler literature and later in the poetry of New Zealand's national poets, who often explored the unique and sometimes bizarre aspects of the island's natural environment. The motif of raining fish appears in the works of poets like Allen Curnow and James K. Baxter, symbolizing nature's otherness.