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As can be seen in this photo from 1866, numerous ships were wrecked on the Hokitika bar. When gold was discovered on the West Coast, miners set sail for Hokitika. However, the sand bar at the mouth of the Hokitika River was a shifting, dangerous obstacle.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Reference: 1/2-018448;F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.