Hokitika
Hokitika was settled in 1860 after the discovery of gold on the West Coast. Although it was an important river port, many ships were shipwrecked on the Hokitika Bar that shifts with every tide. The Arahura River just north of Hokitika is a traditional source of pounamu (greenstone). Pounamu can be found at many jewelers and art shops in Hokitika.