The first to open was Royal Victoria Dock, in 1855. Seven more had followed by 1886. Dockers and other workers in the ever-expanding capital city created a demand for lodgings. Soon, substandard ...

An eruption in 1886 altered the shape of the mountain and surrounding country, burying villages. The nearby Te Wairoa archaeological site and Waimangu geothermal valley are valuable detours for ...