Hellhole of the Pacific

In the 1830s Kororareka was known as the ''hell-hole of the Pacific''. Whalers, sealers, escaped convicts, seamen, traders and adventurers descended upon this small cove in the Bay. Grog-shops and the oldest profession in the world abounded. At one stage the town was said to be harbouring ''a greater number of rogues than any other spot of equal size in the universe''. Some whaling captains steere...