▁the ▁East ▁Coast ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Island . ▁F ew ▁people ▁initially ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁West ▁Coast ; ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁M ā ori . ▁Communic ation ▁between ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁was ▁difficult , ▁as ▁the ▁Southern ▁Al ps ▁created ▁a ▁strong ▁bar rier . ▁In ▁practice , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁communication ▁was ▁by ▁ship ; ▁over land ▁jour ne ys ▁were ▁s eld om ▁undert aken . ▁ ▁All ▁this ▁changed ▁when ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁gold ▁was ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁West ▁Coast . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁three ▁years , ▁some ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁Coast . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁rich est ▁gold ▁depos its ▁were ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁in land ▁from ▁Gre ym outh ▁that ▁was ▁bis ected ▁by ▁the ▁boundaries ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 ; ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁res erves ▁were ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Nelson ▁Province . ▁The ▁Can ter bury ▁Provin cial ▁Council ▁react ed ▁to ▁the ▁situation ▁by ▁installing ▁George ▁S ale ▁as ▁gold fields ▁commission er ▁with ▁wide - r anging ▁powers . ▁S ale ▁was ▁responsible ▁to ▁the ▁Executive ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁Can ter bury ▁Provin cial ▁Council ▁only . ▁He ▁set ▁up ▁his ▁administration ▁in ▁H ok it ika , ▁which ▁thus ▁became ▁a ▁sub - cap ital . ▁ ▁In ▁parallel , ▁the ▁Can ter bury ▁Provin cial ▁Council ▁commission ed ▁the ▁provincial ▁engineer , ▁Edward ▁Dob son , ▁with ▁finding ▁a ▁suitable ▁route ▁to ▁be ▁found