Page "Invasion of Waikato" Paragraph 9

Access to the Waikato region was the first problem.

The road south of Auckland extended only about sixty kilometers, well short of the frontier enforced by the rebels and had to be extended at least as far as the Waikato River.

Additional food and ammunition reserves were needed for the extra troops arriving from Australia, and Cameron and Grey were determined not to move until they were ready. 30, 000 pounds was spent by the New Zealand government designing and having shallow draft gunboats built in Sydney.

A fleet including HMS Eclipse, Esk, Fawn, Himalaya, Miranda, Orpheus, Wasp, gunboats ; Koheroa, Paparata, Rangiriri and various support vessels ; Kate, Light of the Age, Prince Albert, Reliance, Sandfly, Sir Harry Smith, Spitfire, Star of India, Stuart, Wakool and Tarawera supported the war effort either on the Waikato River, landing troops and supplies at Miranda in the Firth Of Thames, or bringing troops and a regular stream of supplies from Australia.