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Akaroa is a small
seaside town 85 kilometres out of Christchurch. It's about an hour's drive over
the hills, or you can catch one of the daily shuttle buses from Christchurch.
Akaroa
sits on the edge of a volcanic crater that formed over 6 million years ago after
a series of volcanic explosions blasted two huge craters which then filled up
with sea water. Akaroa means 'long harbour' in Maori. When Captain Cook first
sighted the area and called it Banks Peninsula in 1770, Akaroa was inhabited by
the Ngai Tahu tribe. Because the harbour is so deep Akaroa became a popular
destination for whaling fleets during the 1800s, and France (who had a lot of
whaling ships at the time) wanted to establish a settlement there. A French naval
sailing boat was sent to claim the area for France but got there to find the English
flag already flying, Britain claimed sovereignty over the area under the 1840
Treaty of Waitangi. But the French settlers liked Akaroa and stayed, making
Akaroa the only real French settlement in New Zealand. Many of the street names
are French and referred to as 'Rue' (French for 'street'). Lots of buildings are
of French design and many people who live in Akaroa today have French names and
are direct descendants of those early settlers. There are lots of things
to do in Akaroa, many of which are to do with water - which you'd expect in a
harbour town. The harbour is now a designated marine mammal sanctuary which means
the penguins, dolphins, and seals that live in it are protected. You could view
the Hector dolphin, the world's smallest dolphin, on a harbour cruise. These dolphins
are really friendly and will often swim alongside the cruise boats. Some cruises
will even take you to swim with them! Awesome! If you're really lucky you might
also get to see the dolphins' calves; the best time is between October and March.
You can also visit the White Flippered Blue (or Little Blue) Penguin. The
penguins' wildlife habitat is very sensitive as they are constantly threatened
by predators like stoats, so only small groups are allowed at a time. The best
time to go is between September and January. You could also visit the Fur
Seal colony at Takamatua. Numerous seals used to live there but were slaughtered
for their skins during the 1800s until they almost became extinct. Seal numbers
are increasing; it is now illegal to hunt or destroy them for anything other than
scientific purposes. If you feel like trying something else you could visit
a salmon farm, go horse trekking, fishing, or 4 wheel farm biking. Or you might
like paragliding, jet skiing, sailing, sea kayaking or paddleboating. If
you're feeling fit you could walk the Banks Peninsula Track. It's a spectacular
walk, 35 kilometres long and takes about 4 days to complete. A swim and a relax
on the beach might be a pretty good idea after that! Akaroa has great shops,
cafes and restaurants. There are several wineries, a cheese factory and lots of
other nearby bays you can visit, too. If you want to find out more about
Akaroa and its history, or about all the cool stuff you can do there, then check
out the following websites: www.akaroa.com
www.bankspeninsula.com
www.historicakaroa.co.nz 
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