Banks Peninsula (Te Pataka o Rakaihautu) and the dramatically beautiful harbour where Akaroa is set, were formed by two giant volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Once a safe haven for early whalers and sealers working in the wild Southern Ocean, it now attracts visitors from all over NZ as a place of historical and cultural interest.
Akaroa (Long Harbour in Maori) is New Zealand’s only French Settlement and this charming, historic town has the distinct air of a French provincial village, thanks to French pioneers who arrived there in 1840. Unfortunately, they found the settlement had been claimed by the English at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Nevertheless, the French influence remained, and descendants of some of the original settlers still live there.