Akaroa

Akaroa is a charming little hamlet on the Banks Peninsula, about an hour and a half bus ride from Christchurch. It was originally settled by the French, but they were just a few days too late. The major Maori leaders had signed the Treaty of Waitangi with a British representative, and that meant all of New Zealand belonged to the Queen. The French settlers quickly adapted to British rule and lived peacefully with their British neighbors.