Akaroa – Feb. 2nd – 3rd

The Banks Peninsula and its hills were formed by two giant volcanic eruptions about 8 million years ago.  The first European sighting was in 1770 by James Cook who thought it was an island.  Akaroa is the main city on the peninsula and it means long harbor in Maori.  It was the country’s first French settlement and descendants of the original settlers still reside there.  I don’t have too many pictures because it rained the second day I was there so I spent all day in the library planning out some future parts of my trip.