Akaroa - South Island, New Zealand

Akaroa or "the long bay" is the French settlement in New Zealand. The first settlers arrived from France, you can see traces of French architecture and French street names. Akaroa is a place with attractive scenery and low intensity physical activity.

Akaroa is about 82 kms from Christchurch or a day trip away from the Garden City. There are buses from the Christchurch Visitor Centre to Akaroa and it is an enjoyable 90 minute ride.

Akaroa Accommodation

Akaroa is a popular destination for tourists as it is a place for light activities, lots of good food and wine, a place to relax and have a fun time. The popularity of the place is partly due to the fact that much of Akaroa accommodation is in the form of its baches (Kiwispeak for holiday homes).

The Akaroa Historic Village Walk is a great way of familiarising yourself with the place and the route is dotted with buildings of architectural interest. The Akaroa Museum is an impressive collection of Maori artifacts and items from the region's whaling history, along with interesting stuff from the earliest French and German settlers. Some of the other interesting items on display are an old French cottage with French furniture, the former Court House and the old Custom House.

At the northern end of the town, there is a French cemetery. There is also a Church of St Patrick bearing a heavy French influence built by a French Mission in 1840. In the same area, there are a couple of galleries displaying local and national arts and crafts displays namely the Orion Powerhouse Gallery and the Artisans Gallery. Akaroa Blue Pearls in the Main Wharf is a stunning jewelry shop where the beautiful blue pearls are cultured in the harbour.

Akaroa Activities

Some of the most popular activities in Akaroa are waterfront strolls, dolphin swimming and quad biking. The Akaroa Scenic Mail Run is a hugely popular 140 km run through the Akaroa hinterland. It is necessary to make bookings through the Visitor Centre.

There are a couple of operators who can take you swimming with the Hector dolphins, the world's smallest dolphins. There is also a two hour harbour cruise that visits the mouth of the harbour and on its return passes through beautiful volcanic sea caves, penguin caves with occasional penguin sightings and a fish feeding stop at Lucas Bay. You get a great view of the Akaroa Harbour and its surrounding bays.

Kayaking and seal viewing are popular activities for visitors. The kayaking option is full day guided adventure with about four hours paddling and including lunch. Seal viewing takes you to the eastern tip of the peninsula, Goat Point, home to fur seals. You travel in an air conditioned 4WD, the journey lasts about 150 minutes and allows only 6 people at a time.

There are some beautiful walking tracks, the famous ones being the Banks Peninsula Track and Round the Mountain Walk. A relaxed waterfront stroll along Beach Road leads you to an old 19th century lighthouse.

Further along the way, is the infamous Red House Bay where there was a huge feud between Maori tribes that led to a bloody massacre. A drive through Banks Peninsula offers stunning visual sights such as the deserted beaches of Le Bons Bay and Okins Bay.

LooknbookNZ can organise your Akaroa accommodation and Akaroa activities bookings and let you and your family/friends have a wonderful time exploring the beautiful French influence of Akaroa.