You could say that Banks Peninsular had a violent start as it was created by the action of volcanic eruptions, which also formed the harbours of Akaroa and Lyttelton way back in the mists of time. Captain James Cook sighted this area in 1770 and it was named for Sir Joseph Banks. Frenchman Jean Langlois negotiated with a local Maori chief in 1838 to buy Banks Peninsular, and a group of settlers arrived in August 1840. But the French were pipped at the post by the British, as the Treaty of Waitangi had already been signed, and New Zealand became an English colony.
Our first stop on the journey was at Little River Railway Station which opened in 1886, and sadly the last train departed in 1962. The station is part craft shop and part rail museum, with lots of rail memorabilia on display.
Arriving in Akaroa we couldn’t wait to sample a little of the French flavour. Quaint little timber houses lined the streets, which all seem to be called “Rue” something or other. We checked out the St Patrick’s Catholic Church, built in 1854 of totara slabs, and looking so pretty with coxcomb decorated barge boards and it’s white and green paint job. The sun light shone through a beautiful stained glass window.
The old fashioned cast iron street lights added to the French flavour and they stood to attention up and down the main street. Lots of the cute little houses have been turned into cafes or gift shops.
However, we had no need to visit a cafe. Geoff C fired up his Cobb BBQ on a picnic table by the boat ramp and cooked a multitude of sausages for our lunch. The BBQ burnt pressed coconut husk for fuel, and with a hot plate on top soon had those sausages sizzling away. What could be nicer than sausages wrapped in bread and butter, while looking over the beautiful Akaroa Harbour? The sun was hot and we were interested in the antics of the water fowl as we enjoyed our picnic lunch. Geoff T forgot to pack a hat and gladly took up my offer of a tea towel to save his head from sunburn!
The relocated historic Akaroa Lighthouse was moved from the Akaroa Heads in 1980 and is not far from the spot where the British first raised their flag. This well preserved little lighthouse hardly seems big enough to tackle the job of keeping ships safe from crashing into rocky reefs.
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