With her red top sails set she sails the ocean....

Pete this one is for you. The town of Akaroa has a very chequered history and is truly at the heart of pioneering colonialism. Cook named the peninsula after Sir Joseph Banks 68 years before Jean Langlois captain of the French whaling ship Cachalot negotiated with the local Maori inhabitants to purchase the land. This was in 1838. On his return to France he formed the Nanto-Bordelaise Company which organised for 57 emigrants to sail to NZ and claim it for France. The British arrived 2 weeks before the warship L’Aube captained by Charles Lavaud and planted their flag as claim, weeks after the signing of the TREATY. So when the French arrived an unusual alliance was formed with the French building part of the town and the English the other. Guess which end the British chose? The most advantageous strategically – a good gun platform to guard the port!
Anyway, enough of history for the moment, the French flavour to the township is still very much in evidence, as it was the first part built. Hopefully the couple of pictures we have put on the blog give a taster.
Our campsite is 113 steps up from the town on a ten minute walk, and M was glad of her trekking pole on the way down. Non, je ne regret rien. It was a very picturesque walk and at the bottom of the walk we came across two tiny kiddies bikes, which were padlocked to a tree. Sensibly, Mum and Dad probably said no to taking them up the hill even though I am certain that there would have been protests from tiny’s!
We wandered past the recreation ground with a petanque court, croquet club, cricket pitch and a bowls club. Opposite was the main street Rue Lavaud with its very French style housing, including an old peoples hospital which was evacuated recently when the tsunami hit the coast of NZ. Fortunately, with a low tide and little wind the effect was minimal and certainly no more than for a high Spring tide.
Sign saying fresh bread at the boulangerie and deli – result! - followed by disappointment as it was closed! Of course, France closes on a Monday, doesn’t it! So we are forced to continue on to the English bakery to purchase our bread for lunch. But not until after we purchase tickets for the Fox II, and the Eastern Bays mail run and a stamp for Margery’s mums Mothering Sunday card, from the I-Site.
We are blessed with good weather and so M is tempted to apply sunscreen, as well as wearing sunglasses! The last time she did this we ended up taking refuge in a 41⁰C sulphurous spa to escape the hail stones. Oh well, maybe the boat we are about to board will have indoor accommodation!
The Fox II is a sailing boat with motors and runs harbour cruises, and to see the wildlife, including blue penguins, royal albatross, and NZ fur seals. In addition, Hectors dolphins, the rarest dolphins in the world are known to inhabit these waters. We see all the above on a 3+hour trip including passing the “heads” into the Pacific Ocean and riding a 4-5 metre swell. Sadly no photos of the dolphins this time, as their 3 visits were quite brief, and we needed to hold onto the rail with both hands to cope with the swell!!
Akaroa harbour was formed from the crater of a giant volcanic event some 10 million years ago, with the entrance since eroded by wave action to open it up to the sea and form the harbour we travelled through today.