AKAROA sits at the edge
of a beautiful harbour inside the eroded crater of a huge extinct volcano. Originally a French settlement, the town is elegant
and full of character. The streets have French names and local restaurants focus on French cuisine. The French settlers who
arrived to establish the town in 1840 thought they were the first colonists of a new French territory, however the Treaty
of Waitangi was signed just days before they arrived, which gave Britain sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand. Harbour
cruises provide a chance to view dolphins, penguins and fur seals.
