After a bit more sight-seeing around Christchurch, we took the time to drive about an hour and a half to the lovely former French colony of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. This is where we will spend our last night in NZ. The road is twisted and narrow, but what a view!
The Banks Peninsula sits at the bottom of a collapsed volcano. Akaroa sits at the bottom of the crater. One of the walls of the volcano eroded and was breached by the sea creating a long harbor. The early settlers were French and the town capitalizes on this fact, even going so far as to fly the Tricolor. I think this is one of the most idyllic spots in NZ - sea breezes, a Mediterranean climate, ocean and mountain views, and a small village atmosphere.
Many of the homes here are "baches" (vacation homes) owned by nearby Kiwis.
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