Saturday May 8, 2010- Today was a bit drizzly, but we decided it was time to get out of the city for a bit of a field trip. Our destination was about a 90 minute drive away across mostly country roads. This New Zealand driving on the left side is still new to me, so I am trying to be extra careful. It went well.The Banks peninsula was formed from the collapsed crater of an ancient volcano, hence the round shape and the multiple isolated towns and bays (there is a fairly popular tramping trail through these hamlets in the summertime).
Akaroa is the main town on the main harbor, and was first settled by the French in 1840, a very brief time after the British signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Maori giving them the right to buy land in exchange for privileges of British citizens (the exact deal is still being litigated, in part because there are several different versions of this agreement). Anyway, the French settlers stayed, but decided not to fight with the British over New Zealand. The town still maintains French influences (street names, crepes, etc.), perhaps mostly for the benefit of visitors. The permanent population is about 600, swelling to 3,000 in the summer, with many kiwis having vacation homes here. It is quite charming, and has a lovely waterfront and small beach.
We wandered some, had a bite to eat, and by then the weather let up a bit. We went on a two-hour nature cruise of the bay and were rewarded with up-close views of the blue penguin (the smallest one),
the Hector's dolphin (also the smallest of dolphins),
fur seals, and the Buller's albatross. It was really great. I got a few pictures (not great) before my battery went dead. I asked another photographer on the cruise if he could e-mail me some photos. If he does, I will post them.
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