Saturday 1 March 2014

Akaroa, A French Town


Most of my housemates in Ashburton got a car and one advantage staying with them was I could do traveling with them simply by their car. During winter and spring, I occasionally went to visit places outside Ashburton. One of the short trips I made with my housemate was traveling to Akaroa. My friend Park, he picked me up after I got off work and we traveled at night. We stayed overnight in a nice accommodation and spent morning to afternoon hours exploring the little town and surroundings.

It’s photo shooting time in the morning, apart from the heart of Akaroa...








Akaroa Harbour view from top, look like twin lakes


Akaroa is also known as French colonial village or French town owing to the establishment by the French settlers and it’s the only French colony in New Zealand. These days, the village still has a reflection of French such as shown at the street signs and heritage buildings.


Nesting on Banks Peninsula with the scenic harbour, Akaroa becomes a popular resort town with a laid-back atmosphere. Joining the boat tours for Hector’s dolphin watching is a main tourist activity in the village.



A war memorial in the garden of Akaroa

Unique shops in the village

Akaroa harbour


Another perspective of the harbour

Visitors were boarding the boat for dolphin watching

We had a leisurely walk through the cafes, shops and galleries in the town. Next, we moved on to the Historic Village Walk for a visit to the lighthouse, churches and some old buildings.

Akaroa Head Lighthouse

Buildings along the waterfront

St Patrick's Church

The trip in Akaroa was laid-back and offered us some memories to cherish.