Akaroa

	Akaroa
	Geographical location
Coordinates	43 ° 48 ′ S , 172 ° 58 ′ E Coordinates: 43 ° 48 ′ S , 172 ° 58 ′ E
Region ISO	NZ-CAN
Country	New Zealand
region	Canterbury
District	Christchurch City
Ward	Banks Peninsula Ward
Local foundation	August 18, 1840
Residents	624 (2013)
height	Height of sea level
Post Code	7520
Telephone code	+64 (0) 3
UN / LOCODE	NZ AKA
	Photography of the place
	; Akaroa from Akaroa Harbor as seen from

Akaroa is a small town on the Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region ofthe South Island of New Zealand .

geography

The place is located in the urban area of Christchurch City on Akaroa Harbor , a natural harbor on the Banks Peninsula , overlooked by hills that come from a former volcano. At the census in 2013 the place had 624 inhabitants.

history

On August 2, 1838, the French captain of a whaling ship, Jean François L'Anglois , had land on the Banks Peninsula reserved by the local Māori with a deposit . Back in France, he promoted a settlement project in New Zealand. On August 18, 1840, 63 settlers reached the peninsula, settled in Akaroa Harbor and founded Akaroa .

On February 18, 1872, Frank Worsley was born in Akaroa , who from 1914 to 1917 participated as captain of the Endurance in the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (also known as the Endurance Expedition ) under the direction of Ernest Shackleton .

tourism

Since Akaroa is a popular holiday destination in New Zealand, the population increases to over 7,000 during the holiday season, which can make the water supply, which is mainly covered by rainwater, scarce.

Attractions

Worth seeing in Akaroa is the Catholic parish church of St. Patrick built in 1864 , the Maison Langlois-Eteveneaux from 1845, the Anglican St. Peter's Church in neo-Gothic style from 1863 and the old customs house from 1863.

There is a special feature in Akaroa Bay . Around 30 Hector dolphins live there , a rare species that can only be found here. A nature reserve was set up on the coast for these sea creatures so that the dolphins are not injured by fishing nets.