Akaroa is a charming little hamlet on the Banks Peninsula, about an
hour and a half bus ride from Christchurch. It was originally settled
by the French, but they were just a few days too late. The major
Maori leaders had signed the Treaty of Waitangi with a British
representative, and that meant all of New Zealand belonged to the Queen.
The French settlers quickly adapted to British rule and lived peacefully
with their British neighbors.
