Banks Peninsula and Akaroa

Just finished up a delightful 5 day farmstay on the Banks Peninsula near the little town of Akaroa - one of the prettiest little towns we've seen. We stayed on a working farm that runs beef cattle, sheep and deer. The farm has been in this family for 6 generations, and they can trace their ancestry to a blacksmith who first came here on a French whaling vessel in 1837. It was still a colonial age and at the time both France & England were vieing for dominion over New Zealand. The Captain of the whaler, seeing the potential that existed in this area, returned to France to secure a Royal charter from the king and then organize a party of colonists to return and cement French claims to the South Island. The British became aware of the scheme and rushed to secure a tretay with the Maori tribes to consolidate their own claim, which they did with the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 - the document that essentially established the commonwealth of New Zealand under British dominion, while at the same time securing Maori land rights.

Talk about historical coincidence (and bad luck) - after a 6 month voyage the French settlers arrived in Akaroa only 6 days after the treaty was affirmed. So, having a British North Island and a French South Island was avoided by only the narrowest of historical margins. The settlers nevertheless elected to remain and have a go at establishing a settlement, albeit under British rule, and the result was (and is) a French-themed area within an English territory. The streets in Akaroa all have French names, as do most of the businesses. The little town makes the most of its heritage these days in catering to the tourists who pour in here every weekend during the summer months - it being only an hour's drive from downtown Christchurch.

One of the colonists on the French ship was the original ancestor of our host. We visited the local museum and did a walking tour of the town and his family name (LeLievre) came up again and again throughout the history of the area.

Sue and Murray Johns were two of the nicest people we've ever met on our travels. He graciously gave us a tour of the farm, including a sheep shearing demonstration in his shed as well as demonstrating the shepherding capabilities of his dogs, which was amazing to watch.



View of the main house and our apartment from across the valley


Didn't have to go very far for some interesting walks. There was a farm trail right outside our door leading down the valley to a secluded beach where there were basking fur seals and, occasionally, penguins. It was pretty steep in places, but the day was glorious so we just took our time and enjoyed the views - grassy paddocks everywhere with sheep dotting the hillsides. In fact the area reminded us very much of western Ireland - without the thousand year old ruins.



Going thru the gates on the way to the beach

We were looking to stretch our legs on a longer hike our second day there and so headed for one of the hillside walks that eventually connects the north and south sides of the peninsula while passing over the spine of foothills in the center of the old volcanic landscape. Did I say foothills? The walk began in the town of Akaroa and went straight uphill for about 2 hours - as challenging as anything we've ever tried in the gorge. Never a break either - no level spots to catch your breath. Went from sea level to about 2100 ft in less than 2 miles - really a steep grade and hard on the knees and legs. We were plenty pooped out by the time we returned from the summit.



Slow but sure up the mountain - this was the only semi-level place we could stop for a photo


After the hike we were pretty done-in and went looking for a more relaxed pastime the next day to rest our aching legs. Our host had previously shown us this bay, located next to his property and in fact bounded by part of his farm. It was a nice, sandy beach in a perfect little bay. We drove down, waded in the surf for a while (and were surprised that the water wasn't terribly cold), then found a shady spot on the grass to flake out and read a book for a few hours. Apparently these waters are so pristine that you can pick Paua (abalone) off the rocks at low tide. There's also a yellow-eyed penguin colony in the cove around to the left.


Two tourists in paradise



Looking down on the bay from the road above


On our last morning Murray took us down to the shearing shed for a quick demo. He also told us the history of his family on the peninsula - really fascinating. Here's a shot of Rita trying to rescue the sheep from the shears of the shearer. Just kidding - apparently the trimming is actually beneficial to them, especially in the heat of summer, and must be done every 6 months or so to ensure the health of the sheep.

Murray told us that at the moment the world market for wool is quite poor, making it difficult to show any profit after the caring, feeding and general upkeep of the little guys is taken into consideration. His most profitable venture at the moment is with the deer. He apparently crosses red deer does with Wapiti Elk stags to produce an excellent venison which (for the moment at least) commands good prices.


These few days must rank as one of the highlights of our travels - not just in NZ but around the world. I doubt it's possible to find two more accommodating hosts than Sue and Murray Johns. We really hated to leave.


Christchurch is up next - only an hour's drive but a world away from Akaroa. We'll be there for 6 nights.