Akaroa, New Zealand
| Akaroa | |
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Akaroa township and its main wharf
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 Akaroa
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| Coordinates: 43°48′15″S 172°58′00″E / 43.80417°S 172.96667°ECoordinates: 43°48′15″S 172°58′00″E / 43.80417°S 172.96667°E | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
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| Unitary authority | Christchurch City |
| European settlement | 18 August 1840 |
| Founded by | Jean François Langlois |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.7656 km2 (0.6817 sq mi) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 624 |
| Postcode | 7520 |
Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name. The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled "Whangaroa" in standard Māori.
Akaroa is 84 kilometres (52 mi) by road from Christchurch and is the terminus of State Highway 75. In the 2013 New Zealand census, the permanent population was 624, an increase of 9.5% since 2006. The town has a high (31.3%) ratio of residents aged over 65
It is set on sheltered harbour and is overlooked and surrounded by the remnants of a miocene volcano. Akaroa is a popular resort town and in summer the temporary population can reach 15,000 which places stress on the summer water supply, which is entirely dependent upon rainfall on the hills.
Many Hector's dolphins may be found within Akaroa harbour, and 'swim with the dolphins' boat tours are a major tourist attraction.
In 1830 the Māori settlement at Takapuneke, just east of the current town of Akaroa, became the scene of a notorious incident. The Captain of the British brig Elizabeth, John Stewart, helped North Island Ngāti Toa chief, Te Rauparaha, to capture the local Kāi Tahu chief, Tāmaiharanui, his wife Te Whe and his young daughter, Roimata. The settlement of Takapuneke was sacked. Concern over the complicity of John Stewart, amongst other lawlessness among Europeans in New Zealand, led to the appointment of an official British Resident James Busby to New Zealand in 1832 – the first step in the British involvement that led to the Treaty of Waitangi.
In 1832 Te Rauparaha, fresh from his successful three-month siege of Kaiapoi, took the pā on the Ōnawe Peninsula at the head of Akaroa Harbour.
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