My Favourite Walk
Banks Pennisula Track an unique scenic 3-day trip
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By Jackie Fan
pon arriving at the township of Akaroa, not only can you feel the hustling of the cafes and restaurants, but also strong exotic atmosphere flowing in the air. French flags flying high together with New Zealand flag, along with plenty of French-style eateries and buildings along the street. Canterbury’s oldest town, Akaroa was
founded in 1840 by French settlers. Meaning long harbour, Akaroa is one of the main New Zealand cruise ships harbour. Following the 2010 major earthquakes which affected Christchurch and Lyttelton, cruise ships were diverted to Akaroa. Being a town with only hundreds of residents, there are a lot more visitors than locals here, especially in summer.
After spending the night at the family-operated Onuku Farm Hostel, next cloudy morning saw us on Banks Track only 11km from Onuku to Flea Bay. Our big packs were carried by the truck It didn’t take us too much effort to climb up from 200m to 699m and back down to sea level, that took us through farm, forest, volcanoes and a spectacular shoreline.
Above top: Looking down on the township of Akaroa. Below right: The Onuku Farm Hotel.
12 Walking New Zealand, issue no 279 - 2021
www.walkingnewzealand.co.nz
