Banks Peninsula Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

Captain Cook actually named the land mass Banks Island - a rare mistake by such a good navigator. Later charts corrected his error. Paradoxically, Cook's first chart of New Zealand showed Stewart Island (the island to the south of the South Island) as a peninsula!

Answer: Long Harbour

Aka meaning harbour and roa meaning long. Though Akaroa has a Maori name, the town was settled by the French in 1840. With its sheltered position, magnificent views and rich heritage - Akaroa is often refered as the riviera for the nearby city of Christchurch.

Answer: volcanic eruptions

Eight million years of volcanic activity (just imagine - a thousand years is a long time for humans!) that occured about 11 million years ago formed two huge craters. After the activity ceased, erosion, elevated sea levels and seismic activity allowed the sea to break through and form the two harbours of Lyttelton and Akaroa.

The crater rim height today is approximately half that of what is was then. It must have been a truly awesome back then.

Answer: Seal skins and whale oil

Land was certainly a commodity that was sought in the 1830's and the gold rush started in the 1860's. Maori wives were certainly taken and/or given, but was not the reason for the early whaling and seal parties arriving in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Answer: True

In February 1840, the British hastily signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the Maori chiefs because they heard a ship of French colonists were on their way to Akaroa. When the French arrived in August of that year, they found the Union Flag flying from the point in Akaroa Harbour. Swift negotiations took place and the French were allowed to stay but under British sovereignty. Akaroa became a French (and some German) settlement and pre-dated the English settlement of Christchurch by ten years.

Answer: SH75

A lovely drive of 90 minutes from Christchurch - you pass through the gateway settlement of Little River, up to the crater rim at Hilltop (great coffee) and there before you is the most magnificent view that you'll ever see.

Answer: Hector's dolphin

Hector's dolphins are the world's smallest and rarest dolphin and are highly protected. Akaroa offers cruises on the harbour to watch and sometimes swim with these playful creatures. Crocodile's do not exist in New Zealand (and they are a reptile anyway).

There is no such creature as George's whale and Maui didn't know about sheep! As a matter of interest, the white flippered penguin (a sub-species of the Little Blue or Fairy penguin)is also unique to Banks Peninsula. There are a lot of interesting facts about Hector's dolphin at http://www.kcc.org.nz/animals/hectorsdolphin.asp.

Answer: Mount Herbert at 919 metres

Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain and Mount Akaroa doesn't exist. In winter, snow can settle on Mount Herbert and the surrounding crater hill tops. The Akaroa Walk transverses this peak and the tramper is afforded wonderful views of the Southern Alps (includng Aoraki/Mount Cook), the Canterbury Plains and the Pacific Ocean. (All height references Land Information NZ)Just an amusing aside - as a bit fell off the top of Mount Cook a few years ago following erosion, the new height is still awaiting confirmation)

Answer: Hunchback

The Bossu stands prominently above the harbour and can only be reached by 4WD vehicles using the southern summit/crater rim road. A campervan was noticed up there once - but how it got there and what happened to it is a mystery.

Answer: 500,000

Although it is a tourist town and 2,500,000 tourists visit New Zealand each year, the town only really gets busy at Christmas time. The surrounding bays and valleys are quite remote and are probably the most beautiful part of the peninsula.