We stayed last night at Akaroa, on the Banks Peninsula near Christchurch. The Banks Peninsula is the remnants of two extinct shield volcanoes and the campsite is right in the very centre of one caldera. At the height of volcanism, 8-11 Ma, both volcanoes were islands that merged. The Akaroa cone was erupted to the SE causing the sea to invade the centre of the cone when it collapsed to form a caldera. What a view we had from the camp site high above the harbour! You don't get a view like that everyday when you wake up in Manchester. Breakfast on the 'upper morning terrace' was also something I will long remember. Sadly the effects of the first Canterbury earthquake of 4th September 2010 is still evident in Akaroa. The hospital has been closed, many
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