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Exploring the Town
Our sailing ketch excursion, which we wrote about in Akaroa by Sailing Ketch, returned us to Akaroa Wharf around 11:30 am. We had learned that the St. Patrick's Catholic Church added a mass at noon on Sundays when ships were in port. We didn't know exactly where the church was located but we knew the general direction, so we started walking.
Along the way, we found some historic houses, shown here. What a beautiful setting with the floral gardens in front of these old buildings.
Historic Library
The next building we saw was the Akaroa Coronation Library which was erected in 1875 to house the Literary Institute. The name was changed in 1911 when it was remodeled.
Inside the old library, we asked for directions to the church. They marked the walking route on the map and said the the priest would welcome us, even if we arrived late (we weren't certain how long it would take us to get there).
St. Patrick's Church
It was a very welcoming church. At the conclusion of the mass, the priest went pew by pew getting to know more about those that had gathered. We were surprised to find out that he was familiar with our area, having lived there for awhile. What a small world.
Akaroa War Memorial
The memorial comprises a reserve and seating surrounding an elaborate free-standing cupola with a granite spire and fly buttresses, right in the centre of town. The Akaroa War Memorial are a grand tribute to locals who gave their lives fighting in conflicts around the globe. The cornerstone of the Banks Peninsula War Memorial was laid in 1922 and completed in 1924. The engraved marble slab reads, “In sacred memory of those who fell in the Great war 1914 – 1919.” Additional plaques list local soldiers who died during the South African War (1899 – 1902) and World War II (1939 – 1945).
It was damaged in the Christchurch earthquake of 2010. After the earthquake, a team of dedicated locals raised funds and organised the rebuilding of the memorial. See our Akaroa Wharf photo album for more images of the memorial as well as from our walk around town. There is plenty to see an do around town, so if you go on an excursion, plan some extra time to visit the wharf area.
Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page
Akaroa Wharf
Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.
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