ou see, in the early 19th century, Akaroa was a provisioning port for the many whaling ships that operated off the island until, in 1838, French whale boat Captain Jean François Langlois decided that Akaroa seemed like a tres jolie place to set up a French colony and in a rather dubious deal persuaded the local Māori people to sell him the entire peninsula for a couple of bucks. #NewZealand #Akaroa #NewZealandtravelguide