South Island New Zealand

Ōnuku Marae is a 5km drive from Akaroa and is a place of historical significance. It is one of the locations where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by two of the maori chiefs in 1840 (the main celebrations and treaty signing occurred in the Bay of Islands in the North Island). The Akaroa area played a significant role in Treaty history, as it was European involvement in an 1830 raid on the area by the chief, Te Rauparaha, that led to British intervention and eventually the development of the Treaty.