Bank's Peninsula and Arthur's Pass

If you look at Christchurch on a map, there's a little bump that pops out of the island just south of the city. That bump is Bank's Peninsula and we took a day trip up that way to check it out. There's a small, quaint tourist village with a population of about 400 up there, but we spent most of our time taking in the sites and having a nice picnic lunch. Not bad, right?

Turns out that Bank's Peninsula is actually all that remains of a volcano. That little island to the right of us in the background? That's the caldera of when the volcano exploded several hundred years ago. It pretty much blew the whole area apart. We're pretty sure that New Zealand is 72% volcano. 

We drove down one side of the peninsula to get to a secluded beach to have lunch and relax in the sun. Immy loved it.

If you keep going that way long enough, Baby Girl, you get to America.

That sandwich is mine, right?

Family feet in the sand picture!

As in most places in New Zealand there were a bunch of sheep just hanging out all over. This guy was sedately crossing the road. He hollered at Laurel when she tried to get his attention to take his picture. Pretty funny.

The next day, we got up and started our big driving day- across the center of the island, through the mountains, to get to the West Coast, and glacier country. In the car and ready, let's go!

 

There were several scenic spots along the drive where you could stop and do hikes and take pictures. One such place was Castle Hill.

 

Laurel thinks it's never too young for the future designer to start learning her materials. This is limestone.

We stopped for lunch in the alpine town of Arthur's Pass. It's a blink and you'll miss it strip of store fronts, but is pretty crucial as it sits along about the only passable route through the middle of the country. 

Great views. If we hadn't had Imogen along, Greg would have loved to have done some serious hiking. Needless to say, Olivia and Laurel were quite glad we had Imogen along.

  

After a long day of driving we arrived in Franz Josef, a small town along the island's West Coast. The next couple of days were going to be big ones- hiking a glacier! 

It was a long day in the car, and Imogen was alright with it for the most part. She's a trooper. She celebrated by kicking out of all her blankets and sleeping diagonally in her bed. She also baby hulked out of her apple swaddle. It's better that way, apparently.