Glimpses from New Zealand

Leaving the wet, wintry weather behind, we traveled to New Zealand for two weeks of summer, exploring the beautiful terrain and catching up with friends who recently moved there. This was also our last major trip before our baby arrives. We toned down our usual hiking intensity for this trip, but still felt thankful we had the chance to make this trip happen.

We arrived in Christchurch and slowly made our way down the South Island by car, stopping overnight for a few stops along the way with our friends. I’d been here before, back in 2007, but that had been on a college budget (and a completely different kind of trip altogether).

Some of my favorite destinations on this trip were Lake Tekapo, Hooker Valley, & Milford Sound. I loved stopping by the little shops along the drive, the “real fruit” ice cream we snacked on, and all the savory pies. I enjoyed the views of sheep along the grassy fields, stretching far out to the horizon towards some body of glacial water, mountain, or sunset. I was thankful for the time we were able to spend with our friends and their kids, who have pretty much doubled in age since we’d last seen them.