We took advantage of a few sunny days at the weekend to explore a few areas we haven't yet been to in the South Island. One was Banks Peninsula, which we have often driven around to get to Akaroa, home of our dolphin encounters, but never explored the harder to reach eastern bays.
The summit road is narrow and windy, following the high ground across the peninsula.
The steep hills of the volcanic peninsula don't grow very much, and support only a few scattered sheep. The only human habitation is nestled deep in the protected valleys:
Some of the valleys were only just big enough for a single house or farm.
Okains Bay, a pretty beach and a few holiday homes (bachs):
We then crossed the hills back towards Christchurch in the most direct, but much slower route. The single-track, unsealed, boulder strewn road across to Port Levy gave us a real off-road experience. Fortunately we didn't meet anyone coming the other way!
With a big sigh of relief, we hit the tarmac again:
Here's a rarely seen sight: the Port Hills and the Southern Alps, looking like a distant cloud bank, in the same photo. Usually you only see one or the other, as Christchurch sits sandwiched between the two:
Lyttleton Harbour and town are just visible at the foot of the Port hills.
I would definitely recommend exploring the hills to any Christchurcher who hasn't. Just be prepared for some very poor roads! The zig-zagging of the blue route line doesn't really do justice to quite how windy the roads were.
View Banks Peninsula in a larger map
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