In my series of A-Z of NZ Locations, I will take you for a meander around areas that are unique gems, some yet to be polished though worth a visit for either historical reasons, culinary delights or for the sheer vistas.
Lyttelton is the port for Christchurch, to which it is linked by rail lines and roads piercing the Port Hills through tunnels.
Since our last visit, it has been highly altered by two major earthquakes in 2010/11. Time flies as it doesn’t feel that long since we trudged up those steep streets to enjoy and capture a magnificent view of the extensive harbour and the quaint old houses and explore the outer regions.
Let’s go and explore
At the northwestern end of Banks Peninsula, just 20 minutes from central Christchurch, is Lyttelton’s effortlessly cool port town, where harbour workers and local artists commingle between a line-up of bars, restaurants and shops. Houses cling onto the hillside, and pint-sized beaches await around every other bay.
As your eyes adjust to daylight on the other side of the tunnel, the harbour and port shine. Most of the houses and shops point in this direction for obvious reasons.
We were never short of a cafe selection to indulge our hunger and thirst, giving us plenty of energy to explore the quirky, arty shops and several walking trails that wind through the hills behind the township. Bridle Path, constructed by European settlers in 1850, is a popular option for views across the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps, Lyttelton Harbour, and Banks Peninsula.
One bit of history that captured our imagination the most was the Time-ball Station, which is only one of 5 left in the world; it used to signal 12.00hrs to the ships in port.
After visiting the historical port of Lyttelton and wanting to know where some of the best small beaches and picnic spots in this area are, hang a right and follow the winding road to the neighbouring communities of Rāpaki, Cass Bay and Corsair Bay. It was a relaxing way to finish a warmish day exploring.
Life at No. 22 
An enticing post. The dusk picture especially so.
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A favourite of mine, too.
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What a lovely town. You are lucky to have so many places to escape to. Mel
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It is a lovely place to explore. Easy when we were motorhoming where time and energy wasn’t an issue. Cheaper to fly to Australia than head there from here, unless there’s cheap flights available. Overdue for a South Is trip.
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That’s a really nice port area. And your photo of the town at dusk is a beauty.
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Thanks, Neil. Lyttelton is one of the prettiest port towns here in N.Z.
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I always try to look these places up on Google Maps and Lyttelton looks to be in a lovely location. Your pictures as always are gorgeous.
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Thanks very much, Malc. Google does have a purpose in giving us a wider knowledge base of the world. Some detest the browser. The views are lovely.
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Oh, the colour of that water. Lyttelton looks like a nice place to call home. I have a nephew who lives in Christchurch, he’s a civil engineer and working on the new sports centre.
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I hope your nephew’s enjoying Christchurch, Jude. It has certainly changed over the years since the earthquake. Some say for the better.
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He went there after the earthquake to rebuild the hospital and then a conference centre I think. He seems to have settled in Christchurch after living in Brisbane and the UAE.
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Hot to the cool city of ChCh 😊 Actually Canterbury usually has a very warm summer and a cold winter.
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Such a pretty place. I remember seeing a time ball at Greenwich.
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Yes, there is one at Greenwich and we made a point years ago to visit it. That place was a highlight for Les and myself on our first London visit together.
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Ooh I was just admiring the time ball at Greenwich yesterday.
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It is a lovely place around that area to wander and to learn more about the history of the place, etc.
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We loved Christchurch when we visited, the river and the botanical gardens were a delight. And it had a lovely feel to it, in fact I loved the whole of South Island!
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We loved Christchurch, the river and the botanic gardens, it had a lovely feel to it. In fact I loved the whole of South Island! You live in a beautiful part of the world Suzanne
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Yes, the South Island is picturesque and less populated than the North Island which has beautiful beaches whereas the South Island is more about all things higher like mountains.
Even though we do live in a beautiful place us NZers are explorers and most can’t wait to leave. Most probably due to being so far away from the rest of the world not counting the islands and Australia.
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