Road tunnels, magnificent harbour views, extinct volcanos, isolated bays, and a long history of people living in the area

Duration

4.5 Hours (Half Day Tour)

About

For this tour we escape Christchurch city via the famous Lyttelton Tunnel before working our way round the shoreline of the extinct volcano that forms the harbour. We finish up in Camp Bay before retracing our steps, but with a twist

Itinerary:

Join us as we begin our tour by heading out of Christchurch and through the Lyttelton Tunnel into the historic harbour town of the same name for our first two stops at the Sumner Road harbour lookout and the restored Lyttelton Timeball before heading west through Lyttelton and making our way round the coastline of the harbour, a long extinct volcanic caldera now open to the sea

Making our way through numerous quaint settlements we learn some of the history of the area beginning with the New Zealand Maori, and through the early European settlements in the area, up to the current day: Names like Cass Bay, Rapaki, Governors Bay, Teddington, and Orton Bradley, all feature richly in Canterbury’s and even New Zealand’s history. Arriving in Diamond Harbour, we make our next stop to check out the port of Lyttelton from “the other side” of the harbour, and perhaps enjoy an ice-cream!

From Diamond Harbour we press on eastwards round the coastline of Lyttelton Harbour towards our ultimate destination, and the end of the road, at Camp Bay with its laid back atmosphere and views straight out through the harbour entrance to the open sea. If you’re in luck you will get to see a number of seabirds including oyster catchers, various gulls, and possibly a kingfisher or two, all while enjoying a snack and a drink before we retrace our steps back towards Lyttelton

No, that’s not the end of our tour, as we still need to explore the Summit Rd as it follows those volcanic remnant peaks from Gebbies Pass high above the harbour. Along the way we stop at such spots as Gibraltar Rock to admire the expansive views out over the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps beyond, then at Sign of the Bellbird car park to enjoy the views out over Lyttelton Harbour itself before a last stop at the Dyers Pass summit and the Sign of the Kiwi Cafe to unwind a little before dropping down Dyers Pass Rd back into the city to conclude our tour

Inclusions:

• Pickup from some of the main hotels within Christchurch, or alternately from the Canterbury Museum
• Expert, knowledgeable guide
• Photography tuition (if required)
• Late model, air conditioned transport
• Snacks, beverages, and drinks
• Scenic stops