Become a Virtual Tourist Member Today!  Sign Up for Free | Sign In

Lyttelton, Christchurch

Search:
email to friend | help
Christchurch
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist.

Christchurch Travel Guide


Sponsored Links for Christchurch

10 Hotels in Christchurch
Hotels within 10m. 4* from USD $59. Limited Availability. Book now!

New Zealand Packages
Vacation Packages For The World Traveler. Book a Trip Today.

Crowne Plaza Christchurch
Christchurch Hotels. Book Online Or Call 800-980-6429

Cheap Hotels
Save up to 50% on Hotels and Now Get Our Best Price Guarantee.

Holiday Inn Christchurch
Located near International Antarctic Centre. Book now.

Lyttleton Harbour - Christchurch
Lyttleton Harbour
by kiwigal_1
Off the Beaten Path in Christchurch: Lyttelton tips and photos posted by real travelers and Christchurch locals.
Lyttelton
10km from City Center, through the Tunnel
• 14 Photos
• 11 Reviews
All Christchurch Hotels
Check-In Date:
Check-Out Date:
Guests
Hotels by OneTime.com
Sort By:  Most Recent | Best Rated
Lyttelton: The infamous Leper Colony
  • Tip Rating:
  • Walkway on Quail Island - Christchurch
    Walkway on Quail Island
    by knerten
    Send Photo to a Friend
    Quail Island is an island just south of Lyttelton. There's a walk that will take you all around the island (2-3 hours), but there's a lot to see, and there's signs and stories along the way. Named after the now extinct native Quail, the island was used as a leper colony in the early 1900s and as a quarantine station by the early European settlers. There is public transport available to Lyttelton on the number 28 bus, taking around half an hour from the central city. The ferry service is provided by Black Cat from ?B? Jetty, follow the blue dolphin signs in the walkway across the bridge. It takes 10 minutes to the island. The ferry runs year-round, in the summer it makes to calls at Quail Island, in the winter only one, so you have the option of a 2 hour stay or a 5 hour stay (only this one in winter). However, the ferry is the same that runs From Lyttelton to and from Diamond Harbour all day, and if you're caught by bad weather, and you are too wet or too cold to wait for the ferry, you may call the ferry company and ask them to make an unscheduled call at Quail Island. They did that when I was there, but then we were the only 2 people on the island that day... Remember to bring your own food and drink, as there's nothing on the island to serve you, at least not in winter when I went there.

    Leave a Comment

  • Website: http://www.blackcat.co.nz/quailisland.asp

  • Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: The lovely Port Town
  • Tip Rating:
  • Lyttelton is a nice place to start a day trip around the harbour and to the various bays and places. Lyttelton can be approached from many directions with the most common either through the tunnel via Heathcote Valley or over the hill from Sumner. There are several places of note to visit including the Time Ball station, old Gaol and the Wonderbar. Once you are here you can continue on around the various bays including Rapaki, Cass, Corsair, Charteris (inlc Orton Bradley Park with Golf Course and great walks), Govenors and Diamond Harbour. Further round gets you to Purau and Port Levy.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Lyttelton
  • Tip Rating:
  • Visit the town of Lyttelton, population of 3100, was connected to the city in 1964 by a 2 km road tunnel and is now the South Islands main port. In the middle of the harbour are the fascinating islands, Quail ,and Ripapa which have an interesting history. Lyttelton Harbour is the northern of two sea inlets on Banks Peninsula which James Cook first sighted in 1770, thought was an island and named after naturalist Sir Joseph Banks. It had a violent beginning as a volcanic island that erupted 11 million years ago. Christchuch's first settlers landed in Lyttelton in 1850 and then made the historic trek over the Bridal Path to the "swamp", that is now Christchurch.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Lyttelton Harbour
  • Tip Rating:
  • From Cashmere we made our way to Lyttleton and it's stunning harbour. It was a very windy day and stopping at windy point look out wasn't the best idea. We were almost blown away, but the views of the harbour were great. The water in the harbour is of some special colour I had never seen before in the sea. It was funny since there was a big cruise ship of the Holland America Line, and being Dutch I thought that was quite a coincidence.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Lyttelton
  • Tip Rating:
  • Lyttelton is the lovely scenic port of Christchurch. It is a wonderful sight driving into Lyttleton from the hills and looking down. There are lots of little coves and boat moorings and you can reach Lyttelton by driving through the road tunnel or over the Port Hills.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: LYTTLETON HARBOUR
  • Tip Rating:
  • The town of Lyttleton and Lyttleton Harbour are situated over the hill from Christchurch. The view from Banks Peninsula is really amazing. The best way to see the view is to drive up.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Walking track
    Wonderful picturesque views over to Lyttelton - Christchurch
    Wonderful picturesque views
    over to Lyttelton
    by rozehill
    Send Photo to a Friend
    From the roadside there is a wee walking track about 10 minutes down to see the shore

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Time honoured tradition
    Lyttelton Time Ball Station harks back to an historic maritime practice that was a vital part of safety at sea. Dropping the time ball is a ritual that followed the invention of the chronometer - the instrument that meant ships at sea could navigate their way across lines of longitude with an accuracy - and resultant safety - never before experienced in maritime history. Invented in 1829, the time ball's function is to give ships in harbour a signal by which to set their chronometers with complete accuracy. Once a feature of ports everywhere, first the radio telegraph and then electronic technology have seen time balls removed and nowadays there are only about 60 left all around the world. Like the vast majority of timeball stations Lyttelton dropped its ball at 1pm. The ball was raised half way at 5 minutes to 1 to signal the ships in the harbour and then raised to the top. The moment the ball began to fall signalled the precise Greenwich time by which maritime chronometers are set. Lyttelton's timeball came into service in 1876 and continued to drop daily until 1934 when radio signals took over. Although the castle-like building was put to various uses after that it wasn't until 1978 that it was fully restored and opened as an important part of Lyttelton's maritime history and one of only 5 functioning timeballs in the world. Open: Daily October- -5.30pm. May-September - Wednesday to Sunday 10-5.30.

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Worth the the drive on the winding road
    Visit Diamond Harbour

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Lyttelton: Diamond Harbour
    Walk down to see the beautiful stoney beach

    Leave a Comment


    Add to Your Trip Planner  Post a Question  Write a Tip on  Lyttelton
    Rate      Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    More Christchurch Tips
    Overview
     
    General Tips
    Tips: 136 - Photos: 121
    Restaurants
    Tips: 167 - Photos: 134
    Hotels and Accommodations
    Tips: 111 - Photos: 61
    Things To Do
    Tips: 470 - Photos: 428
    Nightlife
    Tips: 44 - Photos: 23
    Off the Beaten Path
    Tips: 127 - Photos: 123
    Tourist Traps
    Tips: 13 - Photos: 8
    Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 30 - Photos: 15
    Transportation
    Tips: 84 - Photos: 61
    Local Customs
    Tips: 40 - Photos: 32
    Packing Lists
    Tips: 10 - Photos: 7
    Shopping
    Tips: 42 - Photos: 33
    Sports Travel
    Tips: 41 - Photos: 31
    Flights
    Tips: 16 - Photos: 14

    More Sponsored Links for Christchurch

    New Zealand Flight Deals
    Everyday low fares just released. Book Now for the most date options!

    New Zealand Driving Tours
    Self Drive Tours custom designed. North and South Island tours

    New Hotel San Felipe Baj
    Relax at our beautiful Hotel All the Amenties your used to





    Find:        Matching:  Advanced