Lyttelton, Banks Peninsula

                    

Lyttelton is situated in beautiful and historic Banks Peninsula.

Banks Peninsula is one of Canterbury’s major landscape features with a distinctive identity and character.  The character is a result of the natural forces that formed and modified the landscape and the no less dramatic actions of people over the last one thousand years.

Maori occupation of the Peninsula is said to date back to the moa-hunter period.  After them came an early people, the Waitaha, who were overcome by the Ngati Mamoe tribe who came from the North Island during the sixteenth century.  They, in turn, were conquered by the Ngai Tahu tribe from the Wellington region.

Cook sighted the Peninsula in 1770, and thinking it was an Island, named it Banks Island after his botanist.

Whalers frequently visited the Peninsula long before there was European settlement.  In 1837 a German Whaler set up a shore whaling station at Peraki and 2 years later the Rhodes brothers attempted to farm with fifty cattle at Red House Bay, south of Akaroa.

French settlers began arriving in 1840, and their influence is still evident today, especially in Akaroa township.  Their attempt at colonisation was unsuccessful and in 1849 the New Zealand Company purchased the French land claims and the French settlers became part of the English colony.

(The National Trust, 1987 The Banks Peninsula Landscape, QEII National Trust, Wellington)


The first settlers of the Canterbury Trust, arrived in Lyttelton in 1851 on the ships Charlotte Jane, Randolf, Sir George Seymour and The Cressy. 

Banks Peninsula was a prized asset to the early colonialists because the land was close to the sea and there were a number of protected harbours where produce could be loaded for shipment.  For this reason, the first settlers, be they whalers like Hempleman, Price and Clough or farmers like Greenwoods, Deans, Mansons and Gebbies, all chose to live and work near the Peninsula.

When the white settlers arrived. The dominant Maori tribe was the Ngai-Tahu who had displaced the Ngati-Mamoe who had in their turn, overrun the Waitaka.  This was about 1550 but there were others before them.  Recent carbon dating shows that the earliest moa hunters were here about 950 A.D. and some suggest dates much earlier than this.  Few tribe could settle and be sure of permanence.  This last wave of invaders were the Pakeha.  By this time attrition had decimated the indigenous population – Te Rauparaha and disease completed the task.

(Keith Drayton, 1992 Cruising Banks Peninsula, A Pilot for small craft 2nd edition, The Lyttelton Maritime V.H.F Association)

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banks_Peninsula

How many restaurants, bars and cafés are in Lyttelton?
Some of the best restaurants in Christchurch, including the Volcano Restaurant and Lava Bar, the London Street Restaurant, the Monster Yakatori Bar, Freemans Dining Room and the world famous Wunderbar, are to be found in Lyttelton. Altogether there are seven restaurants, 14 bars and 8 cafés. The furthest is 12 minutes walk from 29 and the closest is just five minutes walk.

What is the weather like in winter and summer?
The average Summer time high is 23C and the average Winter time high is 11C.

Is there a beach nearby?
There are several safe beaches nearby. The closest is Corsair Bay just a 20 minute walk or 5 minutes by car Cass Bay and Rapaki are just a few minutes further. Other than the beaches there is also a child friendly public swimming pool in Lyttelton that is open from October to April.

Can I sail or play golf nearby?
There is a sailing club in Lyttelton called Naval Point Club (navalpoint.co.nz). There are also many golf clubs in the Christchurch area, the closest is the Ferrymead Golf Driving Range with its new 9 hole golf course, and a short 20 minutes in the car on the other side of Lyttelton Harbour the beautiful Charteris Bay Golf Course is to be found.

What else can I do in Lyttelton?
The sky is the limit!

The Lyttelton Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at the Lyttelton Main School on Oxford Street.  It boasts and eclectic mix of exceptional organic produce, food, drink, entertainment and second-hand goods.

For more active people there are over 35 kms of hill walks starting and finishing in Lyttelton, such as the Bridle Path over to Heathcote, the Crater Rim and the Major Hornbrook track to name a few. All these tracks feature breathtaking views over the harbour or across the Canterbury plains to the frequently snow-capped Southern Alps.

There is an active sailing club at Naval Point (navalpoint.co.nz) and three safe swimming beaches - Corsair Bay, Cass Bay, and Rapaki, all within 5 minutes drive. And just 7 minutes drive over the hill is Sumner Beach a famous South Island surfers venue where surf boards or windsurfers are easily hired. Then again you may like to just stroll around Lyttelton township admiring the historic settlers cottages and other historical buildings.

At weekends, on public holidays and during special events such as "Winter Festival of Lights", "The Arts Festival", "The Jazz Festival" and the famous “Lyttelton Street Party”, Lyttelton is extremely popular and  becomes very busy. To avoid disappointment we recommend that you book early to enjoy the unique ambiance.

For kids and inquisitive ones there are museums, a public swimming pool, children’s playgrounds, community groups, golf courses, sports clubs, art galleries and a great public library. Then there are wildlife cruises on the harbour, fishing, exploring Quail Island, the Torpedo Boat Museum or vintage steam tug cruises on the harbour, a swim with Lyttelton’s dolphins, or for the culturally minded a visit to the Maori Village and the early settlers’ town in Ferrymead.

What else is special about the region?
Lyttelton is well placed for snow skiing in the Winter, as just one and half hours drive sees you in Porters Heights Ski field and 15 minutes further the famous Mount Hutt Ski field.  You can also take a short, but beautiful drive over Sumner Road to the village of Sumner and enjoy surfing, swimming or its fabulous collection of Cafes and Restaurants