LYTTELTON This place is another wonder in the townscapes of New Zealand. Lyttelton ostensibly is a suburb of Christchurch but in truth is in a totally different suburban space. Lyttelton is a mariner township with its roots clearly on display where as Christchurch some 2kms through a tunnel is a millennium away. Before the tunnel Lyttelton was a long and inconvenient distance. After the tunnel which was a commercial necessity Lyttelton is still for most very distant from Christchurch and its people. Lyttelton just seems to be a long way away. Banks Peninsula on which Littleton I sited was first sighted by Europeans on 16 February 1770 from the Endeavour during James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand. Originally the harbour was called Cook's mistake by one of the earliest European visitors. Lyttelton is now a busy port town and is the third busiest after Auckland and Tauranga. The majority of the South island commercial freight activities are through this historic port. Lyttelton is an ‘old’ community and is on display with the number of hotels that continue to trade. Lyttlelton Harbour is the northern major sea inlet on Banks Peninsula, the one prominent feature on the coast of Canterbury, New Zealand. Banks Peninsula was once a volcanic island and Lyttelton Harbour the sea-filled crater of a volcano that erupted 11 million years ago. The harbour is now an inlet on the northwestern side of Banks Peninsula, extending 18 km inland from the southern end of Pegasus Bay. It is surrounded by steep hills formed from the sides of an extinct volcanic crater, which rise to a height of 500 m. Lyttelton was formerly called Port Cooper and Port Victoria. It was the original settlement in the district (1850). The name Lyttelton was given to it in honour of George William Lyttelton of the Canterbury Association, which had led the colonisation of the area. The churches are all historic. The museum opens with restricted hours, but one suspect will give great insight into Lyttelton’s early years. The Lyttelton War Memorial is now an isolated monument given the construction of the tunnel post When in Lyttelton allow a minimum of two days and include the ferry trip to Diamond Bay. In the interim be sure to visit the Time Drop on the hill.