Lyttelton: Shore Excursion, Castle Hill, Small Group Tour Small Group Tour: Castle Hill, from Lyttelton
ID: GYG804714-1284511
Category:
Country: New Zealand
Duration:
08:00 hours
Description
Journey along the stunning Great Alpine Highway, traverse Porters Pass, take in the beauty of Lake Lyndon, and explore the awe-inspiring Castle Hill boulders on this shore excursion from Lyttelton.
Leaving Lyttelton via the "Great Alpine Highway", you'll cross the flat farmland of the Canterbury Plains towards the mountains. Halfway across the plains, you will discover the small rural town of Darfield, where you will enjoy a short stop, allowing you to sample some of the local delicacies from the famous Darfield Bakery. Your next stop is Springfield, just 20 minutes down the road. Its giant doughnut statue is well worth a photo, and your guide will explain how the town ended up with this giant doughnut.
From Springfield, the road winds up over Porter's Pass at 900 meters before continuing to Lake Lyndon, where we will stop for morning tea. From here, it's only a 10-minute drive to Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti. This area is an amazing labyrinth of giant limestone boulders in the Craigieburn Basin, surrounded by mountains. The area is rich with cultural and recreational significance and has a Tōpuni status of a "symbolic cloak of protection”. It is also known internationally as a world-class climbing, bouldering, photography, and film-making destination.
Your guide will show you around and explain the geography and cultural significance of the area before finding the perfect spot to sit down for a picnic lunch. Following lunch, you will have free time to explore the boulder fields in your own time before meeting back at the car park at 2:00 PM. From there, your return journey back to Lyttelton takes approximately 1.5-2 hours.
Highlights
- Explore giant limestone boulders of the Castle Hill/Kura Tawhiti scenic reserve
- Capture the stunning photos in the heart of New Zealand's mountains
- Learn about the history and culture of Kura Tawhiti/Castle Hill
- Visit the famous Springfield Donut
- Choose from either a shared or private guided experience
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Norwich Quay bus stop (opposite Independent Provedoring Co, no 20 Norwich Quay), there is only one bus stop on Norwich Quay. You will be collected by a white branded car or minivan and your guide will be wearing a branded uniform.
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.
