Port Hills

The Port Hills are a range of hills in Canterbury, New Zealand, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano, which erupted millions of years ago.

The hills start at Godley Head, run approximately east–west along the northern side of Lyttelton Harbour, and continue running to the south, dividing the city from the harbour. The range terminates near Gebbies Pass above the head of the harbour. The range includes a number of summits between 300 and 500 metres above sea level. The range is of significant geological, environmental and scenic importance.

The volcano is one of two from which Banks Peninsula was originally formed over 12 million years ago. The area was first populated by Māori during the 14th century. During early European settlement some 300 years later the Port Hills presented a challenging barrier between the harbour and the planned settlement of Christchurch, their steepness and ruggedness making access extremely difficult. For many years the majority of settlers used the precipitous Bridle Path to transport themselves and their belongings to the plains on the other side. Today the Lyttelton road tunnel and a separate rail tunnel connect the port and the city suburbs, and three road routes crossing the range – via Evans, Dyers and Gebbies passes – are connected by the Summit Road.

In February 2017, bush fires in the Port Hills burned for days, destroying over 2000 Ha of bush and several homes.

The Port Hills are a prominent feature of the central Canterbury landscape, being visible for many kilometres from the north and west.

The crest of the Port Hills varies somewhat in height, being lowest at the eastern end. Two road passes traverse the Port Hills from Christchurch. Dyers Pass (elevation c. 330 m), almost due south of central Christchurch is the more prominent of the two passes. Evans Pass (elevation c. 200 m), which is near the eastern end of the Port Hills, normally connects Sumner and Lyttelton but has been closed since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused significant damage to Sumner Road on the Lyttelton side of the pass.

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Wikipedia