Because of the earthquake damage hotel space in Christchurch is tight and comes at a premium. The best deal I could find on an Airbnb apartment for our three-night stay was in the suburb of Lyttleton. Located to the southeast and on the other side of a group of tall hills from the city, the small town is easily reachable by bus and tunnel.

The entire town sits on the slopes of the Port Hills, so the short walk to look for dinner is followed a steep hike back up. But it also means everyone has a nice view.

On the Friday before we began our road trip around the South Island, I went on a hike to the top of the Port Hills, stopping first in one of the town’s two cemeteries to survey the damage caused by the recent earthquakes.

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