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Explore the awe-inspiring Castle Hill boulders and mountain scenery of Inland Canterbury on this shore excursion from Lyttelton. Start & finish times adjusted to match ship arrival and departure time

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

Description

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 before meeting back at the car park. From there, your return journey back to Lyttelton takes approximately 1.5-2 hours.

Includes

Port pickup Port drop-off Morning Tea Lunch - Picnic Hot Drinks Cold Drinks Biscuits & Fruit Local Guide Transport

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund