4 Best Sights in Lyttelton, Christchurch and Canterbury

Sir Miles Warren is one of New Zealand's foremost architects with a pedigree as large as his garden. Ohinetahi, which is also the Māori name for the area, features not only his large, stone, colonial villa, but also his immaculate garden—considered one of the best formal gardens in the country. Blending Sir Miles's eye for detail and design with a stunning situation, this garden maximizes the use of "garden rooms"—the red room being particularly memorable—hedging, and color. Over 30 sculptures now complement the layout.

Diamond Harbour is the largest township on the far side of Lyttelton Harbour. You can drive to Diamond Harbour (around 40 minutes from Christchurch) or take a 10-minute journey on the Black Diamond ferry from Jetty B at Norwich Quay. Sailings are frequent. There's a small farmers' market once every two weeks over summer, excellent cafés and restaurants, some great walks, and the beautiful Charteris Bay Golf Club.

Located in Lyttelton Harbour, Quail Island was used by the early European settlers as a quarantine zone and leper colony and was named after the now-extinct native quail. It was once a significant area for collecting birds' eggs by local Māori. These days, Quail Island, also known as Otamahua, is being restored as an ecological reserve, and is home to many native birds including kingfisher, fantail, silvereye (a small bird common in New Zealand), and various seabirds. The Black Cat ferry from Lyttelton can zip you out here for a hike or a picnic.

After Timeball Station was almost totally demolished in the Christchurch earthquakes, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust committed to rebuilding its tower, which is a prominent landmark overlooking the port of Lyttleton. This piece of maritime history is one of only five remaining timeball stations known to be in working order in the world, and it holds a special place in the hearts of Canterbury's people. Built in the 1870s, the ball would drop from its mast as an exact time signal for ships. After the castle-like structure was destroyed over the course of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, much of the building was retrieved and stored for its restoration.