After taking the ferry across from Lyttleton we took the normal route up Mt Herbert from Diamond Harbour.
The hills had the most amazing orange hue this time of year, after the long dry spell.
Of Historical interest on the route is the site of the Henderson House, just up from Diamond Harbour:
These crumbling clay walls are all that remains of the house built about 1880 by Gideon Henderson (1836 – 1918) who arrived in Lyttleton in 1874.
Like many other early smallholders on the southern side of Lyttleton Harbour he was a Shetland Islander.
Henderson leased and farmed land around Diamond Harbour and rowed his dairy produce to the Lyttleton Market in a dingy in all weathers.
The house was two storeyed with an iron roof. The lower floor held two bedrooms, kitchen, dairy, small hallway and a central fireplace. External steps led to a timber frame bedroom above.
Henderson also planted the bluegums.
The house sheltered a considerable family, as Gideon and his second wife Barbara had seven children when they lived here.
We stopped briefly on the summit to admire the views back towards the Port Hills and Christchurch as well as south west to Lake Ellesmere, before heading down to the busy day shelter for a spot of lunch, where we were joined by a good mix of tourists and locals.
We returned by the same route.
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