Lyttelton is the port town for Christchurch, around 12 km from central Christchurch over the Port Hills via the Lyttelton Road Tunnel. It sits on the northern shore of Lyttelton Harbour (Whakaraupō).

How do I get from Christchurch to Lyttelton?

By car, around 15 to 20 minutes via the Lyttelton Road Tunnel (toll-free) from central Christchurch. The Number 28 bus runs from the central Bus Interchange to Lyttelton via the tunnel.

What was the Lyttelton landing?

Lyttelton was the original landing point for the Canterbury Pilgrims in 1850, when the four immigrant ships arrived from England. Settlers walked over the Bridle Path to settle Christchurch on the plains beyond.

When is the Lyttelton Farmers Market?

The Lyttelton Farmers Market runs every Saturday morning on London Street, year-round. It's one of Canterbury's longest-running farmers markets, with around 40 stalls including local producers and food vendors.

What is the Lyttelton Time Ball?

The Lyttelton Time Ball, originally built in 1876, was a navigation aid that dropped a ball at noon for ships to set chronometers. The station was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and rebuilt in 2018 by Heritage New Zealand.

Which schools are in zone for Lyttelton?

Children living in Lyttelton are in zone for Christchurch Adventist School, St Thomas of Canterbury College, Middleton Grange School, Te Aratai College, Hillview Christian School, Marian College, St Anne's School (Woolston), Lyttelton Primary School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Lyttelton?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Lyttelton, Canterbury | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Lyttelton

Lyttelton is the port town for Christchurch, on the northern shore of Lyttelton Harbour over the Port Hills from the city. The town sits between the steep hills and the working port, with around 3,000 residents and the kind of distinctive character that comes from being physically separated from the city it serves.

The town was the original landing point for the Canterbury Pilgrims in 1850 (the four ships - Charlotte Jane, Randolph, Sir George Seymour and Cressy - arrived at Lyttelton, with passengers walking over the Bridle Path to settle Christchurch on the plains beyond). The Lyttelton Road Tunnel, opened in 1964, replaced the historic Sumner Road route.

London Street is the main spine, with cafés, restaurants, the Lyttelton Coffee Company, vintage shops and the local supermarket. The Saturday Lyttelton Farmers Market on London Street is one of Canterbury's longest-running farmers markets. The Lyttelton Time Ball was rebuilt in 2018 after the earthquakes.

The Diamond Harbour ferry across the harbour is a 10-minute crossing. Port of Lyttelton handles most of the South Island's freight. Schools include Lyttelton Main School (state co-ed primary), with older students bussing through the tunnel to Cashmere High or central Christchurch schools. A small town with proper character.

Is Lyttelton a good place to live?

Lyttelton is home to roughly 3,201 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Lyttelton scores 71 out of 100, with a safety score of 61/100 and 33% green space.

Schools: Lyttelton has 14 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $749K, and weekly rent typically sits around $420.

Lifestyle: Lyttelton has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 6.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Lyttelton is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety61
Amenities100
Schools77
Housing Affordability50
Green space100
Community67
Transport10

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $749K
Median Weekly Rent: $420/wk
Median HH Income: $94K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +4.7%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Christchurch City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lyttelton?: Lyttelton is the port town for Christchurch, around 12 km from central Christchurch over the Port Hills via the Lyttelton Road Tunnel. It sits on the northern shore of Lyttelton Harbour (Whakaraupō).
How do I get from Christchurch to Lyttelton?: By car, around 15 to 20 minutes via the Lyttelton Road Tunnel (toll-free) from central Christchurch. The Number 28 bus runs from the central Bus Interchange to Lyttelton via the tunnel.
What was the Lyttelton landing?: Lyttelton was the original landing point for the Canterbury Pilgrims in 1850, when the four immigrant ships arrived from England. Settlers walked over the Bridle Path to settle Christchurch on the plains beyond.
When is the Lyttelton Farmers Market?: The Lyttelton Farmers Market runs every Saturday morning on London Street, year-round. It's one of Canterbury's longest-running farmers markets, with around 40 stalls including local producers and food vendors.
What is the Lyttelton Time Ball?: The Lyttelton Time Ball, originally built in 1876, was a navigation aid that dropped a ball at noon for ships to set chronometers. The station was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and rebuilt in 2018 by Heritage New Zealand.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Lyttelton

Schools in zone for Lyttelton

Children living in Lyttelton have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Christchurch Adventist School
Composite · roll 285 · decile 6
St Thomas of Canterbury College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 708 · decile 8
Middleton Grange School
Composite · roll 1387 · decile 9
Te Aratai College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 1277 · decile 3
Hillview Christian School
Composite · roll 545 · decile 7
Marian College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 436 · decile 9
St Anne's School (Woolston)
Full Primary · roll 176 · decile 3
Lyttelton Primary School
Full Primary · roll 126 · decile 9

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Lyttelton. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Lyttelton that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Diamond Harbour School
Full Primary · roll 108 · decile 9 · 2.7 km away
Heathcote Valley School
Full Primary · roll 186 · decile 9 · 3.0 km away
Ko Taku Reo - Deaf Education New Zealand
Specialist School · roll 99 · decile 10 · 4.3 km away
Mt Pleasant School
Full Primary · roll 372 · decile 10 · 4.9 km away
Sumner School
Full Primary · roll 310 · decile 9 · 4.9 km away
Our Lady Star of the Sea School (Christchurch)
Full Primary · roll 101 · decile 10 · 5.0 km away

Explore Lyttelton

Things to do(8)

Te Ūaka The Lyttelton Museum

REI Gallery

Tauhinu-Korokio Scenic Reserve

Lyttelton Recreation Grounds

Naval Point Club Lyttelton

Baby Basics NZ

Lyttelton Recreation Centre

Albion Square

Parks & green spaces(2)

Tauhinu-Korokio Scenic Reserve

Albion Square

Healthcare

Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.72	14.34	1.3	11.95
☀️ Feb	21.84	13.85	1.92	10.37
🍂 Mar	19.04	10.89	1.93	9.15
🍂 Apr	17.15	9.96	1.54	8.34
🍂 May	14.25	6.73	1.55	6.12
❄️ Jun	12.31	6.74	1.82	5.44
❄️ Jul	11.39	4.61	2.58	6.19
❄️ Aug	12.14	4.33	1.48	7.68
🌸 Sep	15.07	6.5	2.11	8.9
🌸 Oct	16.76	7.88	1.94	10.44
🌸 Nov	17.95	10.15	1.5	11.5
☀️ Dec	21.04	12.88	1.85	10.94

Living in Lyttelton

Is Lyttelton a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Lyttelton

Schools in zone for Lyttelton

Christchurch Adventist School

St Thomas of Canterbury College

Middleton Grange School

Te Aratai College

Hillview Christian School

Marian College

St Anne's School (Woolston)

Lyttelton Primary School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Diamond Harbour School

Heathcote Valley School

Ko Taku Reo - Deaf Education New Zealand

Mt Pleasant School

Sumner School

Our Lady Star of the Sea School (Christchurch)

Explore Lyttelton

🎯Things to do(8)

Te Ūaka The Lyttelton Museum

REI Gallery

Tauhinu-Korokio Scenic Reserve

Lyttelton Recreation Grounds

Naval Point Club Lyttelton

Baby Basics NZ

Lyttelton Recreation Centre

Albion Square

🌳Parks & green spaces(2)

Tauhinu-Korokio Scenic Reserve

Albion Square

🏥Healthcare

Eat & Drink in Lyttelton

🍽️Places to eat & drink(34)

MAPU Test kitchen

Sherpa Kai

London Fish and Chips

Fisherman's Wharf

Lyttelton Coffee Co.

Civil and Naval Bar & Eatery

Heisenburger Lyttelton

The Commoners Bar

Roots

Wunderbar

Nomnom Kitchen

Lyttelton Bakery

Irish Pub

The Lyttelton Arms

Project Taco

Glamour Cake

Super

Bomba

El GREKO

Boys Souvlaki Lyttelton

Freemans Dining Room, Bar & Deck

The Shroom Room

Nama Sushi

Eruption Brewing

Spooky Boogie

Coffee Culture Lyttelton

The Lyttelton KungFu Chicken

Pinkys Diner

Everest Indian Restaurant

The Irish Pub

Arbour Woodfired Pizza and Bar

Hell Fire Club

Armadillo's Lyttelton

Lyttelton Coffee Company

Tradies & Services in Lyttelton

🔧Tradies & services(11)

Cain Construction Ltd

Things to do(8)

Parks & green spaces(2)

Healthcare

Places to eat & drink(34)

Tradies & services(11)

Shops(9)

Beauty & fitness(10)

Professional services(3)

Places to stay(2)