place

Lyttelton Rail Tunnel

All accuracy disputesHeritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Canterbury, New ZealandLyttelton, New ZealandRail transport in ChristchurchRailway tunnels in New Zealand
Transport buildings and structures in Canterbury, New ZealandTunnels completed in 1867Use New Zealand English from August 2015
Lyttelton rail tunnel 01
Lyttelton rail tunnel 01

The Lyttelton Rail Tunnel, initially called the Moorhouse Tunnel, links the city of Christchurch with the port of Lyttelton in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is the country's oldest operational rail tunnel, and is on the Lyttelton Line, one of the first railways built by Canterbury Provincial Railways. On completion in 1867 it became the first tunnel in the world to be taken through the side of an extinct volcano, and at 2.6 km (1.6 mi), the longest in the country. Its opening made the Ferrymead Railway, New Zealand's first public railway line, obsolete.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Lyttelton Rail Tunnel (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Lyttelton Rail Tunnel
Crater Rim Walkway, Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Lyttelton Rail TunnelContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N -43.591944444444 ° E 172.71333333333 °
placeShow on map

Address

2/Main South Line

Crater Rim Walkway
8082 Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community
Canterbury, New Zealand
mapOpen on Google Maps

Lyttelton rail tunnel 01
Lyttelton rail tunnel 01
Share experience

Nearby Places

Bridle Path (New Zealand)
Bridle Path (New Zealand)

The Bridle Path is a steep shared-use track that traverses the northern rim of the Lyttelton volcano connecting the port of Lyttelton with the city of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is a popular walking and mountain biking route. The track ascends from the port itself to a height of 333 metres (1,093 ft) before descending again via Heathcote Valley to Christchurch. At the summit, next to the Summit Road, is a stone shelter with covered seats that is a 1940 New Zealand centennial memorial to the Pioneer Women of Canterbury. There are also seven commemorative stone seats placed along the Bridle Path; most of these were built for the 1950 Canterbury centenary celebrations. Hastily constructed in late 1850, just in time for the first Canterbury Association settlers to use, it was the most direct way to travel from the port to the new settlements on the plains on the northern side of the Port Hills. Although very steep, it was the primary means of traversing the hills until the Sumner Road over Evans Pass was opened to light traffic in 1858. Originally, the road over Evans Pass was intended to be completed by the time the first settlers arrived but the Canterbury Association ran out of money. John Robert Godley had the road work stopped, and only had enough time to cut a rough Bridle Road once obtained further funding. It is referred to as a bridle path because the track was so steep and narrow in places that riders needed to dismount and lead their horses by the bridle. The path was considered unsuitable for a fully loaded cart or dray. The track is a legal road, so may be used by motor vehicles, such as trail bikes, though this is regarded as a nuisance. There have been attempts to change the legal status from road to park since the 1970s.

The Loons (venue)
The Loons (venue)

The Loons is a music and performance events venue in Lyttelton, Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. The building was constructed at 16 Canterbury Street, Lyttelton in 1905. Businesses that occupied the building from 1905 to the 1920s included a grocery shop, a bakery and a tailor. During the 1920s and 1930s a motor vehicle garage operated in the building. The building was offered for sale by tender in May 1935. A transport business, the Lyttelton Carrying Service, operated from the site from 1935 through until 1942. In 1944, the building became the Lyttelton Waterside Workers Social Club, known as "The Loons", after it was purchased by three watersiders. In 1949, the Waterside Workers Social Club applied to the Licensing Control Commission for a club charter for the site. In 1952, the name of the social club was changed to Lyttelton Working Men's Club (Inc). In 2006, the Lyttelton Working Men's Club was facing the prospect of closing the Loons building, but a Lyttelton theatre director Mike Friend took over the lease. The Loons opened as a performance venue on 31 March 2007 with a cabaret with Joe Bennett. The theatre group took on the name of the building to become The Loons Theatre Company, using the venue as a rehearsal space during the day, and providing waiter service at night. Over 400 events were staged at the venue over a period of 5 years, ranging from community quiz nights and charity fund-raisers to children’s shows and professional theatre. At the time of the theatre company taking up the lease, the Working Men's Club had been struggling. However, there was a resurgence in club membership after the Loons theatre company productions began. The theatre company held the liquor licence for the premises, and hosted the bar service for club members on the days when there were no performances. Parts of the building were re-purposed to support circus and theatre productions. A hatch was created between a 25 m rifle range in the basement and the theatre stage for use in performances. In addition to adult theatre performances, the venue was also used for teaching circus and theatre skills for children aged 5 to 14. The 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes caused damage to the building leading to closure, and the theatre company was without a home. The Lyttelton Working Men's Club undertook planning for repairs of the building with input from the theatre company. However, the theatre company was unable to reach agreement with the Working Men's Club over the terms for a new lease. The theatre company entered into an arrangement with the Lyttelton Primary School and the Ministry of Education to share in the development of a dual purpose hall and performance theatre facility on school property on the corner of Oxford Street and Sumner Road. This new venue, opened in 2016, is known as the Lyttelton Arts Factory. The post-earthquake repairs and renovations of The Loons cost over $3m, funded from insurance and money raised through grants. During the period of the renovations, the Lyttelton Working Men's Club changed its name to The Loons Club (Inc), a registered charity. The renovations were completed in December 2020, and The Loons re-opened in 2021 as a venue for live music and performance events, with capacity for up to 450 people. The Loons has hosted performances from a wide variety of artists including New Zealand bands such as Tiny Ruins. New Zealand folk singer Mel Parsons has described the venue:I would say Loons is the main Christchurch venue now. It's almost like a community hall. It's beautiful, and has been refurbished, but it's just a big long room with a wooden floor and a stage at one end.