May 19, 2019
Our first morning arriving at the Te Ana Marina, we walked over to check out nearby Lyttelton. It’s a small town, most of the shops and eateries laid out on one main street with residential surroundings, the houses and cottages clinging to the hilly area above the town.
Since the town itself sits on a hillside, it’s a short uphill walk to the main street. Once there we found cafes, restaurants, shops, a pharmacy, and a nice market which meant we wouldn’t have to depend on trips to Christchurch for supplies or meals out.
We did notice the town definitely had a hipster vibe, making me think it would be nice to have a hipster disguise kit with fake tattoos, piercings, and big beards we could wear to fit in better. Rich joked the effect would be ruined by our matching jumpers (pullover jacket things). We’d just had to hope we didn’t look too nerdy. (For any fans of the show Portlandia, we felt like the straight-laced guy in this skit.)
Over the time we were here on our first trip, we had some great lunches and coffee in Lyttelton and always found what we needed at the market. There’s also a good farmer’s market on Saturdays.
After our cruise to Stewart Island, we returned to this area. Summer had turned to fall, and we found Lyttelton seemed to have a different vibe. It was quieter, more low-key, and the hipsters seemed to be gone—maybe they head to warmer climes for the winter? Either way, Lyttelton is a nice little town. –Cyndi
(Below, a few photos of the main street of Lyttelton and a few of the eateries. You can click to enlarge and scroll through them.)
