What it is
The gondola opened in October 1992 as the Mount Cavendish Gondola. Its cabins travel about 1,000 metres up the slopes of the Port Hills, the eroded remains of the Lyttelton volcano, to a summit station 445 metres above sea level.
The top station has a viewing deck, a café and restaurant, and an exhibit on the region's history. From the crest you look north over Christchurch and the plains to the Southern Alps and south into the drowned crater of Lyttelton Harbour. Walking and biking tracks along the Port Hills start nearby. The gondola closed after the 2011 earthquake and reopened in 2013.
Getting there by bus
The Christchurch Gondola stop (stop 45925) is right outside the base station, about 45 m away, and is served by routes 8 (Airport/Lyttelton) and 155 (Eastgate/Lyttelton). The same two routes stop at Bridle Path Rd (stop 42370), around 160 m away.
Route 8 runs through the central city, including Manchester St Super Stop and the Bus Interchange, so the gondola can be reached directly from the centre.
