A day across the water: the Diamond Harbour ferry and Stoddart Point

Across the water from Lyttelton, on the southern shore of the harbour, Diamond Harbour sits on a gentle slope beneath Te Ahu Pātiki / Mount Herbert. It is a small, mostly residential settlement, and to most visitors it is just the lights they see across the water in the evening. Spend a day there and you will find clifftop walks, sheltered beaches, a historic cottage, and the best view of Lyttelton there is.

The crossing

The ferry leaves from the jetty on the Lyttelton waterfront, a short walk from the bus stops, and runs as part of Christchurch's Metro public transport network. That means you can use a Metrocard, or tap a contactless bank card or phone, and the fare is the same kind you would pay on a city bus. The crossing takes only a few minutes, but it is a proper boat ride: you pass close to working tugs and ships, and look back at the town stacked on the hill with the Timeball above it.

Weekday sailings are frequent enough that commuters use the ferry to get to work in the city. Weekends are quieter, with roughly hourly sailings. Prams, wheelchairs and dogs are welcome on board.

In a strong nor'easter or southerly, the harbour can get choppy and sailings may be disrupted. Our getting to Lyttelton story explains how to link the ferry with the bus from the city.

A little history

The bay's earlier name was Te Waipapa. The English name is credited to Mark Stoddart, a settler who bought land here in 1856 to farm and is said to have named it after the way sunlight glittered on the water. The official name became Diamond Harbour in 1949, and since 2003 it has been Te Waipapa / Diamond Harbour.

In 1862 Stoddart built a cottage for his bride, and that house still stands above the bay. Stoddart Cottage is the oldest standing building in Diamond Harbour and has been registered as a Category I historic place since 1990. It was the childhood home of Margaret Stoddart, who became one of Canterbury's best-known painters of flowers and landscapes. The cottage is now used as a small gallery and community space, open on some days; check locally before you plan around it.

Nearby once stood Godley House, built in 1880 and long a local landmark. It was badly damaged in the September 2010 earthquake, and after further damage in February 2011 it was demolished. Like much of the harbour, Diamond Harbour carries the marks of those years quietly.

Stoddart Point

From the ferry wharf, a short climb brings you to Stoddart Point, the headland beside the wharf. A loop track around the point takes around half an hour on easy ground, with views across to Lyttelton, up the harbour to Quail Island and out towards the heads. There are picnic spots, places to sit and watch the ferry come and go, and toilets in the reserve.

This is the walk to do if you have only an hour or two between ferries.

The Coastal Cliffs Walkway

For a longer walk, the Coastal Cliffs Walkway follows the shoreline around this side of the harbour, running about seven kilometres from Church Bay through Diamond Harbour to Pūrau Bay. The council suggests allowing about an hour and a half for each half: Church Bay to the Diamond Harbour wharf, and the wharf to Pūrau. The track passes along low cliffs with small beaches below, through regenerating bush and pockets of old trees.

A good plan is to take the ferry over, walk one half of the track and come back, or walk the whole way and return to the wharf along the road. The council's Coastal Cliffs Walkway page has a map and current track notes. Parts of the cliffs are unstable, so stay on the track and keep away from edges.

Beaches and swimming

Diamond Harbour has a small beach near the wharf, and Church Bay and Pūrau Bay along the coast are sheltered and popular with families in summer. Water quality in the upper harbour varies, especially after heavy rain, so check the council and regional council swimming water quality advice in summer before getting in.

Going further: Te Ahu Pātiki / Mount Herbert

Diamond Harbour is the gateway to Te Ahu Pātiki / Mount Herbert, the highest point on Banks Peninsula at 919 metres. The climb is a full day, so it does not fit easily into a casual ferry trip, but an early ferry makes it possible for fit walkers. We cover it in our harbour walks story.

Food, shops and practicalities

There is a small shopping area up the hill from the wharf with a few local shops, but it is a village rather than a destination, and opening times can be limited, especially outside summer. Bring water, snacks and sun protection, particularly if you plan to walk.

A suggested easy day:

1. Morning ferry from Lyttelton.
2. Walk the Stoddart Point loop and look in on Stoddart Cottage if it is open.
3. Picnic lunch with a view back to the port.
4. Walk part of the Coastal Cliffs Walkway towards Church Bay or Pūrau.
5. Afternoon ferry back to Lyttelton, timed for a late lunch or early dinner in town.

Why it is worth the trip

The joy of Diamond Harbour is the change of perspective. From Lyttelton, the harbour feels like a busy working port surrounded by hills. From the other side, it feels like what it also is: a drowned volcano with a small town clinging to its far wall, ships moving across it, and quiet bays all around. For more on the town you have just left, see our working port story, and for an overview of the area, our visitor guide. The Wikipedia article on Diamond Harbour has more on the settlement's history and population.