Port Hills

thumb|A portion of the Port Hills

The Port Hills () are a range of hills in Canterbury Region of New Zealand, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Lyttelton volcano, which erupted millions of years ago.

History

thumb|left|A model of the [[Banks Peninsula (vertically exaggerated); the Port Hills are the volcanic ridge on the left]]

The volcano is one of two from which Banks Peninsula was originally formed 12 million years ago. The area was first populated by Māori during the 14th century. During early European settlement some 500 years later the Port Hills presented a challenging barrier between the harbour and the planned settlement of Christchurch, their steepness and ruggedness making access extremely difficult. For approximately 17 years (1850–1867), the majority of settlers used the precipitous Bridle Path to transport themselves and their belongings to the plains on the other side. Today the Lyttelton road tunnel and a separate rail tunnel connect the port and the city suburbs, and three road routes crossing the range – via Evans, Dyers and Gebbies passes – are connected by the Summit Road.

Natural disasters (21st century)

• In February 2017, bush fires in the Port Hills burned for days, destroying over 1600 Ha of bush and nine homes.
• In February 2024 another major wildfire broke out on Worsleys Road on 14 February and burned around 700 hectares of bushland, destroyed one home, and prompted evacuations and a state of emergency.

Geography and conservation

The Port Hills are a prominent feature of the central Canterbury landscape, being visible for many kilometres from the north and west.

The crest of the Port Hills varies somewhat in height, being lowest at the eastern (seaward) end. Two road passes traverse the Port Hills from Christchurch. Dyers Pass (elevation c. 330 m), almost due south of central Christchurch is the more prominent of the two passes. Evans Pass (elevation c. 200 m), which is near the eastern end of the Port Hills, normally connects Sumner and Lyttelton but was closed since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake caused significant damage to Sumner Road on the Lyttelton side of the pass until reopening in 2019.

thumb|Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve

Between Evans Pass and Dyers Pass are several significant summits, including Sugarloaf (494 m), recognisable by the television transmission tower on its summit; Mount Cavendish (448 m); and Tauhinukorokio / Mount Pleasant (499 m), the highest peak in the northern arc of the Port Hills. West of Dyers Pass, the Port Hills curve away southward and become even higher, rising to 573 m at Coopers Knob. From Coopers Knob the crater rim descends to Gebbies Pass (elevation c. 160 m). The hills south and east of Gebbies Pass are regarded as part of Banks Peninsula proper rather than the Port Hills.

Several suburbs of Christchurch extend onto the northern slopes of the Port Hills, including Cashmere, Mt Pleasant, Heathcote Valley and Sumner. Other parts of the hills are used for farming and forestry, as well as a significant number of scenic reserves created for recreational and conservation purposes, following an initiative by Christchurch councillor Harry Ell at the turn of the 20th century. In 1948 the Summit Road Scenic Society was formed to continue development and maintenance of the reserves. The Christchurch Adventure Park was opened in 2016 which provides mountain biking opportunities on the slopes of Worsleys Hill. Road cycling is also very popular on the Port Hills with "short bays" and "long bays" being two of the most popular longer routes.

Demographics

The statistical area of Port Hills covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².