2009. Around Mount Pleasant Summit including WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Ruins

2009. Summit Road view of Heathcote Valley side going up to John Britten Reserve, above Avon-Heathcote Estuary. Mt Thomas & Pegasus Bay backdrop


2009. Summit Road view of Heathcote Valley, Christchurch CBD, Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps


2009. MTB, Summit Road, Mt Cavendish. Christchurch, Canterbury Plains & Southern Alps backdrop


2009. Summit Road Carpark, Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle


2009. Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish saddle. Governors Bay & Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle view of Lyttelton Harbour, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass & Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle view of Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass

One Saturday morning, nor'wester blowing, yet cloudy and cool over the Port Hills, I parked my car at Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish saddle by Summit Road, as I wanted to walk around Mt Pleasant summit (499m). Two other cars were parked on the saddle.

Down Summit Road side of the saddle I looked at Heathcote Valley, Christchurch CBD, Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Pegasus Bay and Southern Alps. On the other side I stood on a WW2 guard hut roof and looked at Lyttelton and beyond to Banks Peninsula.


2009. Dog Walker, Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle, Port Hills


2009. Crater Rim Walkway / Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track going towards Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs


2009. Summit Road Carpark, Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle. Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps backdrop

I watched a woman walking her big, fluffy, white dog towards Major Hornbrook Track. Starting left, I followed a bloke about my age toting a backpack full of rockclimbing gear along Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track, part of Crater Rim Walkway. The track climbed towards Mt Pleasant summit, then became a rocky contour path below Mt Pleasant summit bluffs. I passed 4 rockclimbers: 1 climbing, 3 on the path.


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Rockclimber, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track below Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs, Port Hills


2009. Stone Steps & Tree Fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata, across Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track


2009. Bluff Overhang, Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track. See Rockclimbers' Stainless-Steel Bolts


2009. Duckboard Bridge, Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track, Port Hills

I walked through native bush below Mt Pleasant basalt bluffs, and found 2 more blokes rockclimbing: 1 climbing, 1 belaying below. I passed low caves at bluff bottoms, smelling of urine, and looked at rockclimbers' stainless-steel bolts attached up a cave overhang.

Where the track wasn't rocky, it was dry clay covered in roots and leaf-litter. I passed whiteywoods, tree nettles, tree fuchsias and mountain horopito, ramarama, pepper trees, Pseudowintera colorata, with redly stained green leaves. I crossed a duckboard bridge over a dry stream in bush so dark my Nikon flashed a coolpix: 10.30 am.


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Major Hornbrook Track below Mt Cavendish. Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass, Head of the Bay & Governors Bay, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert & Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Purau, Mt Evans, The Monument, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lytteton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Spur below Mt Pleasant Summit


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Mt Pleasant Summit, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track southern view of Bluffs below Mt Pleasant Summit. Canterbury Plains beyond saddle


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track southern view of Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs & Mt Cavendish. Canterbury Plains beyond


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Major Hornbrook Track below Mt Cavendish. Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs track view of Governors Bay & Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass & Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Lyttelton, Quail Island & Gebbies Pass

In native bush openings, I had spectacular broom-polluted views over Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass, southern Port Hills and Mt Cavendish.


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Radio Masts & Trig beacon on Mt Pleasant Summit


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Mt Pleasant Southern Slope, Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps, Mt Cavendish


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Mt Cavendish, The Tors & Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Purau, The Monument, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley

Mt Pleasant Bluffs track zigzagged up a windy spur, partly sheltered by kanukas. I sat on a spur rock and scoffed Coke, apple, snack bar, while admiring views: Mt Pleasant summit with radio masts and trig beacon; saddle view of Canterbury Plains, Christchurch, Southern Alps; Mt Cavendish; Port Hills peaks to Gebbies Pass; Governors Bay; Head of the Bay, Charteris Bay, Quail Island; Lyttelton; Diamond Harbour; Mt Herbert; Mt Bradley; The Monument; Mt Evans; Banks Peninsula. On a northern Mt Pleasant slope, I saw a skyline view of a WW2 Anti-Aircraft Battery.


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Mt Evans, The Monument, Purau, Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Mt Evans, Banks Peninsula


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur view of Banks Peninsula. See top left WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery, Mt Pleasant eastern slope


2009. Kanuka on Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Spur. See WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery on Mt Pleasant eastern slope skyline

Closer to the spur, I saw Major Hornbrook Track and Bridle Path winding below Mt Cavendish to Lyttelton. I watched rockclimbers I'd passed, climbing and abseiling, the yellow shirted bloke a rock spider clinging to the red-lichened cliff he climbed.


2009. Track Marker on Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Tree, Port Hills

Back on Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track, a scrawny youth caught up with me. A young woman passed, going fast down stone steps through native bush.


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Mt Pleasant eastern slope with WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery on skyline


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs & Spur


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs, Lyttelton, Quail Island, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Governors Bay, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Purau, The Monument, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Broom Polluted view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Purau, The Monument, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Quail Island


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track Cabbage Tree view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Port Hills, Quail Island


2009. Mt Herbert Bluffs Track view of Mt Pleasant Summit Bluffs, Spur, Lyttelton, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Gebbies Pass, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Port Hills, Quail Island


2009. Mt Pleasant Bluffs track view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Quail Island

On the other side of the spur, zigzagging down more stone steps, I passed through more native bush below more Mt Pleasant basalt bluffs. Trees were marked with orange plastic triangles, unnecessary I thought, as Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track was well worn. A skinny couple, their skinny, adult daughter and small, fluffy, white dog passed, trekking to Mt Cavendish.


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track & Spur below Mt Pleasant Summit (499m)


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Mt Pleasant Bluffs, Lyttelton, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Lyttelton & Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Lyttelton, Quail Island, Port Hills


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Quail Island

I zigzagged up a bluff break to the WW2 Anti-Aircraft Battery in tussockland on a Mt Pleasant eastern slope. It took me 1 hour 30 minutes to dawdle Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track from Mt Cavendish-Mt Pleasant saddle to the AA Battery. The young woman jogged by, returning to Mt Cavendish.


2009. Jogger, Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Gun Emplacements


2009. Walker, Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Gun Emplacements


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Gun Emplacement view of Mt Pleasant Summit (499m) & Mt Cavendish (445m)

I lingered an hour or so on Mt Pleasant eastern slope, as the views were magnificent: Mt Pleasant summit; Lyttelton Harbour towards Adderley Head and Godley Head; Summit Road / Evans Pass crossroads; Scarborough; Sumner; Pegasus Bay; Southern Alps; Canterbury Plains; Christchurch. And southern views over Lyttelton, Bays..., Banks Peninsula peaks and Port Hills.


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Sign by Gun Emplacements. Mt Pleasant Summit (499m), Mt Cavendish (445m) & Port Hills backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Control Room view of Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Mt Bradley, Gebbies Pass, Quail Island


2009. Graffiti, Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Control Room Window


2009. Jogger, Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Gun Emplacement


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Summit Road, Lyttelton Harbour & Mt Evans


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Summit Road / Evans Pass Intersection. Lyttelton Harbour & Adderley Head backdrop

I explored the WW2 Anti-Aircraft Battery: four 3.7 inch AA gun emplacements - large lumps of thick concrete with graffiti, and a flat roofed thick concrete control room, half buried in solid rock. I stood on the flat roof of the control room and took 360 degree coolpix, while three men jogged by.


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery view of Summit Road / Evans Pass Intersection. Godley Head Road left. Pacific, Lyttelton Harbour & Adderley Head backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant eastern slope Gate & Stile on the way down to WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Camp. Pacific, Godley Head & Adderley Head backdrop


2009. Mt Pleasant eastern slope view of Pacific, Scarborough & Godley Head Road

Further down Mt Pleasant eastern slope, overlooking Scarborough, Sumner and Pegasus Bay, I explored demolished Battery Camp ruins amongst tussock, clover and thistles: cracked concrete slabs; low broken walls; 3 series of concrete steps going nowhere, backdropped by windblown trees.


2009. WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Camp Ruins, overlooking Richmond Hill, Scarborough Beach & Scarborough


2009. Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Camp Ruins view of Jollies Bush, Summit Road, Richmond Hill. Pacific backdrop


2009. Cracked Concrete: Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Camp Ruins overlooking Richmond Hill, Sumner, Scarborough & Pacific


2009. Military Steps Going Nowhere: Mt Pleasant WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery Camp Ruins

"Typical military," I thought, "Leaving a wasteland of thistles and cracked concrete."


2009. Mt Pleasant eastern slope view of Richmond Hill, Jollies Bush, Summit Road, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant eastern slope view of Richmond Hill, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park view of Jollies Bush, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park zoom view of Jollies Bush, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park view of Richmond Hill, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park view of Summit Road corner above Richmond Hill, Sumner, Scarborough, Pacific


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park view of Redcliffs, Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, Pegasus Bay, Mt Thomas


2009. Mt Pleasant, Greenwood Park view of Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps

Below the Battery Camp ruins, several MTBs raced along a Greenwood Park track towards Evans Pass. I walked through well watered tussockland amongst scattered trees with views over Jollies Bush, Scarborough, Sumner and Pegasus Bay, till I came to a wide track through Greenwood Park going down to Summit Road.


2009. Summit Road Stile, Greenwood Park, Mt Pleasant eastern slope

I crossed a Greenwood Park stile near a Summit Road corner, and marched up Summit Road on the northern side of Mt Pleasant back to my car:

Left: Greenwood Park MTB track...


2009. Greenwood Park Sign, Summit Road, Mt Pleasant

Right: Pine shelterbelt by Summit Road overlooking Eastenders Track, Barnett Park, Redcliffs...


2009. Mt Pleasant, Summit Road view of Eastenders Track right, Barnett Park, Redcliffs. Moncks Spur left, going down to Avon-Heathcote Estuary. Pegasus Bay backdrop.

Left: Farm House below Mt Pleasant summit...


2009. Summit Road view of Farm House below Mt Pleasant Summit

Right: Two Scottish Highland cattle and a stinking roadkill possum by another pine shelterbelt below the farmhouse...


2009. Roadkill Possum, Summit Road below Mt Pleasant Summit

Left: Summit Rd / Mt Pleasant Rd junction signs below Mt Pleasant summit...


2009. Summit Rd / Mt Pleasant Rd Signs, Summit Road below Mt Pleasant Summit

Right: View down Mt Pleasant summit slope to Avon-Heathcote Estuary mouth...


2009. Summit Road / Mt Pleasant Road Junction view of Avon-Heathcote Estuary Mouth

Left: View up to Mt Pleasant summit beyond shelter trees...

Right: JOHN BRITTEN MTB TRACK below Summit Road...


2009. Summit Road view of John Britten MTB Track below Mt Pleasant Summit. South New Brighton & Pegasus Bay backdrop

Left: BROADLEAF LANE & NO EXIT signs near a skyline pine...


2009. Broadleaf Lane Sign, Summit Road below Mt Pleasant Summit

Right: JOHN BRITTEN RESERVE & KENTON TRACK TO HEATHCOTE QUARRY signs...


2009. John Britten Reserve Sign, Summit Road below Mt Pleasant Summit. Heathcote Valley, Christchurch CBD & Canterbury Plains beyond


2009. Kenton Track to Heathcote Quarry Sign, Summit Road below Mt Pleasant Summit. Heathcote Valley, Christchurch CBD & Canterbury Plains beyond

Left: Two MTBs sped past, while I marched on Summit Road around Mt Pleasant summit.


2009. MTBs, Summit Road, John Britten Reserve Corner, Port Hills

Right: Round John Britten Reserve corner views of Mt Cavendish, The Tors, Castle Rock, southern Port Hills, Heathcote Valley, Morgans Valley, Christchurch CBD...


2009. Summit Road view of Heathcote Valley, Horotane Valley & Avoca Valley. Christchurch & Canterbury Plains beyond


2009. Summit Road view of Mt Cavendish, The Tors, Castle Rock, Port Hills


2009. Summit Road view of Morgans Valley Development, Heathcote Valley, Christchurch

Left: Another farmhouse below Mt Pleasant summit. More Saturday afternoon MTBs whizzed past, smiling...

Right: Scott Bench below Summit road with views of Mt Cavendish, The Tors, Castle Rock, Heathcote Valley, Morgans Valley, Avon- Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps, Pegasus Bay...


2009. Summit Road view of Scott Bench, Morgans Valley, Heathcote Valley, Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch


2009. Scott Plaques, Scott Bench, Summit Road, Mt Pleasant, Port Hills


2009. Scott Bench view of Summit Road, Mt Cavendish, The Tors, Castle Rock, Port Hills

It took me 1 hour to march along Summit Road from Greenwood Park, Mt Pleasant eastern slope to Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish saddle, Mt Pleasant northern slope.

Ten cars were parked on Summit Road saddle, mid afternoon walkers and rockclimbers coming and going. Two Maori men drove by in their giant three-wheeler "cars," and waved.


2009. Summit Road Carpark, Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle, Port Hills. Christchurch & Canterbury Plains backdrop


2009. Summit Road, Mt Pleasant-Mt Cavendish Saddle, Port Hills. Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps backdrop

Two months later on a warm Wednesday afternoon, Leah and I walked a Greenwood Park track from Summit Road corner to the WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery. We didn't see Christchurch, Pegasus Bay, Barnett Park, Summit Road, Sumner, Scarborough, Evans Pass, nor Godley Head, as a vast fog bank about 400m high had covered the Pacific, and rolled over Christchurch and Port Hills valleys below Greenwood Park where we walked on Mt Pleasant eastern slope.

As we walked in bright sunlight at fog's edge, the fog made the air humid. We hardly saw Jollies Bush as wisps of fog floated over it. Likewise WW2 Battery Camp ruins. On our right we saw sheep under windblown trees going up towards Mt Pleasant summit.

We sat on a rock drinking CocaCola by the WW2 Anti Aircraft Battery, and watched fog creeping over Lyttelton Harbour, Purau and Diamond Harbour, and up Mt Herbert valleys, leaving Mt Evans, The Monument, Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley still visible.

The rest of Lyttelton Harbour, Lyttelton and Port Hills from Mt Pleasant to Gebbies Pass stayed sunny, with wispy clouds forming over Dyers Pass and Governors Bay.

Two walkers passed, puffing towards Mt Pleasant Bluffs Track. In the distance, we watched two paragliders floating over Bridle Path top by Summit Road, circling and vanishing behind Mt Cavendish.

Coda: The 2010-2011 earthquakes caused extensive quake damages to Christchurch, Heathcote Valley, Lyttelton, Evans Pass, Scarborough, Sumner, Redcliffs...

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont