This was my second attempt to run a Helicopter Hill trip – and the second time it had to be cancelled, so we ended up in the Port Hills instead, aiming to climb Te Tihi-o-Kahukura / Castle Rock. We met at the Gondola car park. This time, we had kids ranging from 1 to 9 years old, which wasn’t ideal given the big age span. After covering about 1 km of the track towards Castle Rock in roughly 1.5 hours, Dominique and her toddler decided it was time to call it a day. Instead of climbing Castle Rock, they headed back along the Bridle Path and over the saddle down to Lyttelton.
Our group – consisting of Elliot (4 years) and Thomas (9 years) – continued up to Castle Rock. When we finally reached the top, it was clear the kids were pretty knackered from the scorching heat (to be fair, I was starting to fade a bit too!). It was about 26 degrees, so we decided to take the shortest way down to Lyttelton, where some good ice-cream options awaited. Despite the challenges, we still managed a decent distance and elevation gain!
Stats: 6.9 km, 5 h 20 min, 370 m ascent
Participants: Michal Klajban (leader, scribe, GPX) + Elliot, Emily Williams + partner + Thomas, Doninique Schacherer + sister + kids
Tramped on 11th October 2025.
Photos
Map
Max elevation: 422 m
Min elevation: 12 m
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