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Photo: Megan Hieatt, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
An old WWI-era military base, now an occasional tourist curio.
Ripapa Island, also known earlier as Ripa Island, located just off the shore of Lyttelton Harbour, has played many roles in the history of New Zealand. A Māori fortified pā there played a key role in an internal struggle for the South Island Ngāi Tahu tribe in the early 19th century. Between 1873 and 1885, the island hosted a quarantine station, which was also used as a temporary prison for members of the Parihaka Māori settlement in Taranaki. Fort Jervois was built in 1886 as part of system of defences against a feared Russian invasion. The fort was in military use until the end of World War I, and again during World War II. It is the most complete Russian-scare fort still existing in New Zealand.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Originally opened in 1876, it provided a reliable time signal "to set your watch by", as the ball was dropped daily at 1PM. The station was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and the tower alone was rebuilt in 2017-18.
A sandy beach at the bottom of a steep sided cove, one bay west from the port and town.
Awaroa
WWII coastal defence site, lighthouse and a 3 hour walking track.