This large rounded hill is a popular day trip for Cantabrians and particularly so in winter when, on a clear day, the entire Canterbury Alps from Aoraki/Mt Cook to the Seaward Kaikouras will be resplendent under a mantle of white, glistening in the sun. There is a variety of routes to the summit, but the most used are those via the Mt Herbert Walkway which starts and finishes at either Diamond Harbour or Orton Bradley Park.

A novel way to reach the former is on the Diamond Harbour Ferry from Lyttelton, giving you a real sea-to-sky adventure, almost in the heart of Christchurch. Even though there will be almost 1000m of ascent required to gain the summit, none of it is particularly steep.

A shelter is located near the summit, on the track from Orton Bradley, and is a good place to stop if it’s windy.