Upon their arrival in New Zealand a few years ago, a British couple commented that they’d like to adjust their watches to local time, but they didn’t know how to put them back 20 years. They spoke in jest, however in their words lurked a kernel of truth. There are parts of New Zealand where time has all but stood still, and Lyttelton, nestled just over the Port Hills from Christchurch, is one of these places.

Like a living time capsule, many of Lyttelton’s buildings still proudly display the sort of boxy architecture only a 60′s mother could love. Those that date back further are charmingly constructed of rough hewn stone. History lies in layers about this port town.

Home to the New Zealand Maori for 700 years, Lyttelton was once the first port of call for British settlers arriving in New Zealand, and it is now home to a vibrant, alternative and largely eco-aware set who like Lyttelton’s proximity to the big city (just a 10 minute drive through the tunnel which runs under the Port hills,) yet also enjoy the sense of temporal isolation which Lyttelton provides.

For travelers seeking the ‘real’ New Zealand, the architectural layers of Lyttelton tell a story of settlement, development and a subsequent return to a simpler lifestyle – otherwise known as the New Zealand dream.

A well worn traveler who has been yelled at by airport security in three continents and lost money in taxis in too many countries to count, Alexandra has been traveling independently since her parents cast her offshore at the age of 16 with one phrase in German to guide herself by, “Ich habe den kase genommen”. (I have taken the cheese.) Having taken up writing to sustain life (and buy the odd ticket home when unintentionally becoming stranded in unfriendly lands), her writings now appear in a myriad of unlikely locations, including this one.

For more of Alexandra’s writing visit http://www.monkeycorporate.com