On 24th October 1992, the Christchurch Gondola was opened. Twenty years in the making, the project became a survivor against court battles, public polls and a $11.5 million dollar construction bill.
After construction was finished, 16,000 tussock plants were returned to the site, along with the addition of new native flora. The Gondola was closed after the Canterbury earthquakes and reopened in March 2013.
The mountain was named Mt Cavendish after Canterbury Association member the Hon. Richard Cavendish.
The Maori name for these hills overlooking Lyttelton is Ĺketeupoko
