Honouring a Lifetime of Conservation
The John Jameson Lookout sits on Summit Road opposite the Sign of the Bellbird, on the harbour side of the Port Hills ridge in Christchurch. It is one of the newest viewpoints on the hills, opened in 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Summit Road Society, and has quickly become one of the most popular stops along the road. The lookout sits beneath Ōrongomai / Cass Peak, looking east over Whakaraupō / Lyttelton Harbour.
The Lookout and its Design
The lookout features a car park, stone walls built from Port Hills volcanic stone, native plantings, and a large sloping grassed area below the car park with bench seats facing the harbour. A panoramic interpretation panel names the significant wāhi (places) visible around the harbour and is one of the most useful orientation aids on the Port Hills. The project was a partnership between the Summit Road Society, Christchurch City Council, and Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, and cost around NZ$400,000, funded through grants and Society fundraising.
At the focal point of the lookout stands a plinth that was designed to hold a pou whenua, carved from tōtara by Ngāti Wheke carver Caine Tauwhare and shaped as a taringa (ear), evoking the name Ōrongomai, meaning "the place where voices are heard." The pou was stolen in early 2024 and at the time of writing had not been replaced, leaving the plinth standing alone. Its absence is noticeable.
John Jameson and the Summit Road Society
The lookout commemorates John Jameson, the grandson of Harry Ell. After the Second World War, Jameson was appalled to find the Port Hills reserves grazed and the rest-houses his grandfather had envisioned vandalised. He pushed for the creation of a protection organisation and in 1948 founded the Summit Road Society. He was awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1983 and died in 2018, aged 97, after a lifetime dedicated to the Port Hills. His estate provided seed funding for this lookout.
How to Get There
By car, the John Jameson Lookout opposite is reached from Christchurch via Colombo Street and Dyer Pass Road to Dyers Pass, then heading south on Summit Road. This drive is 14 km and takes about 22 minutes. From State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa, take Gebbies Pass Road to the south end of Summit Road.
Other nearby places to visit include the Sign of the Takahe, Sign of the Kiwi, Mt Vernon, Hoon Hay Scenic Reserve and Gibralter Rock.
