Heathcote Valley

Heathcote Valley is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand.LocationThe suburb is dominated by the approaches to the Lyttelton road tunnel, a major arterial that passes through the Port Hills. The road is part of the State Highway 74 network. The Main South Railway line passes through the suburb, before entering the Lyttelton rail tunnel that connects with the port of Lyttelton.The suburb is nestled at the foot of the steep volcanic crags that form the northern edge of the hills, some 8km southeast of the city centre. Heathcote Valley is also the starting point of the Christchurch Gondola, which goes up to Mount Cavendish on the Port Hills. The Gondola officially opened on 24 November 1992.HistoryHeathcote Valley has a long history of malting, the latest being the Canterbury Malting Company. The disused Maltworks, which closed in 1999, dominated the skyline. The distinctive Maltworks tower along with the rest of the remaining buildings were demolished in February 2012 to make way for residential developments.Ex-All Black Walter Argus bought a market garden in Heathcote Valley in 1949, so did not tour South Africa with the team.Relation to Heathcote RiverDespite its name, Heathcote Valley is situated some two kilometres south of the Heathcote River, which does not flow through the suburb but rather flows east across a wide plain.