Marika 38

just thought i would tell you about our trip, which started on new years day, we drove up to Auckland from BOP, took about 3hrs, max, then had few hours there, we liked it very much , hotel was right on harbour front, had gorgeous meal in revolving restaurant in Sky tower to celebrate our first new yr in NZ. Then got up early next morning and walked to train st, (amazing train st, we thought,) train departed at 7.30am, on its 12hr trip to Wellington. We had booked a table, essential if you have kids and want to play games etc, to keep everyone happy. The train was a lovely old train, as you go through Akl suburbs out into the countryside you begin to see some lovely scenery, but it really gets stunning after you leave Hamilton St. You go over lots of bridges, viaducts, through lots of tunnels. My daughter and i stood out on viewing platform for ages getting lots of pics, but as you come towards Mt Ruapehu, it becomes quite breathtaking, lots on viewing platform then, so we would go inside for a sit and a coffe, (excellent buffet car, all good NZ fair, and not expensive). You stop at the National Park for 45 mins, enough time to walk up road further towards Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngaurhoe(Mt Doom, in Lord of the rings) and Mt Tongario, to take more pics. Mt Ruapehu had lots of snow on it, being the highest in North island at over 2500 m, Mt Ngaurhoe constantly smokes apparently, (All 3 Mountains are active Volcanoes), we could see smoke when we were there. Had lunch in the cafe on the station there, that was lovely and then back onto the train. Again the scenery was stunning, you go over very high gorges, and rivers, the commentary is great, sometimes amusing, depending who is doing it. The staff were lovely and friendly and great to chat to. Lounge car at the rear of train with huge windows all around, and people sit and chat back there, so that passes time aswell. You arrive in Wellington st at 7.30p.m, so we got taxi to hotel on Cuba St. So had eve and all of next day in Wellington and we loved it, i thought lots about the expats on here that live down there and it was nice to see names of places i have only ever seen on expats. The day in Welly was great, we did lots, but that could be another post, if anyone would like me too, i will tell you the places we went and ate and what we thought, could be useful for those thinking of whizzing down to Welly for a quick stop.
Caught train early again next day, and set off again to Akl, scenery was as stunning, but i have to admit to finding the trip much longer and harder on the way home, again w ehad a table, so much Uno was played and chess and draughts!!!!!!!! My 2 are 14 and 15, and were great and said they enjoyed it all, my daughter especially loved the 2 cities, she longs to live in a city oneday!!!!!! I met some lovely people on the train, i love chatting to people and it certainly passes the time, my fave person being an American lady, who was just the sweetest lady ever, she lived in LA, so we had great chat about that and our time there.
It was a trip that we thought was well worth the money, can't remember exactly how much, i think it was $198 each for the return ticket, but will check with OH tomorrow.
Website is www.tranzscenic.co.nz google that, and that should find it, even if its not exactly right.
We plan to do the other 2 tranzscenic trips on the South Island oneday, has anyone on expats done them, if so are they fantastic too ?

jackietyfry

Hi Marika
What a great post! I will show it to OH later.
We are arriving in Auckland on 3rd Feb (for a recce) and have already booked the Overlander to travel down to Welly on 5th Feb. We thought it would be a great way to see some of the countryside. Not sure if I could do 12 hours twice though!
After staying with friends in Welly we are flying to ChCh and the catching the Tranzcoastal up to Picton, stopping off in Kaikoura for a few days on the way.
Really looking forward to that trip as well ... and it is not half as long!
They say the best train trip is the Tranzscenic but that one will have to wait

Anyway glad you enjoyed it and it has given us some idea of what to expect,
bye for now
Jackie

uk+kiwi

Tranzalpine?

Having a look at the website now. Looks great.

simonmarkellis

Great Post my dear!

It's a promise to myself to one day do the same trip on the Overlander as yourself, it just sounds brilliant! Did you anounce to us Welly lot, that you were coming down here, cause we'd have all loved to have met you and your family ?

Yotty

The train trip from Christchurch to Greymouth (and back) is allegedly in the top 3 train journeys in the world.

RobClubley

We took the Transcoastal from Picton to Kaikoura in Easter 2006 and it was great. Awesome scenery. The track goes right by the side of the sea and you can see seals on the rocks.
Kaikoura is a beautiful place and there's lots to do. The whale watch trip is excellent, very professional and i can definitely recommend the Dolphin Encounter if you're feeling brave enough to go in the open sea. We swam with about 300 wild dolphins, Awesome experience!

Dolphin swim:
http://clubley.blogspot.com/2007/12/...rip-day-2.html


Kaikoura trip:
http://www.pimpmyskoda.co.uk/clubley...006/Easter.htm

Marika 38

Bless you Simon, thats nice of you, i would have loved to meet lots of you too, but it was just a day and the one eve in Wellington, and we knew we would have very hectic day. I can Chat for England, oops New Zealand, so it would have taken up half a day with us chatting on. Was in contact with Maz, but i didnt take laptop with me, so i didn't see a message from her to say she would be in the Museum the same day as us. There were some very funny looking statues around, but i don't think Maz was one of them, .
We will definitey be coming back to Wellington, and we would love to meet any of the Wellingtonians, (is that right !!!! )
If you would like to see some pics, i can give you my msn spaces link.
Marika.

Marika 38

Hi Rob,
That trip sounds brillliant too, can't wait to come to South Island. Think we may have to make that our Holiday this year, My mum in law is coming to stay with us for month in April, and while she is here she is coming down to South Island, on Overlander, then ferry, then the Tranzcoastal then bus to Chch, she has a friend there that she will stay with for few days, i think i may have to come with her to keep her company,
Swimming with all those dolphins, now that is awesome, we would definitely love to do that, will check out your pics now.

simonmarkellis

Always up for looking at piccies Marika! Lets have a look!!!

Marika 38

There are loads, only ones havn't put on yet are the ones from our recent trip, will try to do it this eve.

simonmarkellis

Terrific family photos, jealous of the fact that you managed to get out onto the beach on xmas day - far to wet and windy down here on xmas day.

Maz

Marika, thank you SO much for posting this! I'm so sorry I got caught up with going back to work (who'd have thought? I must really like my job!) to have not called you. Am busy kicking myself.

We were in Te Papa on the 2nd, but Lauren didn't really let us look at much. *sigh* She's announced she's going to study bones of extinct animals for one whole year and she enjoyed playing shop in the Discovery Centre (right name? not sure).

Important - did you go to Mac's Brewery right next to Te Papa? Great place! Was "dragged" there by colleagues on the last day of work (for most of us, Friday 21st) before Christmas, and colleague got a yard of ale which we, to my utter amazement, finished between 4 of us. *hic!* Got a ride home from the station that night...

I owe you a PM, kick me if I don't respond in the next 48 hours to it, I'll deserve it.

Anyway, the Overlander! Yes it's a great trip isn't it? When we were on our recce trip I had nixed the idea of flying down from AKL as I remember someone famously stating on this forum that flying into Wellington was "like being shot down". Bwa ha ha ha ha! So we got the train instead!

Drove out of Wellington, too, so didn't take off from it either...

Loved that train trip, and hope someday in the next couple of years to do at least one trip on the SI. I love train journeys, they're very relaxing.

teambwr47

Cheers for the original post and link..........

We've known about the Overlander for a while but the post and link pushed us to look at it more seriously and we've now planned a week long trip with hopefully no need to use a car.....

Auckland to Wellington on the Overlander
Foot passengers on the Ferry to the South island
Picton to Christchurch on the Tranz Scenic
Christchurch to Greymouth return on the Tranz Alpine
A few hotels and stops along the way

Flight back to Auckland from Christchurch.

Can't wait.

Yotty

Maz please don't be offended but you make a 4 hour trip over to the mainland seem like falling off the edge of the earth!

jackietyfry

Thanks for that.
We do intend doing one of those things, depends on how much time and the weather etc. Thanks again
Jackie