NZ Kiwirail - Scenic

[185]

Greetings from afar. 13,700 miles afar to be precise.

Travelling this Saturday with them from Auckland down to Welly, then next week onto the south island. Not a bad price of £210 for three day long distance travel.

Just wondering how it has changed since the state took the company back over in 2010.

 

[Clip]

Enjoy yourself. I had a blast though when on south Island we had a bit of a RRB for some of the journey.

Lucky sod - I wanna go back there

 

[fowler9]

Very jealous. We spent a month and a half traveling around New Zealand on the Inter City buses. Nothing wrong with them but I would have loved to have done one of the long distance trains. Best I managed train wise was from the Britomart to Papatoetoe on our way to the airport.

 

[Clip]

185 - I must add that if you have the time take a trip up to Steam Inc @ Paekakariki, even if just for a look round. If you do have the time for a trip its well worth it too http://www.steaminc.org.nz/

 

[Greenback]

I only travelled from Christchurch to Greymouth when I was down there. I found the carriages a bit small and cramped, but the views were spectacular!

I did a lot of travel by coach, and I didn't find it too bad at all, though I was a bit fed up after Rotorua to Wellington, it was quite a long trip!

My favourite journey was up to Paihia from Auckland, if only that could have been by rail!

 

[fowler9]

I only travelled from Christchurch to Greymouth when I was down there. I found the carriages a bit small and cramped, but the views were spectacular!

I did a lot of travel by coach, and I didn't find it too bad at all, though I was a bit fed up after Rotorua to Wellington, it was quite a long trip!

My favourite journey was up to Paihia from Auckland, if only that could have been by rail!

Cool, very jealous. I thought the coaches were pretty good as well though as you said. Which company did you use? The drivers were a bit better on the south island I found. We had a cracking driver from Christchurch to Mount Cook and the same guy again 2 days later from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Considering it was just the NZ equivalent to National Express the chap was giving us loads of info, made photo stops and even broke in to a few local songs (Maybe not to everyones taste, but I thought it was funny anyway). One of our bus trips was similar to yours, Wellington to Taupo, did you pass the 3 volcanoes on your route?

 

[PFX]

I took a coach from Wellington up to Palmy North years ago (it may have been Intercity) and the driver was making hilarious announcements all the way. I had intended to join the Aukland to Wellington Overlander at Palmy on the return trip but arrived at the station to see the end of a Mk2 disappearing into the distance.

I managed to get a coach back to Wellington which was terrifying. An ancient coach (belonging to a nameless operator) with a thoroughly deranged driver at the wheel but I made it...

 

[185]

Well, just arrived in Welly.

Was a panic for the last three days, as one of the three passenger coaches lost a bogie on a crossing and the service was bus-replaced on Thursday and Friday.

Good news was at the last minute, seeing the numbers, they ran the service.

Bad news was they ran it minus coach B which caused total and utter chaos onboard. Reservations were all over the place, crowd of Danish students boarding at National Park... was a complete mess caused by poor planning.

Really had good memories of this route from last time, when it was named the Overlander. Now despite all the fancy investment in new carriages, it seems the people at the top are rather clueless. Quite a shame considering the excellent frontline staff they have.

 

[JonathanH]

Well, just arrived in Welly.

Was a panic for the last three days, as one of the three passenger coaches lost a bogie on a crossing and the service was bus-replaced on Thursday and Friday.

Good news was at the last minute, seeing the numbers, they ran the service.

Bad news was they ran it minus coach B which caused total and utter chaos onboard. Reservations were all over the place, crowd of Danish students boarding at National Park... was a complete mess caused by poor planning.

Really had good memories of this route from last time, when it was named the Overlander. Now despite all the fancy investment in new carriages, it seems the people at the top are rather clueless. Quite a shame considering the excellent frontline staff they have.

I was booked on it on Friday from Palmerston North to Auckland but as you say it turned out to be a bus. Still I had Mark 2 travel from Wellington to Upper Hutt on Wednesday and then the Capital Connection from Wellington to Palmerston North on Thursday. Looking forward to some trips on the Auckland suburban mark 2 conversions on Monday - unfortunately buses replace all Auckland suburban trains this weekend.

I will have to come again - think the mark 2 Auckland trains will have gone by them though - are they bound for the scrapyard when the new electric units arrive. If so it is a shame they can't be used to restart services elsewhere on North Island.

 

[fowler9]

Sorry it didn't quite work out as planned mate.

 

[185]

In contrast, my trip yesterday on the Coastal Pacific was fine. Some smashing views, a well-run train, even had the hilarity of seeing the driver winding up two stray Japanese tourists who stepped off at Kaikoura and went (despite warnings not to) into the gift shop. Train slowly sailed off minus the two of them, with the keen-eyed driver hanging out the cab window laughing his head off. The speed they came out with, the shop doors nearly got knocked off.

 

[fowler9]

In contrast, my trip yesterday on the Coastal Pacific was fine. Some smashing views, a well-run train, even had the hilarity of seeing the driver winding up two stray Japanese tourists who stepped off at Kaikoura and went (despite warnings not to) into the gift shop. Train slowly sailed off minus the two of them, with the keen-eyed driver hanging out the cab window laughing his head off. The speed they came out with, the shop doors nearly got knocked off.

Ha ha, oops.

 

[Greenback]

Cool, very jealous. I thought the coaches were pretty good as well though as you said. Which company did you use? The drivers were a bit better on the south island I found. We had a cracking driver from Christchurch to Mount Cook and the same guy again 2 days later from Mount Cook to Queenstown. Considering it was just the NZ equivalent to National Express the chap was giving us loads of info, made photo stops and even broke in to a few local songs (Maybe not to everyones taste, but I thought it was funny anyway). One of our bus trips was similar to yours, Wellington to Taupo, did you pass the 3 volcanoes on your route?

I used Inter City coachlines, all booked online in advance! I don't recall any of the drivers acting as a tour guide, while they weren't surly they weren't gushing either, and almost all of them kept their passenger interaction to a minimum.

One or two in South Island were a bit more enthusiastic - they chatted a bit with several passengers getting on and off, but that was it!

As far as I can recall, I slept for most of the journey between Taupo and Wellington!

 

[fowler9]

I used Inter City coachlines, all booked online in advance! I don't recall any of the drivers acting as a tour guide, while they weren't surly they weren't gushing either, and almost all of them kept their passenger interaction to a minimum.

One or two in South Island were a bit more enthusiastic - they chatted a bit with several passengers getting on and off, but that was it!

As far as I can recall, I slept for most of the journey between Taupo and Wellington!

I have to admit it was far from all of them that went the extra mile so to say. The chap who drove us from Christchurch to Mount Cook, and then from Mount Cook to Queenstown 2 days later was amazing. The guy who drove us from Queenstown to the Milford Sound was really good, it was a glass roofed bus for the scenery but it was technically just a scheduled journey. The chap from Queenstown to Franz Josef was again really good. The chap from there to Punakaiki wasn't quite as good and the fella from there to Nelson was bust your average bus driver. The chap from Nelson to Picton was quite good though.

The North Island was just like National Express in the UK. The driver drove and did nothing else. We did have a funny driver from Hamilton to Waiomu on the Corromandel though he asked us why the hell we wanted to get off at Waiomu. The last people who went there drowned apparentyl. Ha ha.

 

[185]

Actually used InterCity today from Christchurch down to Dunedin. Left on time, driver sat in traffic in Christchurch then ran late, then refused to give passengers a 30 minute (his legal 30-min required break) near Timaru - mentioning the connecting services down the route would be missed.

This meant he drove (illegally) solid, for six hours. No toilet on-board, and several "You Will NOT" announcements over the PA, no drinks other than water, no eating, no stepping off at ANY of the stops. Had he been working for my former employer, a National Express contractor, he would have probably been carefully lowered head-first into the toilet drop at the back of the depot in Runcorn for his sins.

Needless to say, none of the passengers took any notice and most were merrily eating and drinking after about the fourth hour.

Annoyingly, all this was for nothing, he managed to arrive in Dunedin ten minutes early.

 

[Squaddie]

It's a great pity that the railway line from Christchurch to Dunedin and onward to Invercargill no longer carries passenger traffic. That journey was one of the highlights of my first trip to New Zealand.

I read somewhere that Invercargill was the most southerly passenger railway station in the world, although I've never done the research to determine whether that was the case.

 

[fowler9]

It's a great pity that the railway line from Christchurch to Dunedin and onward to Invercargill no longer carries passenger traffic. That journey was one of the highlights of my first trip to New Zealand.

I read somewhere that Invercargill was the most southerly passenger railway station in the world, although I've never done the research to determine whether that was the case.

It would have to be up there, or down there, I think the only other area in contention would be Patagonia and I don't think there is much of a railway network down there.

 

[Squaddie]

This website says that Bluff station, 25km from Invercargill, was the southernmost railway station in the world. But (according to Wikipedia) it closed in 1967, so it's likely that at the time of my visit, in 1990, Invercargill was indeed the world's southernmost railway station.

 

[williamn]

It's sad how limited rail travel in NZ is, I went on the Overlander, as it was them, a few years ago and had a great trip on the ancient rolling stock. Back then it was daily.

 

[fowler9]

It's sad how limited rail travel in NZ is, I went on the Overlander, as it was them, a few years ago and had a great trip on the ancient rolling stock. Back then it was daily.

I was delighted just to happen across the Capital Connect in Wellington. That said there are some delights to be had on the commuter network in Auckland. You have to mess up to end up on a DMU and not a loco hauled or pushed train.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I travelled some years ago by train on the South Island, from Christchurch to Dunedin & Return which was very good. I think the train carried on to Invercargill. It was a diesel hauled service with 2 or 3 carriages. From Dunedin I went on the Taieri Gorge railways which was good. (Does that still run?) I also went from Christchurch over to Greymouth which was much longer and busy.

I don't think passenger trains run to the South Now. I think there was also a service from Auckland to Rotorua using railcars, not sure if that operates etc.

I hope to back sometime as I like it in New Zealand. Just a very long flight.

 

[Greenback]

I don't think passenger trains run to the South Now. I think there was also a service from Auckland to Rotorua using railcars, not sure if that operates etc.

There were no passenger trains south of Christchurch when I was there eight years ago. Nor were there trains to Rotorua.

I hope to back sometime as I like it in New Zealand. Just a very long flight.

So do I. I found the flight via LA a nightmare on the way out, though it was a bit better on the way back, but next time I intend to do a stopover somehwere in the far east!

 

[fowler9]

There were no passenger trains south of Christchurch when I was there eight years ago. Nor were there trains to Rotorua.



So do I. I found the flight via LA a nightmare on the way out, though it was a bit better on the way back, but next time I intend to do a stopover somehwere in the far east!

Nothing south of Christchurch or to Rotorua when I was there 2 years ago. If you are heading back over I recommend Hong Kong, we spent a week there and could have spent longer. Just avoid Typhoon season, even if you don't get a typhoon it is unbelievably hot and humid.

 

[Clip]

So do I. I found the flight via LA a nightmare on the way out, though it was a bit better on the way back, but next time I intend to do a stopover somehwere in the far east!

Much better going via Asia, like you say a couple days inbetween flights is essential - I had 3 weeks

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Much better going via Asia, like you say a couple days inbetween flights is essential - I had 3 weeks

Yes, when I went before, both times it was via Los Angeles with Air New Zealand who were great. For a time in more recent years they did add a 2nd service from London to Auckland that went via Hong Kong, so in effect you could go around the world with them, but I think they have stopped that Hong Kong route from London now which is a shame. I guess another way to get there would be via Vancouver.

 

[fowler9]

Yes, when I went before, both times it was via Los Angeles with Air New Zealand who were great. For a time in more recent years they did add a 2nd service from London to Auckland that went via Hong Kong, so in effect you could go around the world with them, but I think they have stopped that Hong Kong route from London now which is a shame. I guess another way to get there would be via Vancouver.

I believe I am correct in saying they were the only airline that fully circled the globe.

 

[185]

Well if New Zealand is the southernmost railway in operation in the world, I reckon the Taeiri Gorge Railway (Dunedin-Middlemarch) that runs 2 miles south of Dunedin, then 5 miles west, then 30 miles north is actually the southernmost passenger service.

And now my dodgy holiday photos.... :P

Picture with the factory is the Hillside Workshops, recently closed where almost all trains in New Zealand were previously built. I think roughly, it is the most southernmost current point a passenger train runs through.

 

[pjnathanail]

Well if New Zealand is the southernmost railway in operation in the world, I reckon the Taeiri Gorge Railway (Dunedin-Middlemarch) that runs 2 miles south of Dunedin, then 5 miles west, then 30 miles north is actually the southernmost passenger service.

And now my dodgy holiday photos.... :P

Picture with the factory is the Hillside Workshops, recently closed where almost all trains in New Zealand were previously built. I think roughly, it is the most southernmost current point a passenger train runs through.

When we went to New Zealand 3 years ago we also did this railway journey one way from Dunedin to Pukerangi, with an onward bus connection to Queenstown. Most excitingly the train caught fire 30 minutes out of Pukerangi, resulting in an evacuation via the rear doors only as we were suspended over a viaduct at the time.

Fortunately the train was double headed (normally just one loco but they were testing one!!) so the burning loco was pulled away by the working one to Pukerangi, where they were met by fire crews.

The story made the front page of the local paper, and total delay minutes totalled all of 90!! Imagine that for a train fire in the UK! Our bus connections were also held, useful given the frequency of one per day.

 

[185]

I went beyond Pukerangi all the way to Middlemarch on the Sunday only service, got off at the end of the line, and picked up my hire mountain bike. I then cycled the next 150km of railway trackbed via Hyde, Ranfurly, Alexandra and finally Clyde. Legs were absolutely killing

 

[Haywain]

I travelled on the Taeri Gorge Railway earlier this year. As well as the Pukerangi service, they run a regular train (the Seasider) from Dunedin to Palmerston on the main line, using a two car 'Silver Fern' DMU. While I was there, some of the staff were discussing a planned weekend trip with the railcar to Invercargill, and talked about a similar trip to Oamaru. I expect that taking it to Christchurch isn't completely out of the question.

And, by the way, they gave me a 'priv' discount on my tickets!