Taieri Gorge - train

Has anyone done the Taieri Gorge train from Dunedin?

I'm interested in the 4 hour tour departing the train station at 9:30am and then having free time to explore Dunedin in the afternoon.

I did it some years ago. Some of the scenery is stunning, and you get to see some of the inland countryside of the South Island which is quite different to the coastal regions. The carriages are heritage carriages which makes the train trip even more interesting, I think.

Be aware that if you are cruising on a large ship you will have to book the excursion through the cruise line, as the cruise line will have reserved all available seats on the morning trip for that day. There was some discussion on this elsewhere, not sure if it was here or FB, but essentially the big ships take over the whole train but it appears that some of the smaller ships may only book up part of the train.

The train comes right out to the wharf to pick you up. I believe it does stop at the Dunedin Railway Station at some stage of the trip as this is a Dunedin sightseeing highlight. If it stops there at the end of the journey (before returning to the ship) you could probably get off there to explore the city. There are shuttle buses between Dunedin and Port Chalmers but I'm not sure where they depart from - near the Octagon I would presume.

Thanks for the info.

Looking into this I can see that the train has availability on the date I am after. We are on the smaller radiance of the seas.

The train only picks up passengers from the dock if they have booked the ships tour.

I am wondering if we grab the shuttle bus or take a taxi from the port to the main train station?

I've been to Dunedin previously and it's loverly. Shame not to use our time there wisely.

G'day Esilef,

I think this is the thread OzKiwiJJ was refering to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2504551

cya

bl262000

We used Back to Natures tours in March and they were fabulous - did the train and then a tour out to the Otago peninsular and was one of our favourite tours - so much so wanted to do it again in December but unfortunately both trains seem to be being utilised (Celebrity and NCL in port that day) with not even being able to do it as Celebrity not offering tours there :(

Jane

Thanks for the info.

 

Looking into this I can see that the train has availability on the date I am after. We are on the smaller radiance of the seas.

 

The train only picks up passengers from the dock if they have booked the ships tour.

 

I am wondering if we grab the shuttle bus or take a taxi from the port to the main train station?

 

I've been to Dunedin previously and it's loverly. Shame not to use our time there wisely.

A taxi will cost around $30 but I'm not sure how easy it is to get a taxi at the port. It's probably easier to take the shuttle bus into the city, it will take around 20 minutes.

You might want to be a bit wary of booking it privately - read the thread that bl262000 found. One person had their private booking cancelled by the rail company.

G'day Esilef,

I think this is the thread OzKiwiJJ was refering to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2504551

 

cya

bl262000

Yes, it was. Thanks for tracking it down bl262000.

Yes, it was. Thanks for tracking it down bl262000.

Thank you all [emoji4]

Is there a cost to use the shuttle service or is in provided free by the cruise ships?

Has anyone done the Taieri Gorge train from Dunedin?

I'm interested in the 4 hour tour departing the train station at 9:30am and then having free time to explore Dunedin in the afternoon.

We booked directly with Good Company Tours. They pick you up from the ship. If two ships in port, the cruise companies book out the train, but if only one ship, the locals have capacity. We can highly recommend this local tour company.

We booked directly with Good Company Tours. They pick you up from the ship. If two ships in port, the cruise companies book out the train, but if only one ship, the locals have capacity. We can highly recommend this local tour company.

I spoke to my father yesterday about this tour company and he said that this tour sounds perfect for all of us and it's a large saving off the cruise ships tour price.

I'm going to contact them today and ensure that they are ok that I'm traveling with 2 autistic guests.

Thanks for all the advice.

I'm really looking forward to this cruise in April next year.

I noticed that RCI don't have this tour listed?

Thanks for the info.

 

Looking into this I can see that the train has availability on the date I am after. We are on the smaller radiance of the seas.

 

The train only picks up passengers from the dock if they have booked the ships tour.

 

I am wondering if we grab the shuttle bus or take a taxi from the port to the main train station?

 

I've been to Dunedin previously and it's loverly. Shame not to use our time there wisely.

Hi are you on radiance of the seas November 7, 2017?

That is he cruise we are taking

Thanks

Denise

Hi are you on radiance of the seas November 7, 2017?

That is he cruise we are taking

Thanks

Denise

We are doing the April 6 cruise. Easter school holidays 😊

We did the ship tour a couple of years ago and loved it.

The ladies sitting on the opposite side of the carriage asked if we could swap sides coming back. Great idea as we got to view the scenery from both sides.

Also there were two stops with a couple of market stalls. We got a couple of souvenirs for gk's at the first stop with the prices cheaper than in town. Not sure if this still happens or on all tours.

I'm really looking forward to this tour. [emoji4]

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