Train Trips

[Hawaii Wahine]

If you could only do one train trip which would you choose: Taieri Gorge in Dunedin or Tranzalpine in Christchurch? Both of these sound great but I think doing both excursions may be train overkill. Information from anyone who has experienced these wonderful journeys would be most appreciated. Mahalo!

 

Aloha, Kim :)

[MVPinBoynton]

I sure wish someone that has done both would give you an answer. I have been wondering the same thing. I have been planning on doing the Trans-Alpine train rather than the Taieri Gorge based on a post I had seen quite a while ago. I Know that one will be quite enough and since we won't be able to go to Queenstown, I believe the Trans-Alpine is the closest thing to visiting there. Any thoughts from anyone on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

People come from all over the world to do this train trip,and although your tour will only go 1/2 way ,then back by coach,(or vice versa) it will give the greatest variety of scenery.

The best ,in fact only way to do it ,is with Princess ,as they will be taking a block booking and reserving special railway coaches for you.

Even locals have to book months ahead to get on,and the station it leaves from is on the other side of town from where your ship will be.

You will climb to the highest point of the rail trip at Arthurs Pass,where you will leave,it then descends a very long and steep tunnel to emerge on the West Coast of the South Island.

It was built to transport coal from the West Coast to the Port of Lyttleton,and while berthed there you will see the mounds of coal awaiting export.

Trust this helps you?

David.

[MVPinBoynton]

Thank you David, you have confirmed what I thought. I am so looking forward to visiting your beautiful part of the world.

[Hawaii Wahine]

Mahalo David for your response.

 

Kim :)

[2dogcarol]

I took them both on our cruise on the Sapphire this year. As far as the actual train goes, I enjoyed the Taieri Gorge more as it was an old time train with windows that opened and you could stand on the platforms outside to take pictures. The scenery was very pretty but you did have to go up and back the same way. The TransAlpine train was a modern train and the scenery was wonderful. Both trains fed us very nice meals onboard. We took a bus back from the train and stopped at a sheep shearing farm. We had just a quick tour of Christchurch but didn't have time to stop. My only regret was not being able to see Christchurch because it was a lovely little town. We enjoyed both train rides and felt we really got a feel of the countryside by going on both of them.

[Hull 736]

I cant speak of the Trans Alpine, but I did do the Taereri (sp.?) Gorge ride in 1992 and was very pleased with it. The chartered train met the QE-2 at the pier, so transfer was very conveinient. They were very friendly and offered my a ride up on the Locomotive. Despite being a Locomotive Engineer by proffession, I quickly accepted and enjoyed the comraderie with the NZ "Drivers". If you're into the railroad scene, I woulld point out that MELBOURNE, Australia is one of the most under-rated railroad activity places in the world, but that's a topic for extensive discussion elsewhere.

[cathi]

I woulld point out that MELBOURNE, Australia is one of the most under-rated railroad activity places in the world, but that's a topic for extensive discussion elsewhere.

Tell us what is so good about Melbourne's railroads!! From all of this discussion my first instinct was to do the Tranzalpine but it sounds like the Gorge trip is more historical which is what we both enjoy. But, Hull736, is there a short train ride in Melbourne that is a must do????

[Hull 736]

I may have been a small bit misleading when I portrayed my enthusiasm for railroads around Melbourne. Melbourne is entangled by a spagettilike labyrynth of railroad lines you CAN ride. That being said, Melbourne would keep any hard core railroad enthusiast busy and occupied, for a variety of reasons, mostly comprehensible to the hard core enthusiast. So far as scenery such as that which one would encounter in NZ as described above is concerned, there isn't much. The charm of Australia rests upon the uspoiledness of tthe open and semi-open areas.

If you want to ride behind a steam locomotive, check oout the PUFFING BILLIES operation at (Belgrave??/Ferntree Gulley) about 30km east of the city, easily reached by frequuent commuter trains. Another popular steam train operation on the west side of Port Phillip Bay, and about an hour and a half drive from Melbourne is the BALLARAINE PENINSULA RAILWAY, which possibly operates only on weekends.

If your interest in railways is minimal, the ride from Melbourne to Warnambool (about 170km to the west) makes an ideal all day trip and can include a whale watch at Warnambool.

If you're just into plain old TRAINS, you can take a trip in almost any direction and of any duration. My favorite trip is the one to FRANKSTON and thence to STONY POINT (S.E. side of Port Phillip Bay). The reason for this is the use of historic old fashioned streamlind diesel locomotives on the Stony Point end of this run. Those particular locos are now on the endangered species list and they're reverred by railway enthusiasts these days.

There is also the CITY CIRCLE, a free antique tram shuttles that encircles the downtown city area. At night, for a premium fare, there's a DINNER TRAM that takes about 3 hrs for the experience, Melbourne's "rolling restaurant", an experience not to be missed by anyone.

There's much more, but I'm sure I've already given you more info than you

want to hear by now

[Bev]

Hi

 

You can book the Taieri Gorge excursion through your cruise ship but the Taieri Gorge Railway also offers a separate train from the cruise ship’s train, and it's far cheaper. I started by emailing the railway directly from its web site: http://www.taieri.co.nz . Barbara Reid, Marketing Manager, Taieri Gorge Railway replied promptly and was very friendly (Email: barbarap@taieri.co.nz).

 

The public train departs from Dunedin Railway station at 9:30 am and arrives back at 1:30 pm. You would need to get to Dunedin Railway station from the port. Our ship had shuttles going back and forth to the city and we caught the first one in the morning.

 

Barbara was very good and made the booking for me. The fare is NZ$61 each and you don’t need to pay for this until the day of travel. Payment is made in the railway office at Dunedin Railway Station and the office is straight off the foyer. You don’t need to arrive early because they allocate seats to all customers (we had great seats in a heritage car). As a comparison, passengers who booked via the ship paid US$145 each – a difference of about US$100 when you take into account the exchange rate.

 

The public train is not quite the same as the cruise ship’s chartered train. The differences between the two trips are as follows:

 

Cruise ship chartered train:

Departs from shipside

Welcome glass of bubbly

Morning tea

Light Lunch included

Full commentary

Two staff members per carriage on hand to serve you and to answer any questions

Drop off at shipside if needed

 

Daily Tourist train:

Departs from Dunedin Railway Station - 20 minutes drive from the port

Full commentary

Snacks available for purchase

 

The railway offers vintage carriages on both trains. These are from the 1915-1920 era and are fully enclosed, heated and have lots of character. If you are a train buff and book directly with the railway, you can request to ride with the locomotive engineers. Of course it is up to the individual train driver for that day but Barbara Reid assured me they are usually pretty good about granting such requests. This was a dream come true for my DH.

 

Bev

[Aussie Gal]

Hull 736,

 

You are wonderful ambassador for our beautiful city and State. You have obviously spent a considerable amount of time here, riding all of those trains.

 

For any tourist coming from a ship and with a small amount of time, Puffing Billy is the one to ride as it is not far from the city and yet it provides a small perspective of what our countryside is like close to Melbourne, as it travels through the Dandenong ranges which are a rainforest with lots of lovely ferns and gums.

 

Jennie

[Dreps]

Quick question on the Taieri Goge train trip: Does it matter on which side of the train you sit?

 

Thanks.

[MVPinBoynton]

I would like to know which side is best for the Trans Alpine.

[DonahCBrown]

I would like to know which side is best for the Trans Alpine.

 

I'd suggest the right side outbound and the left returning, as that will keep the ocean side at your window, but the scenery is beautiful from either side. You can also get off in Arthur's Pass, do some hiking in the national park there, and catch the train on its way back to Christchurch. Makes for a really lovely day trip out of Christchurch if the ship is there long enough to accommodate the round trip.

 

On the other hand, Christchurch is one of my favorite places in New Zealand, and I might be inclined to stay in town if you are only there for one day.

 

Donna

[MVPinBoynton]

Donna,

I don't understand how there is an ocean side, when we are traveling west. Does the train head North for before it goes west?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Donna,

I don't understand how there is an ocean side, when we are traveling west. Does the train head North for before it goes west?

 

It heads west across the Canterbury Plains,does a dog leg to the (sort of) north west and then heads west again up into the mountains.

 

[MVPinBoynton]

Thank you Kiwi Kruzer. Your picture helps significantly. My map wasn't showing it quite the same way. The right side of the train should be a fantastic view. Just 8.5 weeks to go. :)

[DonahCBrown]

Donna,

I don't understand how there is an ocean side, when we are traveling west. Does the train head North for before it goes west?

 

My bad - we did the train down from Picton to Christchurch, then the Trans-Alpine the next day, then, after a road trip down to Queenstown, Dunedin & Oamaru, and back up to Christchurch, we then took the train back to Picton, then the ferry, then the day train from Wellington to Auckland and I think I mentally merged some of the train trips - nonetheless, I checked my pictures and the right side was where I sat on the way up to Arthur's Pass, and it was gorgeous. Lots of tunnels on that run, and you can also go out between the cars and take pictures.

 

Donna:o

[stebul]

Here's a question for folks on the TranzAlpine:

 

We will be visiting Christchurch on Feb 12 while on the Statendam. The ship is not in port long enough in the evening to take the scheduled westbound train service from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass, get off for a few hours, and then catch the scheduled eastbound train back to Christchurch. Instead, HAL is offering a shore excursion that gives you a 2.5 hour train ride up to Arthur's pass in the morning, followed by a 4 or 5 hour bus ride back to the port in Lyttleton via Christchurch.

 

What do you think (before I tell you the cost)?

 

Now, when I tell you they want $339 USD/person (yes, USD not NZD), what do you think? Is it that special?

[MVPinBoynton]

That sounds like the same excursion that Princess charges $199 per person for; which also seems excessive. I can't imagine why HAL would be so much more. Sure glad I am on the Diamond Princess.

[KiwiIan]

Here's a question for folks on the TranzAlpine:

 

We will be visiting Christchurch on Feb 12 while on the Statendam. The ship is not in port long enough in the evening to take the scheduled westbound train service from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass, get off for a few hours, and then catch the scheduled eastbound train back to Christchurch. Instead, HAL is offering a shore excursion that gives you a 2.5 hour train ride up to Arthur's pass in the morning, followed by a 4 or 5 hour bus ride back to the port in Lyttleton via Christchurch.

 

What do you think (before I tell you the cost)?

 

Now, when I tell you they want $339 USD/person (yes, USD not NZD), what do you think? Is it that special?

HAL shore excursions tend to be on the high side as they are often set for smaller more exclusive groups. Sounds like they have chartered the train especially for this trip. You could always find a local tour co and get them to give you a tour to the same locations, would probably work out a lot cheaper if you could get 4 or more together. But you would not get the 'Train' experience.

 

Regards Ian [Tauranga]

[KiwiIan]

Here's a question for folks on the TranzAlpine:

 

We will be visiting Christchurch on Feb 12 while on the Statendam. The ship is not in port long enough in the evening to take the scheduled westbound train service from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass, get off for a few hours, and then catch the scheduled eastbound train back to Christchurch. Instead, HAL is offering a shore excursion that gives you a 2.5 hour train ride up to Arthur's pass in the morning, followed by a 4 or 5 hour bus ride back to the port in Lyttleton via Christchurch.

 

What do you think (before I tell you the cost)?

 

Now, when I tell you they want $339 USD/person (yes, USD not NZD), what do you think? Is it that special?

HAL shore excursions tend to be on the high side as they are often set for smaller more exclusive groups. Sounds like they have chartered the train especially for this trip. You could always find a local tour co and get them to give you a tour to the same locations, would probably work out a lot cheaper if you could get 4 or more together. But you would not get the 'Train' experience.

 

Regards Ian [Tauranga]

[call of the wild]

I did both the Taieri Gorge train from Dunedin and the Tranzalpine train in Christchurch, so here's my review:

 

Taieri Gorge train: The Princess train excursion runs from the dock to Pukerangi, with 2 stops where passengers can stretch their legs: No place to walk and no facilities at all. There was a very small swap meet of locals at the turnaround point in Pukerangi. An ok trip, but not worth the money spent. If you do elect to go on the excursion, disembark at the train station in Dunedin on the way back to Port Chalmers to see Dunedin. The pick-up bus back to the Princess ship is only 3 blocks away.

 

Tranzalpine Train: I took the full round trip from Christchurch to Greymouth and back in one day (I took train post cruise). Princess offers an abbreviated tour to Arthur's Pass and back, which is fine. You still see the plains, foothills, and mountains. Better scenery than Taieri Gorge train. It can rain in Arthur's Pass (even when weather is clear in Christchurch), so take a raincoat along just to be safe. Be advised that the viewing car is open to the air, so bring a coat if you want to experience the fresh air!

[notentirelynormal]

Board the historic Weka Pass Train at the small station in Waipara township. Depending on fire season, your train is drawn by either a vintage steam or diesel locomotive. Your approximately 1 1/2-hour train trip travels over Weka Pass and into the Canterbury Plains, passing rural countryside dotted with farms and striking limestone rock formations. Turnaround is at the small settlement of Waikare.

 

WHAT YOU VISIT

Winery - Tour one of New Zealand?s acclaimed premium wineries and then taste the fruit of its vines.

 

International Antarctic Centre - Hands-on exhibits, video presentations, laser holograms and stereo sound bring the frozen continent to life. Follow the Antarctic seasons, witness the Aurora Australis and observe life in a penguin rookery. Plus, a real snow cave allows you to experience the actual temperatures of Antarctica.

WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY

From Lyttelton, drive to the township of Waipara, where you board the heritage train. After your winery tour and lunch, air-conditioned motorcoaches will take you to the International Antarctic Centre. Take a scenic drive through Christchurch?s suburbs before returning to the ship.

 

This is the one we took last week in Christchurch and I think it was over rated and too costly. You drive for about 30-40 minutes, get on the train and ride for about 30 minutes to the top of the hill (mountain?) where you take a 30 minute “break” to walk around and buy an ice cream – then you go back exactly the same way. The scenery was okay, but it wasn’t anything overwhelming. For the most part, we closely followed the road up as it seemed to always be on my left side.

 

After the ride we went to the winery. The lunch they served was very unique, tasty and nicely presented. However, they were out of most of their wines and we only tasted about half of what was on the list to try. All the wine together would have barely fill a single wine glass.

 

We did enjoy the Antarctic Center, and we just should have done that on our own and forgot the other two parts of this excursion.

 

Now, the Puffing Billy train ride I thought was great. Again, another long bus ride but we had a guide that was informative and kept talking. We stopped briefly to see wild (but almost tame) cockatoos and parrots that we could feed before heading to the train. After a brief shopping chance we were on the train and off. I think that ride was about 1 to 1-1/2 hours BUT it was actual train – not half stopping to stretch your legs – plus it was all one way so you saw much more. IMHO the scenery was much more diversifed, pretty and quaint. We even sat on the side and dangled our legs!

[mochuck]

Notentirelynormal - how did your trip go? Where did you eventually stay in Sydney and how was it? Also what did you end up doing in Sydney?

 

Sorry for so many questions, but I remember seeing your posts asking about various things in Sydney and I'm always curious how things end up for people and if your expectations were met. Please tell all.