Waking up in Geelong

I’ve just gotten home from a two week long trip ‘across the ditch’ to New Zealand, so here’s a quick trip report.

Arrival into Auckland

I flew into Auckland Airport on the North Island.

And immediately made my way to the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, where steam locomotive WW 644 was running for the day.

I also headed over to the nearby New Zealand Steel mill at Glenbrook, but unfortunately no trains were running there.

Luckily the Te Huia train was runing, complete with ex-Auckland driving carriage.

And closer to Auckland, there were freight trains aplenty at Westfield Yard.

I headed out to the Museum of Transport and Technology Auckland, and look at what I found on their line – a bloody Melbourne tram!

Driving down the North Island

I then started the drive south towards Wellington, finding the first of many of KiwiRail’s dinky little remote controlled shunting locomotives.

I continued south along the electrified North Island Main Trunk, but all I found were diesel locomotive hauled freight trains.

And the thrice-weekly ‘Northern Explorer‘ passenger train.

The 25 kV electrical substations sitting there doing little.

On the way I found a memorial to the 1923 Ongarue railway disaster.

An obelisk marking the driving of the last spike of the North Island Main Trunk railway in 1908

And a memorial for the 1953 Tangiwai railway disaster.

I also found a yard full of ex-Auckland suburban carriages at Taumarunui, abandoned since 2014.

But scrapping of them had started.

And an abandoned double deck bridge over the Ongarue River

Some much taller bridges included the historic steel Makohine Viaduct further south.

And the modern South Rangitikei Viaduct built of prestressed concrete.

A quick stop in Wellington

On arrival into Wellington what was I greeted by – but a rail replacement bus!

My first electric train sighting not being until the next morning.

Across the Cook Strait

Time to take my campervan onto the ferry.

We bid Wellington Harbour behind.

And arrived into Picton.

South Island adventures

I hoped to follow a freight train south from Picton, but fading light put paid to that idea.

But I did find another remote control shunter at work.

And a freight train headed into the opposite direction to me!

Meaning my trip towards Christchurch being scenic, but with no trains along the tracks.

Around Christchurch

I headed out of Christchurch for a day on the TranzAlpine train.

And spent the rest of my time on the hunt for freight trains.

Unfortunately my visit to the Ferrymead Railway didn’t coincide with a running day.

But the Weka Pass Railway an hour north had a diesel locomotive running trains for the public.

There I spotted a two-wire high voltage transmission line that screamed ‘HVDC’ to me – and it was.

Also in Christchurch I rode the gondola to the top of Mount Cavendish, despite the summit being covered in fog.

But I passed on paying $40 to ride the Christchurch tramway – another bloody Melbourne tram!

But one thing they had that I’ve never seen before is their indoor bus station – incoming services get allocated to a random stop, and passengers have to quickly run to the relevant doors to board their bus.

And heading back north

Turns out a Jetstar flight from Christchurch to Wellington was half the price of a combined bus and ferry journey, so onto a plane I went.

The trip into the city went via the single lane Hataitai bus tunnel.

In Wellington I checked out obvious tourist sights, like the Wellington Cable Car.

And gunzel things like the diesel hauled Wairarapa Line service.

The next day I spent on the Northern Explorer train towards Auckland, retracing the route I’d taken a week earlier.

And finished my journey in Auckland.

Catching the ferry over the harbour to Devonport, and catching a bus back.

And ending my trip with a bus ride to Auckland Airport for my flight home.

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