So lets’ get straight to the point. My reviews are usually long winded and full of myself so unless you want to read part two about the disastrous return trip on the bus, I will tell you straight up, that the train journey from Auckland to Wellington is MUST DO. This is not only a recommendation for our international guests but for any of you that live in our beautiful country and should see more of it. Regardless if you have driven the route, you will see parts that you never knew existed, while being captivated with all that unpopulated and at times untamed land. This is the second time that we have done the trip. The last time was just before they upgraded the carriages to the now very well appointed, quiet and comfortable ones. The seats are very comfortable and easy to take a nap in. It is not known as one of the greatest train journeys of the world but that is because we Kiwi’s are modest and don’t take naturally to bragging. I am not going to spend paragraphs describing the diversity of the geography, why would I spoil the delight and surprise. That is why you want to do it right? The new full sized outside viewing carriage allows you to spend much more time outside and the opportunity to mix and mingle with many of the other folk on the journey. Please note that the diesel engine now takes you all the way so there will be times that you will get the full force of the fumes whilst out there. You will not find many young people on the train. The romance of slow travel is lost on them, that and there is no WiFi on the train… But if you must insist on focusing on the devices then there are charge points under your seats, so remember to bring your charger. I highly recommend that you listen to the commentary, put the headset on and at various points it will tell you about the history of the places that you travel through. The staff on the Auckland to Wellington train, Mark and Fiona were exceptional. All the staff were friendly, attentive and eager to share a joke or answer any questions. It will take approximately 11 hours each way so come prepared to relax, learn the art of slow travel. Make the journey the highlight of your trip. Downside: the station at Parnell where the Northern Explorer leaves from is not a very central spot, I would not recommend walking from the Britomart (Auckland CBD) Station. Take a taxi. Another tip is to ensure that you bring some of your own snacks, and pre-purchase the tasty and well catered on-board meals before the train leaves the Parnell Station, they will store it for you. Recommend the Lamb Shank and the Chicken Curry. They have run out a various times and with no stops why risk that you could go hungry. Last Tip. If you want a good viewing position of the Raurimu Spiral which is still generations on, one of New Zealand’s engineering masterpieces. Then you need to go out to the viewing carriage about 10 minutes after you leave Taumarunui when you are heading South. Or 10 minutes from National Park when heading North.
Part two, the return Wellington to Auckland section of our journey sadly was not for the faint hearted, or those that are not prepared to roll with the cancellation of the train. We were bused back to Auckland. It happens, we live in a small country without the privilege of having replacement dinning cars, so when there is a mechanical issue with the one and only car on this Island we have to learn to roll with what was provided. There used to be scheduled stops along the way at Café’s within a couple of the old stations but these have closed so bus was the only option as it allowed us to get refreshments along the way. Sadly there was also no commentary, and the hostess that was allocated to our bus was from the South Island and was very new, took no initiative throughout the journey and knew nothing about the North Island so was unable to answer any questions. A very stark contrast to the trip down.
So to conclude, I highly recommend this journey to one and all. Train Lovers, History Buffs, Slow Travellers, Photographers and anyone that wants to learn the art of relaxing while soaking in the sensational scenery on any weather day that the North Island offers.