New Zealand Rail Introduction
You'll see so much more of New Zealand if you travel by train. You can sit back in comfort, and watch the scenery glide past through enormous panoramic windows.
There's a spectacular range of scenery waiting for you – rugged coastlines and rolling hills, winding rivers, towering mountains, virgin bush and untouched alpine landscapes – much of which you'd never get to see from the road.
And one of the great things about rail travel is when you get peckish, you can wander down to the café carriage and choose from a delicious range of Kiwi cuisine to enjoy as you savour the landscape.
Here are the journeys that can be booked by Goway Travel:
NORTHERN EXPLORER
Bringing the heart of New Zealand to you
This remarkable, ever-changing daytime journey between Auckland and Wellington v.v takes you into the heart of the North Island, through lush green farmland, and native forests, over stunning river gorges and across New Zealand’s Volcanic plateau.
Highlights include: Tongariro National Park and the Raurimu Spiral, an amazing feat of railway engineering
TRANZALPINE
The Trip of a Lifetime
The TranzAlpine scenic train journey travels between Christchurch and Greymouth, from one coast of New Zealand to the other. From your carriage, you’ll see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River. Your train then climbs into the Southern Alps before descending through the lush beech rain forest to the West Coast town of Greymouth – a great base for visits to Punakaiki and the always popular glaciers.
There are 16 tunnels, and 5 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres
COASTAL PACIFIC
Alongside Mountain & Sea
This journey between Picton and Christchurch passes the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side of your train and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other. Along the way, you pass through the village of Kaikoura, where, if you're touring New Zealand, you can break your journey to take in the whale watching or dare to get closer and swim with the dolphins. Travel through some of New Zealand’s finest horticultural and farmland areas, and see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins from the comfort of your train carriage.
One of the world's most scenic train journeys, the Coastal Pacific travels through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges, one of them being New Zealand’s only road-rail bridge.
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