Taking the TranzAlpine Express

‘There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful’ – Paul Simon.

**Nerd Alert!!!**

Okay, I confess. I love trains. Like, really love them. I have done since I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed the prospect of a good train journey. The first time I really started using trains more than once in a while was when I went to university in Southampton and caught the train to and from university at the beginning and end of each term. Trains meant going home, back to food cooked by Mum and the Welsh mountains and clean country air and space, warmth, comfort… After the holidays, trains meant going back to independence, fun, parties and my friends. Train journeys are a good place to stop and think, you have to sit down and unwind, there’s nothing you can do for a few hours except sit and watch the world flash past the window as you are carried to your destination. It’s not like driving – there’s no concentration needed, you’re completely free.

Given my affection for train travel, it’s no surprise that as soon as I heard about the TranzAlpine scenic train route through the Southern Alps in New Zealand, I wanted to do it. It’s toted as one of the world’s most scenic train journeys. I was sold. What could possibly be nicer? Travelling by train through some of New Zealand’s most beautiful and dramatic landscapes, without a care in the world nor any need to concentrate on the road ahead. So when I booked my trip here in May, the TranzAlpine was high on my agenda, and today, I finally did it!

It’s not often I am moved to write about an experience in my blog pretty much as soon as it has happened. I usually take at least a few days to digest it and think of an angle that I want to portray the experience from. However, I’ve just had one of the best days I’ve had in New Zealand since arriving, and I am compelled to write about my experience on the TranzAlpine Scenic Railway this evening, literally an hour after getting off the train back in Christchurch. So here goes!

The Logistics
I booked my train online at www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz and it was super easy. I’d recommend booking earlier than I did to get any cheaper tickets – I paid more than I necessarily wanted to (although it was definitely worth it) because I booked my tickets late (two days before). Ticket prices range from £99-220 depending on whether you want bells and whistles or a simple, straightforward ticket that is non-refundable, non-transferrable etc etc. Once you’ve made your booking, you just print your ticket and present it to the person in charge upon arrival at the train station. They then issue you with your seat allocation and you can hop on board!

The train departs Christchurch at 8.15am every day and arrives in Greymouth at 12.45pm. You have roughly an hour in Greymouth if you’re heading back to Christchurch on the same day, the train leaves at 1.45pm and arrives back in Christchurch at approximately 6pm. You get a five minute pit-stop at Arthur’s Pass each way – enough time for a quick photograph and back on board.

Facilities on the trains include toilets, a café car, a viewing car for photographs and a fantastic audio commentary, which gives you detailed and in depth information every step of the way. I’ve honestly learnt more today about South Island ecology, economy, history and geography than I had previously learnt in six months! The carriages have great big windows for viewing all the fantastic scenery and the seats are comfy and recline if you fancy a nap (don’t nap – you’ll miss out!!).

The Experience
I was buzzing with excitement as I boarded the train in Christchurch. As per the usual Kiwi way, the station is small and understated, boarding is a simple procedure with no turnstiles or gates or security and only friendly smiling faces greeting you as you hand over your ticket to travel. I found my seat and sat down – I was early so I decided to buy a flat white before we departed the station to give me my morning caffeine boost. I didn’t want to fall asleep and miss anything!

The train pulled away bang on time and we were off! For the first hour, we rolled over the Canterbury Plains, flat to the naked eye, although the commentary informed us that we were in fact travelling up hill at a fairly rapid rate towards the foothills of the mountains that we could see, oh so tantalisingly, in the distance. There was acres of grassland with cattle and sheep grazing placidly and various small settlements along the line, from Sheffield to Oxford to Springfield (The Simpsons!!) in about half an hour.

The section of the line from Springfield to Arthur’s Pass is, in my opinion, the most dramatic and photogenic part of the journey. The train wends it’s way slowly across five viaducts and through fifteen tunnels as it hugs the edge of the gorge, through which the Waimakariri River flows. As you emerge from each tunnel, you see flashes of the river below, and the train curves onto another viaduct over the gorge and you cross it, leaving it behind to plunge through another tunnel.

Higher up, the train leaves the river behind entirely and we move into hill station country, acres and acres of land fit only for farming the hardiest of sheep and cattle. The train continues on its way, past craggy mountains, strewn with loose boulders, purple grey scree slopes and tussocky, brown green grass. In the late autumn, colour is everywhere.

You then enter Arthur’s Pass, where another river cuts through the landscape, broad and many channelled, with islands of shingle and gin-clear waters. At the hamlet of Arthur’s Pass, the train halts and we all disembark to stretch our legs briefly. We’re near the divide in the mountains – rain is coming in from the west. We left the sunshine behind in Canterbury – if it’s sunny in the east, it’ll be raining in the west and this proves to be true. Once we negotiate the 8km tunnel and come out on the other side of the divide, the rain has increased and the ecology shows evidence of a much higher annual rainfall, with deeply forested mountains, trees packed densely together, a mass of many shades of green.

From here to Greymouth, the train wends it’s way slowly down from the high alpine region, passing thick forests, lakes and a fault line that is visible from space (where two tectonic plates converge to force the Southern Alps into existence – they are still growing as the plates continue to push together, although erosion keeps them from reaching their true potential, which apparently is around 12km high!).

We meet the Grey River east of Greymouth itself and follow it into the township. We disembark and I bolt down a sandwich for lunch before wandering around a couple of art galleries to kill the rest of the hour. Then it is back on board and we’re off again.

Doing the TranzAlpine both ways means that I can catch up on the audio commentary I missed the first time round when I was out in the viewing car taking photos, I can nap a little during the ‘boring’ parts and I can go outside on sections where I didn’t before. It’s nice to mix things up, have some time to think, then plug in the commentary, then go out to take photos (it’s icy cold!), come back in to warm up with another coffee, write a little, think some more, listen to commentary I missed before…

The sun sets as we get back to the Canterbury Plains. The clouds are interesting shapes and candyfloss pink. I take some more photos and reflect on my day’s journey. It’s been every bit as great as I had hoped it would be, and I now want to do the two other NZ scenic rail journeys – the Coastal Pacific and the Northern Explorer. If they’re anything like the TranzAlpine, they will be pretty awesome trips!

The Conclusion
This has been one of my best days in New Zealand in seven months of living here. If my bum wasn’t so sore from sitting down much of the day, I’d hop back on tomorrow, although I think I would get off in Arthur’s Pass for some walking, rather than go all the way to Greymouth. I literally enjoyed every minute of the journey – the commentary was wonderful and I feel totally geeked out with all my South Island knowledge now!

If I were to do the trip again, here’s a few pointers that I think would make it better still:
– Take a layer or two of warm clothing. The viewing car is cold, especially now in the autumn/winter season. I was freezing and I had three layers on!
– The café sells food from Wishbone. Whilst the coffee is okay, I tend to think the food is a bit bland and overpriced. I’d recommend taking your own lunch as a cheaper and probably tastier alternative, or grab something when you get to Greymouth.
– There are plugs on board so you don’t need to worry about electrical items running out of power e.g. cameras etc for photos. I was stupid and forgot my camera so made do with my phone all day – I wish I’d known about the plug sockets as I was worried all day my phone would die before I could ring my lift when I got back to Christchurch! As a consequence, I took fewer photos than I would have liked to conserve battery…
– If you have a low boredom threshold or become immune to nature’s beauty after a bit, take a book or something to do to pass the time, especially if you’re doing a return journey. I spent a bit of time writing on the back of a spare piece of paper I had, and kind of wished I’d had my Kindle with me, at least for the first bit back from Greymouth to Arthur’s Pass.
– Photography from a moving train is hard. Don’t be an ass like me and forget your camera, thus making it even harder for yourself!!! Not too many good photos today unfortunately!