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| 23.A On the Northern Explorer Descending from the Central Plateau with the Doubling Back Railway Route Visible Below, 1 June 2013 |
'When in Rome do as the Romans do,' so said St Ambrose to St Augustine, or so we're told. But sometimes in traveling there are dividends to be found in not doing as the Romans do. And so, going against the advise of Ambrose, Jean and I traveled by rail recently in our trek south to Wellington (more on Wellington in Blogpost 13.21). Rail travel is passé among Kiwis, but not rail transport. By that I mean cross-country rail travel has almost completely disappeared but not railway usage.
Three cross-country services still exist, which are directed at travelers or tourists. Two are on the South Island—the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine—and one on the North—the Northern Explorer. The five-days-a-week Capital Connection Tranz Metro service between Palmerston North and Wellington and the six-days-a-week Tranz Metro Wairarapa Connection between Masterton and Wellington, unlike the aforementioned three, are really longer-distance commuter services.
Three cross-country services still exist, which are directed at travelers or tourists. Two are on the South Island—the Coastal Pacific and the TranzAlpine—and one on the North—the Northern Explorer. The five-days-a-week Capital Connection Tranz Metro service between Palmerston North and Wellington and the six-days-a-week Tranz Metro Wairarapa Connection between Masterton and Wellington, unlike the aforementioned three, are really longer-distance commuter services.
Metropolitan rail services in Auckland and Wellington are where the passenger service miles are generated in New Zealand. Auckland, with a relocated main city station, has seen its commuter rail annual ridership grow from two million in 2005 to about ten million in 2010. The on-going electrification (25 kV AC) of Auckland's commuter rail lines will permit speedier service, which with other factors will drive ridership even higher. Wellington's metro rail service (Tranz Metro) carries about eleven million passengers annually.
If metro rail service has become the heart of New Zealand's rail passenger service, the romance continues to reside out on the lines, where the great scenery of the country is on offer. We decided to travel south from Hamilton to Wellington via rail, returning via Air New Zealand, over the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend (1 thru 3 June 2013). The Northern Explorer currently runs southbound on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and northbound on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.
Despite the somewhat surprising fact that the North Island Main Trunk Railway ('NIMT') is electrified between Hamilton and Palmerston North, the Northern Explorer was hauled by a diesel locomotive throughout the trip. The trailing consist was as follows: an open-air observation car or 'van' (in Kiwiese), a 63-seat coach, a café car (equipped to serve wheelchair-bound passengers), another 63-seat coach, and a luggage van. Reportedly this equipment was put in service on the North Island in early 2012. The café car and coaches are equipped with panoramic windows and clerestory windows above the panoramic windows, thereby affording rather unobstructed views.
Despite the somewhat surprising fact that the North Island Main Trunk Railway ('NIMT') is electrified between Hamilton and Palmerston North, the Northern Explorer was hauled by a diesel locomotive throughout the trip. The trailing consist was as follows: an open-air observation car or 'van' (in Kiwiese), a 63-seat coach, a café car (equipped to serve wheelchair-bound passengers), another 63-seat coach, and a luggage van. Reportedly this equipment was put in service on the North Island in early 2012. The café car and coaches are equipped with panoramic windows and clerestory windows above the panoramic windows, thereby affording rather unobstructed views.
We left Hamilton on 1 June a few minutes late, but soon made up the time. Heading south from Hamilton to Te Awamutu (TA) we were rolling through the lush, hedgerow-loving Waikato country, famous for its dairy production. South of TA the train enters New Zealand's so-called 'King Country', the land where the Māori Kingitanga Movement spurred the creation of a Māori monarchy. The first king was in fact born in Te Awamutu. But the heart of the King Country lies to the south (The succession of a Māori king or queen extends to this very day, albeit without legal authority within New Zealand's polity). The King Country served as a redoubt for the Māori in no small part because of its contorted topography, a topography that made military penetration and railway-building difficult.
Our first stop beyond Hamilton and in the King Country was at Otorohanga, a small, charming town that serves as the gateway to the Waitomo Caves. Just a few passengers boarded here. After leaving Otorohanga we passed through Te Kuiti and Taumarunui, both once important railway towns, whose status has been lost with the railway's electrification (25 kV AC) since 1988. Just north of Taumarunui we passed thru the junction at Okahukura, where the line to Stratford (and thence to New Plymouth) joins the NIMT. New Plymouth is the most important city in New Zealand's Taranaki Region (on the North Island's west coast).
The Stratford/Okahukura Line ('SOL') is no longer in service for conventional railway purposes. New Plymouth is served by an alternate railway line. But the SOL now sustains a tourist-oriented operation (Forgotten World Adventures), where riders operate golf carts over the rails through what is also called the 'Lost World'. The line has twenty-four tunnels in 144 km (89 miles), just further evidence of the contorted topography of the King Country.
Our first stop beyond Hamilton and in the King Country was at Otorohanga, a small, charming town that serves as the gateway to the Waitomo Caves. Just a few passengers boarded here. After leaving Otorohanga we passed through Te Kuiti and Taumarunui, both once important railway towns, whose status has been lost with the railway's electrification (25 kV AC) since 1988. Just north of Taumarunui we passed thru the junction at Okahukura, where the line to Stratford (and thence to New Plymouth) joins the NIMT. New Plymouth is the most important city in New Zealand's Taranaki Region (on the North Island's west coast).
The Stratford/Okahukura Line ('SOL') is no longer in service for conventional railway purposes. New Plymouth is served by an alternate railway line. But the SOL now sustains a tourist-oriented operation (Forgotten World Adventures), where riders operate golf carts over the rails through what is also called the 'Lost World'. The line has twenty-four tunnels in 144 km (89 miles), just further evidence of the contorted topography of the King Country.
South of Taumarunui the ascent to the Central Plateau dominates the lay of the railway. Doubling-back arrangements and even a complete loop, the Raurimu Spiral, are required to make railway ascent or descent practicable. Once on the plateau the Northern Explorer soon arrives at National Park, the name eventually affixed to this station (1926), although not when the line was opened in 1908. In 1908 Tongariro National Park, served by the station, was New Zealand's only national park other than Mt Egmont National Park (established in 1900 in the Taranaki Region).
A number of passengers disembarked at National Park, no doubt to visit Tongariro (See post 13.20). The nearby mountain peaks happen to be invisible, enshrouded in clouds, this June 1. Splots of snow lie here and there about town. Larger fields of snow are visible on the flanks of one of the mountains. And at the station café a fire is going to keep the customers warm.
A number of passengers disembarked at National Park, no doubt to visit Tongariro (See post 13.20). The nearby mountain peaks happen to be invisible, enshrouded in clouds, this June 1. Splots of snow lie here and there about town. Larger fields of snow are visible on the flanks of one of the mountains. And at the station café a fire is going to keep the customers warm.
At one time I had wondered whether the Northern Explorer allowed passengers sufficient time at the National Park station to eat lunch there. I knew the station had a café, which has a good reputation. Both the northbound and southbound Northern Explorers are scheduled to leave National Park at 1:15 PM. But, of course, with the café car in the train's consist, there was no need to gulp food at some wayside station. On board there were hot and cold beverages, both soft and hard. And there were numerous offerings of what Kiwis call 'cabinet food'—salads, lasagna, quiche, Kiwi pies, and the like, which could be readily heated in the microwave if required.
The train manager and his assistant (the entirety of the train crew, not counting the engine driver as in the 'train crew') worked the café car (among other duties). They offered to deliver food and beverage orders to passengers in the coaches. For lunch I happened to have a Moroccan salad with a roll and Jean a tossed green salad laden with squash chunks. The Moroccan salad was good, the squash salad excellent. Indeed, Jean decided to re-create that latter salad after we returned to TA, where we dubbed it the 'Explorer Salad'. The food and beverage prices aboard the train were no more than what you'd pay in a typical Kiwi café.
The train manager and his assistant (the entirety of the train crew, not counting the engine driver as in the 'train crew') worked the café car (among other duties). They offered to deliver food and beverage orders to passengers in the coaches. For lunch I happened to have a Moroccan salad with a roll and Jean a tossed green salad laden with squash chunks. The Moroccan salad was good, the squash salad excellent. Indeed, Jean decided to re-create that latter salad after we returned to TA, where we dubbed it the 'Explorer Salad'. The food and beverage prices aboard the train were no more than what you'd pay in a typical Kiwi café.
We chose to have our lunch after leaving National Park, which we left as soon as the departing passengers had retrieved their luggage from the luggage van. Soon, to use railway lingo, we were 'running hot', meaning we were running ahead of schedule. At one point on the journey the train would be running as much as eleven minutes hot, a circumstance made possible by at least two facts: (1) that seating is by reservation only and (2) that, if all reserved passengers are aboard, the Northern Explorer will leave early (all other things being equal).
One of the nice features of the Northern Explorer is that thru headsets at each seat one can listen to occasional, GPS-activated narratives about passing locales and sights and about the railway line itself, especially its history. The train passes over a number of substantial bridges, but (alas) none are portrayed in the photos below.
One of the nice features of the Northern Explorer is that thru headsets at each seat one can listen to occasional, GPS-activated narratives about passing locales and sights and about the railway line itself, especially its history. The train passes over a number of substantial bridges, but (alas) none are portrayed in the photos below.
Beyond National Park our next stop was Ohakune, a gateway to the Turoa Skifield (at the southern end of Tongariro National Park). A northbound freight or goods train (loaded per usual with single-stacked containers*) was waiting at Ohakune for our train's arrival before resuming its journey north.
The following stop was about two and a half hours beyond Ohakune, at Palmerston North, which is about 140 km (87 miles) north of Wellington. We traveled through more of the Central Plateau and then descended into highly varied countryside. At Palmerston North we lingered for perhaps five minutes as the train crew retrieved luggage from the luggage van. A good number of passengers disembarked here. I wouldn't call Palmerston North a tourist destination, so apparently these disembarking passengers could be labeled as 'Kiwi travelers' and not (like ourselves) mere 'tourists'.
In New Zealand's summer the entire Northern Explorer journey would be in daylight. But given our season of travel the daylight came to an end somewhere between Palmerston North and our next stop at Paraparaumu, whose station is in the electrified zone (1.5 kV DC) served by Wellington's Tranz Metro trains.
In New Zealand's summer the entire Northern Explorer journey would be in daylight. But given our season of travel the daylight came to an end somewhere between Palmerston North and our next stop at Paraparaumu, whose station is in the electrified zone (1.5 kV DC) served by Wellington's Tranz Metro trains.
We were considerably delayed in attaining the train's final stop, Wellington Railway Station, because of engineering works being done on an extended, holiday weekend. The work was part of a project to increase capacity on the lines leading into the station. No matter. Right across the platform where we disembarked were shuttle vans waiting to take passengers to hotels or motels and to the ferry docks (for boats to the South Island, among other places).
The Northern Explorer enables anyone to traverse the length of much of the North Island (between Auckland and Wellington) in one day in a commodious fashion without all the hassles of driving or the constrained conditions of a bus. We enjoyed our day on the train and would recommend it.
Warm regards,
Tim (& Jean)
*P.S. Railway lines in the KiwiRail system are built to so-called 'Cape gauge' (3ft 6 in), not 'Standard gauge' (4ft 8.5 in). Cape gauge is cheaper to build than Standard gauge, allowing as it does for more severe curvature--a key consideration in New Zealand. But Cape gauge leads to less capacious loadings than Standard gauge, so (for example) Kiwi container freight trains are single-stacked, rather than double-stacked, as has become customary in North America.
P.P.S. (Posted 11 November 2014 @ Napier, New Zealand) Immediately below is a link to the long version of a KiwiRail advertisement that I saw on television last evening. Most of the advertisement (shown immediately below) devotes footage to the TranzAlpine negotiating the parched rain-shadowlands east of the Southern Alps. A subsequent, variant ad (also shown below) gave more footage to the Northern Explorer and the Coastal Pacific negotiating their routes.
*P.S. Railway lines in the KiwiRail system are built to so-called 'Cape gauge' (3ft 6 in), not 'Standard gauge' (4ft 8.5 in). Cape gauge is cheaper to build than Standard gauge, allowing as it does for more severe curvature--a key consideration in New Zealand. But Cape gauge leads to less capacious loadings than Standard gauge, so (for example) Kiwi container freight trains are single-stacked, rather than double-stacked, as has become customary in North America.
P.P.S. (Posted 11 November 2014 @ Napier, New Zealand) Immediately below is a link to the long version of a KiwiRail advertisement that I saw on television last evening. Most of the advertisement (shown immediately below) devotes footage to the TranzAlpine negotiating the parched rain-shadowlands east of the Southern Alps. A subsequent, variant ad (also shown below) gave more footage to the Northern Explorer and the Coastal Pacific negotiating their routes.
P.P.P. S. (Posted 5 October 2023) Here's a YouTube video I only discovered today but which was posted in early 2023 under the 'From the Window Seat' banner. The video is entitled 'NZ's epic railway journey/The Northern Explorer/Auckland to Wellington.' It's about 45 minutes long but very informative and engaging.
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| 23.F Te Awamutu's Alexandra Street (under Reconstruction) |
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| 23.H Hills in the King Country |
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| 23.I Line to Stratford at Okahukura Junction (from Observation Van) |
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| 23.J Northern Explorer Flying thru Taumarunui (in Summer 2013) |
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| 23.K Looking Back along the Train from the Observation Van |
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| 23.L A Full Observation Van Whilst Transiting a Raurimu Tunnel |
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| 23.M The 'Bush' at the Raurimu Spiral |
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| 23.N Woodstock at the National Park Station |
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| 23.O Passengers Retrieving Luggage back at the Luggage Van, National Park Station |
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| 23.P Lumber Mill in the High Country |
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| 23.Q Perhaps a Former Hotel or Rooming House across from Ohakune Station |
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| 23.R Somewhere between Taihape and Marton on the North Island Main Trunk Railway |
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| 23.S Ditto 23.R |
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| 23.T Crossing a River on a High Bridge |
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| 23.U More Countryside |
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| 23.V Late in the Daylight, 1 June 2013 |
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