Train #6 - Coastal Pacific

We must board the bus at 0600! Hard to believe on the 11th day of this 13-day odyssey, the make us get up for such an early departure.

Our tour calls today's train the 'fifth' train, the last of New Zealand's "Big Five". Our count calls it our sixth unique train. The Coastal Pacific runs from Christchurch to Picton, the ferry terminal to the north island of New Zealand.

Most of the run to Kaikoura is through non-descript farmland. Eventually the train arrives at a run along the east coast of the South Island.

We exit the train at Kaikoura. Our scheduled whale watch boat trip gets cancelled. The aircraft spotters have been unable to find whales.

With time on our hands, Ross and Jane conjure up a short bus ride along the peninsula to show us the coast up close. Nearby mountains have fresh early season snow.

We pass four alpacas being walked.

We spend an uneventful three hours in the one-street town most stretching out lunch at a fish & chips place.

Before dinner our guides hand out 8 "awards". There was a discussion on the bus as to who had the heaviest suitcase. CJ said no one stood a chance considering the amount of alcohol we were carrying. Since we had three days with only one night in each of three hotels, we redistributed our "his and hers" suitcases into what do we need the next three days and one suitcase with everything else. That suitcase happened to have Carol's tags. She wins the 'award' for heaviest suitcase.

Our great guides from left to right, Mike, Jane, Dale, and Trevor. Jane and Dale are married. Trevor is headed to Boulder to visit his daughter and we've given him an amazing Spanish restaurant recommendation that his daughter did not know. Trevor was also CJ's wingman on the climb since, as the person making the slowest and most deliberate ascent, everyone was reasonably certain he wouldn't make and worse might suffer an incident.

CJ gets an award for his "heroic" climb to the Tasman Lake viewing platform. Since our bus mates were assembled at the base waiting to give him an ovation when he finally arrived back down, this one was expected.

Mt Cook to Christchurch

Two days ago when we arrived it was clear and we had great views of Mt. Cook. Most of yesterday, the mountain was obscured by clouds. This morning, it is clear again and we have great views again.

We have been informed that a member of the tour has tested positive for COVID.

We stop in a peculiar little town. It is one of a small list of areas around the globe with extraordinary low ambient light levels. There is an international observatory here and once there was a NASA space tracking facility. The dome in the picture is a small planetarium. By coincidence we have been to another low ambient light place on the list. There is an international radio telescope we visited in the high desert in the Andes Mountains near Medoza, Argentina.

Tourists build rock statues along the shore.

This cute little church lies near the shore of the lake.

The next stop is in the small town of Rakaia. It is the salmon capital of New Zealand. It has the longest bridge in New Zealand. It is a strange little town.

Once again the bus ride has felt shorter than it was do to several comfort stops at interesting places. 

We arrive to rush hour traffic in Christchurch. Instead of taking the chartered tram ride, something we've already done, we head out to the smallest pub in Christchurch with Owen and wife. Tom is the manager this afternoon and greets us warmly.

After a few pints among us, CJ orders a mini growler of a good local Belgium blonde for the road.

Mount Cook disappointment

Today was the day we were supposed to take a plane ride to the glacier, land and walk on it. We were informed at dinner last evening that the glacier is too icy and the plane ride is not possible. Bugger, bugger, bugger!

We're encouraged to climb to the top of a ridge and view the end of the Tasman Glacier and the Tasman Lake. It is a steep climb. We start together but the gradient takes its toll on Carol's knee.

CJ somehow climbs to the summit. The end of Tasman glacier and Tasman Lake are seen over his shoulder.

The views from the summit.

It is a long way down to the parking area.

When he arrives at the bottom, his fellow travelers give him an ovation. Few, including CJ thought he could make it.

We tour the Sir Edmund Hilary Alpine Centre.

There are several exhibits of vehicles and stories of both his career and the legacy he left in the Mt Cook area.

Before dinner we have lecture on the Hilary family legacy in mountaineering from George Hillary, the grandson of Sir Edmund Hilary. George and his brother are third generation mountaineers.

George shows a picture of him climbing a pine tree. CJ loves the picture. He often did the same in a neighbors tree when he was under 12.

Train #4 - Taieri Gorge Train

The Dunedin Railway Station is one of the classic old beauties from the heyday of grand railway stations.

Inside there is a great hall and railway themed floor mosaics.

We take the Taieri Gorge train on a round trip from Dunedin through the Taieri Gorge. We pass on the Taieri Gorge Railway train for our group's private charter of the Dunedin Railways train.

Today's ride is a long trip to the Taieri Gorge and back.

After departing industrial Dunedin and passing through their champion horse country, we settle into a ride through rural New Zealand. One of the highlights of the trip is the Wingatui Viaduct.

The views of the gorge for the next hour are amazing.

We pass several more viaducts. The fall folliage is beautiful. Without the reds of the maples it isn't quite fall in the US but its gorgeous nonetheless.

We continue along the ridges high above the gorge.

End of the line. It is raining. There is barely a station and it is not impressive.

On the return trip, we see the striations caused by the glaciers when they dug this gorge.

The route is retraced. We travel back on the opposite side of the train and in a different carraige.

This is the rare home along the route. The occupants are outdoors waving to us as we pass; in both directions. There is no road to this place. The nearest road is on the other side of a tunnel. The railroad has given them a small hand powered rail cart and a radio to ensure the line is clear to get to and from this home through the tunnel. Could you live like that?

Dinner is on our own this evening. We select a restaurant we can walk to. We pass by a wine shop. We try another bottle of Pinot Noir from Central Otago. This one is very good.

On our own for dinner, CJ selects a Chinese restaurant with Szechuan items on the menu. Carol has dumplings, CJ a Szechuan dish. 

With the number of chili peppers in this dish, we pray CJ survives.

Even after eating the chicken and chili peppers, CJ sifts through the soup and this remains.

On the return walk we take this picture of the cathedral.