New Zealand: TranzAlpine Train

The next morning (see previous New Zealand posts), we took the narrow-gauge TranzAlpine Train across the Southern Alps, from Christchurch to Greymouth, and back — an all-day outing.

Wikipedia: “The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by The Great Journeys of New Zealand in the South Island of New Zealand over the Midland Line; often regarded to be one of the world’s great train journeys for the scenery through which it passes. The journey is 223 kilometres (139 mi) one-way, taking almost five hours. There are 16 tunnels and four viaducts, with the Staircase Viaduct being 75 metres (246 ft) high.”

Here’s the 5-hour (each way) route on a satellite map, to better show the mountains:

The Kiwi Rail train is custom-designed for viewing the passing scenery and has a pair of semi-open cars you can walk to for breezy, windowless viewing. In the enclosed cars, the reclining seats are large and comfortable, with electrical outlets. A food car sells modest meals, snacks, and beverages.

There’s prerecorded commentary available via provided headphones, so you can follow along the journey, picking up bits of the natural and human history of the route.

For example: Here’s a short video clip of one moment that I would have missed, except for the commentary, as the train ran down a valley from the central mountains to the Tasman Sea on New Zealand’s west coast. In the video, the hills to the left of the train are surface debris scraped off the Indo-Australian tectonic plate as it subducts beneath the Pacific plate, on the right. The mountains on the right are thus being pushed up from below, rising at about 3-5mm a year. However, the area’s heavy rainfall erodes them at about the same rate, resulting in a temporary equilibrium, while generating megatons of eroded silt and gravel, turning many of the area rivers milky or blue-white. The subduction also helps to fuel the area’s quakes and volcanism. Clip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/eQbxaFRXaMjddzSQ6

Those of us using the headphones saw the slow, inexorable collision of two of earth’s massive tectonic plates, taking place before our eyes and beneath our feet. Everyone else just saw some wooded hills. So, yeah, wear the headphones.

Photo album:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nawNya4Dbqibfgpq8

By the end of the day’s trip, we were in fully jaded scenery overdose: Oh look, another gorgeous vista, ho hum. 🙂

We returned to our hotel tired but happy, and prepared to start the long trek back to Wellington in the morning.

Permalink: https://langa.com/?p=4558

COMMENT / QUESTION on THIS ITEM? See the Comment box at bottom of this page!

NEW QUESTION? Ask here!

(Want free notification of new content? Click here!)