Train riding in Dunedin
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2008
1
10
19
Trip End
Feb 20, 2008
Dunedin,
New Zealand
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The train was right outside of the port - Port Chalmers - so we only had a 100m walk to it. There was a shuttle to Dunedin that you could take to visit the town. One critiscim is that they charge you to take the shuttles to get to town. You would think Celebrity could include that in the price of the cruise. After all, you're cruising to see the town, not the port.
Anyways, the train had about 10 cars with about 30 people in each. We had table service performed by volunteers (retired women and men) as part of the Otago Excursion Train Trust. owned by the Dunedin City Council. The train ride was 4 ½ hrs long but the time to the turnaround point was 3 hrs (much faster going back as it was downhill :-). Each car held about 30 people and there were about 10 cars attached to the engine. The cars were built in the 20's and 30's with the oldest being from 1916 and it had the original light fixtures and a tin ceiling.
We had 2 stops. At Wingatui Junction, we stopped to pick up hot tea and coffee. Then we stopped at Hindon for the views.
The views of the gorge/canyon/river from the train were great. We followed the Taieri River for the most part. There was a running commentary on the history and the sights along the way. The entire distance travelled on the train is about 50 km.
The ride finished at Pukerangi (Maori for 'hill of the heavens') where the local craft people had tables setup and the tourists could buy their crafts. The landscape here was very similar to Cypress Hills in Sask. On the return trip, we were served a deliscious box lunch with a choice of wine. The serving ladies made sure to stop and talk to each of the passengers onboard.
After the train ride, we went on a shuttle to view Lanarch Castle. Noramally, during the bus ride to the castle, we would have great view of the harbour and the town but it was very foggy so all we could see was the castle. It seems that all of the castles built by rich men in the 1800's have a sad history. For Lanarch Castle, Mr Lanarch ended up killing himself after receiving a message while working at the Parliament buildings in Wellington. Nobody knows what the note said as it was never found. And of course, what castle would be complete without a ghost, so the ghost of Mr Lanarch's third wife is said to haunt the castle. No, we didn't see her but they did have a darkened room with a mannequin suspended from the ceiling to help you visualize her.
Finally, we stopped at the historic railway station in Dunedin. It's a very stately Edwardian looking station but we didn't dawdle around the station. We had realized this was our last chance to get rid of Kiwi money so we ran across the street to shop in the nearest store we could find. In the store, I found a greenstone ring for $15, so Cathy, Andy and I pooled all of our change to pay for it. We only had 14.40 but she said that was enough. (New Zealand doesn't have any pennies or nickels for currency).
We didn't attend the main dinner seating (it was 'informal' dress night and we didn't feel like putting on a tie) so we ate in the alternative dining room. You can wear casual dress. We meet up with Carl, Diane and Jill - a family from Boston that we meet earlier at the CruiseCritic get-together, We had a lovely dinner and then wandered the ship. It was very quiet and no-one was in the nightclubs. Carl and Diane decided to go to the movie "Pirates of the Carribean - Dead Man's Chest'. I looked for popcorn but there wasn't any. We decided to go to bed early.
A final reflection on New Zealand: the people are some of the most friendly and warm people you will ever meet. Yes, someone asked me if I was lost and needed help while I was looking at a map, just as the stereotypical view of a Kiwi resident would suggest. The land is very beautiful and the cities such as Wellington are very scenic.
At each port. I wished we had more time to explore each.
Tomorrow is the Fiordlands and the Sounds.
Comments
Train Ride
I was just thinking yesterday how you would not be able to experience a train ride, since you are on a ship! We took the train from Christchurch down to Dunedin but it was not a sightseeing train, just a regular commuter train.
Are you going to get to see the penguins?
How come you won't be spending any more NZ dollars?
47Kaiser
Just read your accounts of the last 3 cities. Segweying does sound like fun--our visit it to Wellington was wet and cool--you had a much better day. On the other hand, we had a lovely day at Dundedin--the views from the castle were incredible. The same goes for the penguin farm. In Christchurch we took a taxi to town and the local bus home. Again--we had a lovely day like you maybe with a little less wind. New Zealander's are a warm, friendly, and helpful bunch. Dave is ready to go back---will be interesting to hear your comments on how they compare to Australians.
Wes