North Island Overlander Train

 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The  Overlander train from Auckland to Wellington leaves from the underground Britomart station at 7:25 am and arrives at Wellington at 7:25 pm, exactly 12 hours later. Mostly for tourists, this North Island long-distance slow train journey passes through suburban areas, pastoral countryside, and the scenic Central Plateau with its remote rivers and volcanic peaks. It stops briefly at the national park station for views of Mount Ruapehu, the highest point on the North Island.

Our assigned seats are in the last carriage and we can move freely to the very back of the train where there are windows all around and comfortable seating. It's an opportunity to get to know fellow travelers and watch the scenery and train tracks recede from us. The weather is fine but it's difficult to take photos through the windows. We can go forward and stand on the small platform between cars in the fresh air and listen to the clacking of the wheels on the tracks and try to snap photos.

The rail line is an engineering marvel, incorporating 25 major bridges and 14 tunnels. The Raurimu Spiral is 11 km of track with a complete circle and three long sharp curves to ascend the steep terrain and advance 5.5 km. It's possible for us to look forward at the train engine as it makes these turns and passes over the tall viaducts, one is 79m tall. Begun in 1884, the track was completed in Novermber of 1908.

I note a few sights along the way. As we leave Auckland, there are small brick or frame homes with clothes flapping on clotheslines. Passing into the green rolling countryside, there are nursery trees, greenhouses, then sheep, cattle, and corn fields. One sign advertises wool scourers. The conductor tells about the Whangamarino wetlands preserve for waterfowl over the loudspeaker. The mining town of Huntly has a thermal (coal?) power station. We follow the route of the colonial army in 1863 as it pushed back Maori warriors and took the land during the Waikato War. Taupiri is the sacred burial mountain of the Maori Kings, the Maori Queen and other Maori. Even now, Maori honk car horns as they pass by to say hello to their ancestors. Then there is Waikato River, the longest in New Zealand. As we slide into Wellington, some business signs--the local Countdown supermarket. The old train station is right downtown and our Ibis hotel is four blocks away, an easy and welcome walk after a long ride.