M.T.P.: Trains, Pains, & Automobiles

The buzzing noise from an alarm clock breaks the early morning silence in my parents’ hotel room. My body stirs, trying to drown out the annoying sound and wanting to go back to sleep. As much as I want to, I can’t drift back into the dream world because I risk missing the train. My subconscious adventures will have to wait.

When my parents were planning the NZ portion of their Down Under & Middle Earth Tour (DUMET), I had suggested doing a train excursion. They happily agreed, having already experienced several excursions in Australia. A company by the name of Tranzscenic operates 3 excursions: TranzAlpine, TranzCoastal, & The Overlander. For Saturday we would be travelling the TranzAlpine line, Christchurch – Greymouth – Christchurch, a trip that would take us around & through Middle Earth’s mountains for the entire day.

In the 21^st century, a vacation just isn’t complete without several ‘bumps’ along the way. Simply put, I’m talking about annoyances. No matter how good the plan looks like on paper, the experience can be completely different. Despite arriving at the train station in the early morning, there was already a queue to the check in desks. Typical. The senior guy behind the desk accidentally wrote our seat reservations in reverse, telling us to go to our return trip seats. We were greeted by a group of British tourists who looked as confused as we were. After the mix up, we were in our proper seats and on our way.

The train left Christchurch at a moderate speed and travelled across the Canterbury Plains. Memories of travelling to Temple Basin surface in my mind as rolling grass fields fly by. Minus the hordes of sheep, my parents agreed with my earlier observation that rural NZ is similar to Canada. There were many breathtaking views of mountains, plains, and deep river canyons. While gazing at the river canyon below, I imagined flying within its walls in a fast commercial helicopter. The train carried two viewing carriages – standing areas with no windows – giving tourists the freedom to capture the magnificent landscapes on digital cameras.

The TranzAlpine had to stop several times to unload & take on regular passengers, meaning slower speeds and waiting times. Despite the stops being brief, they stretched out the ride to 4 hours in both directions.

For the hungry & thirsty few, there’s a café carriage selling various non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks. My mom bought a cappuccino & a mediocre muffin to keep herself, my dad & I awake during the slow portions of the ride. This came in handy when the train crossed the mountains via a 9.6km tunnel. A dark black void surrounded the train for 15 minutes. Quite the quiet experience.

The train rolled into Greymouth at lunchtime and we had just one hour to explore the town before catching the return train. We settled for a small hotel restaurant near the station and enjoyed fish & chips. On top of that, my mother was impressed with the amount of artistic preparation put into the cappuccino she ordered.

The return trip was uneventful but more relaxing because our carriage was only half filled, allowing us to claim a 4 seat cubicle for ourselves. Overall, I give the TranzAlpine day excursion 3 stars despite the logistical problems we encountered. The quality could be improved if the issues of café quality, train speed, and logistics are addressed.

To Be Continued . . .