Day 6 - Wellington - Picton - Christchurch

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Updated 19 MAR 07

From Delight to Disaster.

The day broke quite calmly, as the wind of the previous evening had died away. The YHA here had a bus to the ferry organised, so after purchasing a $2 ticket we were off to the terminal. Dont try to walk this as it is quite a distance.

The Ferry ride was awesome, through the stunningly beautiful Wellington Harbour to calm Cook Strait into idylic Queen Charlotte Sound and into the wonderful Picton Bay. This turned out to be the HIGHLIGHT of our day, other than meeting our relatives in Christhurch. FOR IT WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE.

The train we were suppost to catch arrived on time, but apparantly without generator power from Blenhiem. This caused a 55 min delay in them trying to fix the power problem. The lack of this generator power meant no air conditioning, no heated food, no refrigeration and no power to the toilets. This was not a good prospect for a 5.5 hour trip! While we were sitting in our seats wait for them to fix the problem the temps inside the carriages reached about 40 degrees. They decided to send us in to Blenhiem (33 minutes south ) to meet a freight train that would have a fuse that could possibly fix the problem. I though it funny that they didn't carry any spares on the train or even at the station. But thats me and the 5 Ps from my scout training talking.

The train moves off and we wait for another 20 mins just short of Blenhiem for the goods train to go through, but when we get there, the guy with the fuse was AWOL. So they herd us into 3 buses for a suicide run to Christchurch through perilous hills and lofty ravines on a cramped bus with no toilets. Hoorah! The first and only stop was after an hour and a half so of course there is a queue for the toilet a mile long. And then then is only one cafe with ready food open and there the queue is another mile long.

We ended up in Christchurch finally an hour and 25 mins late. I had had enough by then of all the niggliness of the other passengers, the 2 month old baby crying and bus swaying like crazy.

Our bus driver made the mistake of asking Wendy how her trip was, so she let him have it. I had to to drag her away for the startled guy. She was only saying what we were all thinking.

And all this, i am embarrassed to say, is from an Australian owned company call Toll.

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Comments

[Erica]

Trains
What are you complaining about? Sounds just like Connex on an average day, should be feeling right at home!

[Lenny_67]

Connex
Yeah, you are right there, but it lasted 6.5 hours!!! But its all good now.