Tranz Alpine

---

Lotsa noise again - didn't sleep alot but the ear plugs helped. Think the most we got in any one stint was 3 hours. It didn't help that we had to be at the train station by 7.45, taxi booked for 7.30 which means up to shower and eat at *groan* 6.30am. Susan was not impressed as I'm sure most of you can imagine. Mind you I wasn't feeling any different after my night of non-sleep!

The taxi got us to the station with plenty of time to spare. Our seats were allocated on check-in which saved us having to fight with the oldies for the better seats. I have no doubt we would've lost the race! :-) (Just kidding, they were pleasant enough people really!)

We were looking forward to the trip on the Tranz Alpine. From what we'd read and heard, it was to be "one of the most scenic train trips in the world". It was going to have to be some trip to be up there with the Rocky Mountaineer. I was quietly confident...but I was confident the Wallabies would beat the English and look what happened! 

At 8.15 the train pulls from the station right on time. We're through the outskirts of town and into the Canterbury Plains before we know it. Beautiful lush green farming land each paddock bordered by hedges and most full of....yep...it wouldn't be New Zealand if they weren't full of...sheep!!!

We get excited by our first glimpse of the mountain range but once we start climbing the tops of the mountains are consumed by clouds. Susan manages a few shots, battling with the reflections on the glass of the train before the weather really turns nasty (see photo attached).

The train is running on schedule but the weather isn’t running to order. At Arthurs’ Pass it is raining hard enough to not bother getting off for the brief 5 minute stop. Arthurs’ Pass is the highest altitude NZ town. I’m sure it’s great on a nice day!

The rest of the trip was pretty just rain and clouds. At least we are moving and can get away from the rain unlike the residents of Otiri (all 40 of them) get 5 to 6 METRES of rain a year.

We arrive in Greymouth (a town sitting at the mouth of the Grey River - original huh?), get our luggage and our rental car. It’s a gold Commodore (see photo), basic model but it will have good grunt for the mountains! Overall impressions of the trip...wasn't that scenic but we were likely put off by the clouds, rain and therefore lack of scenery. It was good and it was definitely better then driving to Greymouth in weather like we had. Would I recommend anyone doing it?? Probably but only for the same reasons we did. For a more relaxing day without a full 8+ hours of driving and, with luck, the weather is good (but I haven’t met anyone yet who can control that!).

Supplies of food and alcohol were sourced and we head off in very very rough conditions. There’s a number of extremely heavy downpours as we drive through Hokitika, Ross, Whataroa to the village of Franz Joseph. At the Alpine Adventure Centre we enquire about the heli-hike we have booked for 9.30am tomorrow (Monday). They're giving it a 50/50 chance of us going...the weather report is not great for the next few days. We'll be put on the 11.45 if that goes and ours doesn't else perhaps the afternoon will be better or even to Tuesday.

Sunset Motel, our “home” for the next 3 nights is great. A 1 bedroom self-contained unit with cooking facilities. Has views of Mt Cook and the ranges…if only the clouds would move…but there are a few glimpses later and we’re even treated with the sun for the final few minutes of the day (see photo).

FYI - the hours of sunlight are much greater here…it’s like NZ are on daylight savings time. Sun up very early…sunset 8.30am. Means we have a little longer for walks and sightseeing but a bit hard getting used to. Suppose we’ll be all sorted for SA’s daylight savings when we get home.

---

Photos

From the train
One of the few photos with little glare and no clouds. Somewhere on the way to Arthurs' Pass.

Rain rain everywhere!
Bucketted down driving from Greymouth to Fox Glacier. This was pretty much how it was all the way down the coast (200kms) till we headed inland a bit.

Room with a view
Perhaps our only likely sighting of Mt Cook from this side of the divide. Sunset at about 8.30pm.