Northern Explorer to Auckland

I have mentioned that I love trains, and when I found that there was a train that went from Wellington to Auckland with the name Northern Explorer, I was adamant that I would get on that train.

Its a good thing the friend and ex colleague wanted to do the same trip, so WL and I set off early from Wellington with our bags and snacks all ready for the 10 hour train ride.

There is a viewing deck on this train as it journeys through the centre of the National Park and offers amateur (very amateur)  photographers like me the opportunity to gape mouth open and forget to take shots of the rugged natural landscape of this wonderful country.  You stand there on the deck mesmerised by the view before you kick yourself and start clicking furiously.......

It was cold on the deck and we sat in the railcar that was right next to it

and our seats were by the door, so we could dash out and back in to warm up before we were off our seats again to capture that little bit of magic we saw.  The landscape changed as we went up, some places it reminded me of the gentle rolling hills of the English Countryside, then it would turn rugged and remind me of Scotland.  There were so many different shades of green and blues (the coast ) that I couldnt believe that I wasnt in some painting or a well shot movie.
 We went through tunnels,
over bridges, through small little country towns and I saw babbling brooks, gently flowing rivers and gushing streams.  For someone like me, a born and bred city girl this was a visual stimulation like no other. I took thousands of pictures so these are just a few of the views of just that journey from Wellington to Auckland.