Rails to Sails A journey through NZ’s ‘capitals’
After a spectacular journey through the North Island, with views to die for and cleaning up at backgammon, her fill of Auckland’s best food and drink.
The journey started with a dad joke: ‘‘There’s you’ll get to see its three volcanic mountains – height issues but pretty spectacular nonetheless. no wi-fi, but we do have ‘windows’ available, Tongariro, Nga¯uruhoe and Ruapehu. We pass through New Zealand’s highest railway no password needed.’’ It took a beat before Just before 8am we are masked up and heading up station at Waio¯uru, the Kaimanawa Range. the passengers onboard the Northern country. We climb to 800 metres above sea level, and this is Explorer looked out the massive windows and got Travelling with my husband Eric, our journey is where we hit more viaducts – the Makatote is the the gag. peppered with some savagely competitive highest at 79m high but the others – Manganui-o-te
Through these panoramic portals we would backgammon, the obligatory card games, and plenty Ao and Hapuawhenua – are pretty vertiginous at experience the wild and changing landscape of the of good grub – the licensed cafe does a roaring trade. 34m and 45m, and each one bridges deep, twisting central North Island for 11 hours, which was a pretty Richard is at the till, and a more effervescent and gorges. appealing prospect, not just for the scenery but for pleasant chap you’d be hard-pressed to find. Peppered between the viaducts are huge the fact that for a whole day we need do nothing but The cafe serves Wishbone food, including wraps, waterfalls dropping out of the dramatic landscape. sit, eat, read, watch, and learn about our own salads and hot food. We ordered the smoked salmon Here was the Aotearoa I thought I knew but had backyard. and soba noodles, followed later in the day by a never seen, certainly not from this perspective.
We mused that in the time it would take to take us generous cheese platter with walnuts, fig chutney By National Park, we’re two-all in the from Wellington to Auckland, we could be in and dried apricots, washed down with a shiraz. backgammon stakes. We’re looking forward to our Bangkok, Singapore, to Sydney and back twice. But, The commentary on individual headsets is full of wine and cheese snack, but trying to hold out for of course, there’s the rub. No-one’s going across the frantically interesting history, and some dynamite 5pm. No sense in peaking too early. border, so we can finally live up to that titbits of trivia. If it’s a well-known fact that former Ruapehu was mostly shrouded in cloud on the advertisement’s advice: to see the country before All Black Colin ‘‘Pine Tree’’ Meads used to run up day of our travel but no matter, up next is the leaving town. and down the hills in Te Ku¯iti (the sheep shearing completely miraculous Raurimu Spiral, known as
Masks are obligatory on the journey (we’ve learnt capital of the world) with a sheep under each arm to the engineering masterpiece of its time. to see the smiles in people’s eyes) but as we all know, keep fit, I’ve been hiding under a rock. It was designed in 1898 to negotiate a 139m we’re all in this together and sticking to the rules is Once out of Wellington, we meander up the Kapiti escarpment between the plateau and the valleys and what we do pretty well. Coast. As we pass banks of spring flowers – wild gorges of Whanganui. The unfathomable single
Even before we board the train, two helpful staff, sweet peas, blackberry patches, nasturtiums, orange track railway is a series of engineering feats, with both called Rob – a job requirement? – offer to help blossom, and lupin – I’m one up in the backgammon horseshoe curves and tunnels. with our bags and give us the info on our journey.¯toOstakes.Upon torohanga, home of the Waitomo Cave
In a nutshell, the Northern Explorer is New We pass paddocks of sheep, cows, pu¯keko. system and all its millions of glow-worms. Zealand’s longest-running passenger service. It runs The lush plains beyond Palmerston North give We carry on at a ferocious clip, racing up hill and between Wellington and Auckland, stopping at way to the green volcanic peaks of farmland in the down dale, passing aquamarine rivers criss-crossing Palmerston North, hakune, NationalO¯ Park, and Mangaweka. Poplars pointing accusingly at the grey the landscape. The mists hang low around tiny Hamilton. sky. They should tell it to stop raining. settlements. Tributaries leading to Whanganui River
We will pass through various capitals, we’re told: The Rangitı¯kei is next and our first massive snake this way and that.
Taihape, the Gumboot Capital of the World; viaduct over the Rangitı¯kei River with its enormous We pass through Nga¯ruawa¯hia, once considered
hakune, the Carrot Capital of the World. No-one sandstone Papa cliffs. as a potential capital of Aotearoa and home of the can say we don’t make the best of what we have. This part of the journey is best viewed from the Ma¯ori King Movement.
It takes in the central North Island’s Tongariro open-air deck at the back of the train. The commentary offers a great plotted history of National Park, and if you’re lucky with the weather A white-knuckled experience for those with kı¯ngitanga.
Through these panoramic portals we would experience the wild and changing landscape of the central North Island for 11 hours, which was a pretty appealing prospect, not just for the scenery but for the fact that for a whole day we need do nothing but sit, eat, read, watch, and learn about our own backyard.
On to Huntly, home to the largest thermal power station in the country.
Then, finally, the Bombay Hills are in sight. We wend our way through the lush market gardens of Pukekohe and we can sense the city ahead.
I’m up 5/4 on the backgammon board when we roll into Auckland’s Strand, on time.
It’s been a great day in the backyard.
Auckland
Our first stop on day one is an ascent up the Sky Tower. At 220m we ponder the possibility of a Sky Walk on this perfectly clear morning in the City of Sails.
Eric says the view from indoors is enough.
In fact just riding up the super-duper lift is a bit of a wild ride looking through the glass floor at the ground dropping beneath.
You can start the day with a sunrise yoga session up there, and finish it downstairs with a flutter at the Sky City Casino.
Our mission, we decided, was to eat our way around the city for the next 48 hours. That’s as good a way as any to get a feel for the place.
The heavens opened while we were down by the waterfront, so we ducked into the first place we could find.
It turned out to be a happy accident because The Shucker Brothers in the Ferry Building was serving some great kaimoana.
Oysters, octopus a la plancha, trevally ceviche and a glass of rose. Just the thing.
We moved on by way of an electric scooter, which I’d recommend, but advise against riding shotgun. Our spectacular tumble was observed and roundly ignored by the good people of Auckland. My ego and knee are still stinging.
That night we headed Sky-wards to The Sugar Club for a pre-dinner drink.
We mooch across Queen St to O’Connell Street Bistro, a bijoux joint with only seven or eight tables.
Dinner was something special – puka, Moreton Bay bug ravioli, celeriac, vanilla and shellfish bisque, rib eye, mushrooms, onion, wasabi butter, and oxtail jus.
On to gamble away the family farm, or at least the $50 we had allowed ourselves.
I have no blackjack experience to speak of, but it’s a frightening thing to learn quickly and lose fast. Even scarier to win.
We were $80 up before the inevitable happened. Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler was playing loud in my head as we stood to leave – ‘‘know when to walk away, know when to run’’.
On day two, it’s cinnamon buns from Federal Delicatessen downstairs and off to the Waiheke Island ferry.
During the 45-minute sailing, we see the Team NZ America’s Cup boat heading across the harbour in training. That thing can fly.
On Waiheke, we take a cab to Stonyridge Vineyard.
The vines at Stonyridge are from Bordeaux. People said Stephen White, who bought the place in 1981, was mad for planting that grape there but the microclimate and his perseverance proved them wrong.
White also produces olive oil and olives and, in summer, the vineyard opens its Tiki Bar on the terrace overlooking the vines below.
As we eat our sharing platter a helicopter lands in the paddock below. A waiter heads down with a tray of wines to greet the new arrivals.
But who needs a chopper when there’s a perfectly good bus service?
That said, the mood struck us to hitch our way back to the ferry via Ostend for a coffee at the excellent Timbuktu Nomadic Deli, and on to the town of Onetangi, a bustling hive of surf shops, bars and eateries.
From there, we walked the last kilometre to the ferry terminal along a quiet road flanked by lush bush and bright bougainvillea.
Back in the big smoke, Al Brown’s Depot had been recommended, so we went there for dinner.
We had kingfish sashimi with oyster cream, apple and fennel seeds, followed by pork hock with apple and horseradish salsa verde, and some potato skins with manchego, truffle oil and porcini salt. Forty-eight hours goes by quickly. Too quickly. Auckland, you barely touched the sides.
The deal
The Northern Explorer train operates from Auckland to Wellington on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and from Wellington to Auckland on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The Great Journeys of New Zealand is offering a three-night package from Wellington to Auckland, from $957, including return train travel, three nights’ accommodation (including transfers), a Sky Tower viewing experience, and a half day wine and dine tour of Waiheke Island.
Based on share twin until March 31.
See greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/packages/aucklandcity-break.