The only way to travel in awe
Ihave a confession to make. Most of the time, I don’t actually enjoy travelling – as in the process of getting from A to B. I’m a nervous flyer, an anxious driver (and passenger), and boats make me seasick. There is only one form of transport that I take any sort of pleasure in, and that is trains.
My love affair with the rails began when I was a highschool student on exchange in Japan.
I remember my first time seeing a shinkansen, or bullet train. To me, it looked more like a spaceship than a train, with its long, pointy nose and sleek lines, gliding so rapidly but somehow without making a sound.
When I eventually got to ride one, I found the experience onboard as wondrous as it appeared from the outside. I loved every aspect of the journey, from the little kiosks on the platform selling exquisite bento boxes, to the spotlessly clean train cars and comfortable seats and the speed at which we whizzed from city to city.
This introduction to train travel obviously set an extremely high standard for all future journeys. But while Japan might have one of the most-efficient railway systems in the world, here in New Zealand, we’re all about the scenic rides.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to experience the TranzAlpine from Greymouth to Christchurch.
I remember before boarding the train I had this idea that I might strike up a conversation with a mysterious stranger in the seat beside me. Or that I would take out a notebook, look out the window, and immediately be struck with inspiration for a best-selling novel, which I would effortlessly write in the remainder of the four-hour trip. Those are the sorts of romantic things that happen to people on trains.
Unfortunately, neither scenario eventuated. The TranzAlpine was almost too scenic. I ended up spending most of the ride dashing out to the observation deck to admire the views through my phone camera lens, so great was the pressure to document every moment.
I have vowed that the next time I take a scenic train ride, I will ban myself from using my phone. In any case, I still have two more journeys to tick off my list – the Northern Explorer, which runs from Auckland to Wellington, and the Coastal Pacific, which runs from Picton to Christchurch.
In this week’s cover story, Tim Richards tackles all three of New Zealand’s Great Journeys in one epic trip. Find out about his big adventure on pages 40-41.