Auckland to Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, one of the world's great train rides!  See more photos.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang

Auckland to Wellington by train from NZ$ 158 (£83 or US$129)!

The superb Northern Explorer train is easily the best way to get from downtown Auckland to city centre Wellington, stress-free and in comfort at ground level, stopping off if you like at the Tongariro National Park.  The 'Northern Explorer' is an epic 681 kilometre (423 mile) journey across the whole interior of the North Island, taking you in a single day past every kind of scenery there is, from coastline to volcanoes to mountains, from lush green farmland to thick New Zealand bush.  It will take you the length of the historic North Island Main Trunk Railway, started in 1885 and completed in 1908, over such feats of engineering at the Raurimu Spiral, Turangarere Horseshoe and Makatote Viaduct.  It's one of the world's great railway journeys and one of my favourites, far more historically and economically significant than the branch line used by the TranzAlpine train on the South Island.  And all this costs from NZ$ 79 (£42 or US$64).  You'd be crazy to waste the opportunity, so ditch that domestic flight to Wellington and take the train!

The Northern Explorer replaces the old Overlander as from 26 June 2012.  The new train is faster as it cuts out smaller stops, and it features brand-new panoramic carriages and upgraded on-board services compared to the rebuilt 1950s coaches of the 'Overlander'.  Kiwi Rail intend it to become an 'internationally-recognised tourism product'.  However, the new train will run only three-times-a-week instead of daily.  See KiwiRail press release.

Auckland-Wellington Northern Explorer timetable & fares...

The Northern Explorer has new panoramic carriages, reclining seats, cafe car, open air viewing car, power sockets at all seats.

* Super-Saver = limited availability, no refunds, no changes.  Smart-Saver = limited availability, $20 for any changes which can only be made more than 48 hours or more before departure.  Important:  These cheap fares will not appear on the Kiwi Rail Scenic website when viewed from a computer outside NZ, see below for the necessary workaround so you can see and buy them online from outside NZ.

Children aged 2-14 travel at reduced fare,  Infants under 2 travel free.  New Zealand railpass information.

Buy tickets online at www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz, but read this first...

You can buy tickets for the Overlander or Northern Explorer at www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz with self-print ticketing, but be warned, Kiwi Rail have set up their website to detect your computer's IP address and suppress the cheaper Super-Saver and Smart-Saver fares if your computer is located outside New Zealand.  In other words, from a UK-based PC all you see is $198, from an NZ-based PC you'll see the complete and correct fare range, $158, $178 and $198 (assuming the cheaper fares are available, of course).  To buy a cheaper Super-Saver or Smart-Saver fare you have three choices:  You can make an international phone call to Kiwi Rail Scenic Journeys telesales on + 64 4 495 0775, as all fares are available by phone wherever you live, potentially saving money even allowing for the cost the call.  Or you can wait till you reach NZ, and book online in an internet cafe using an NZ-based computer, when all the cheap fares will show up.  Or if you're moderately computer-savvy, you can use the following workaround to book Super-Saver and Smart-Saver tickets online from outside New Zealand:

How to buy Smart-Saver or Super-Saver tickets online from outside NZ:   (1) Download the Tor Project's special Tor-enabled Firefox browser from the Tor Project's download page and install it following their instructions.  (2)  Open the Tor browser, which also opens the 'Vidalia' control panel.  (3) On the Vidalia control panel, click 'settings' then 'advanced' then 'edit current Torrc'.  (4) In the Torrc text file that appears, simply type a new line ' ExitNodes {nz} ' (without the quote marks, of course!).  Save these settings and reopen the Tor browser.  You are now browsing through a random relay of servers, exiting the relay with an NZ IP address.  The connection naturally works a bit slower than your normal internet connection, but it does work!  (5) Now go to www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz and book your tickets.  You should now see the full range of fares (if available).  Feedback would be appreciated!

One traveller reports (April 2012):  "Thanks for the 'Tor' advice when booking Super-Saver tickets for New Zealand.  It worked for me, and I've saved a lot of money as I'm backpacking on a budget."

Or book by phone, call 0800 872 467 (in NZ) or  00 64 4 495 0775 (from outside NZ)...

From outside New Zealand, call Kiwi Rail on + 64 4 495 0775, remembering that NZ is 13 hours ahead of the UK in the UK's winter, 11 hours in summer - you should be able to buy the full range of fares including Super-Saver and Smart-Saver.  When you're in NZ, call them on their free-phone number, 0800 TRAINS (0800 872 467).  There are no discounts for seniors or students on the Northern Explorer, although there are discounts on the other Kiwi Rail passenger trains.  You can buy all the fares by phone, Flexi, Smart-Saver or Super-Saver, even if you call from outside NZ.

What's it like on board the Northern Explorer?

The Northern Explorer uses brand new AK panoramic sightseeing coaches built in Kiwi Rail's Dunedin workshops in New Zealand in 2011-2012.  These replace the old rebuilt 1950s carriages used until June 2012 by its predecessor, the Overlander. Photos courtesy of James Chuang

Reclining seats, most facing direction of travel, all lining up with huge panoramic windows (note the roof skylights too!), with loads of legroom even if you're over six feet tall.  Seats recline to about 40 degrees.  Seats are not allocated at booking, but by the train manager before departure.  However, if you book by phone (or book online and then call Kiwi Rail's freephone number when you get to NZ and quote your booking reference) you can make a seating request.  For example, four friends or family travelling together could request one of the few bays of 4 seats facing each other around a table, keen photographers could request a seat close to the viewing platform.  Requests can't be guaranteed, of course, but it doesn't hurt to ask!  All your heavy baggage is checked in to the baggage van, only hand luggage may be taken into the seating coaches.

Cafe-bar:  In the centre of the train is a counter selling tea, coffee, wine, beer, spirits, snacks & light microwaveable meals at reasonable prices.  I can recommend a cream tea in the afternoon, and a glass of Montana Sauvignon Blanc!  You take your food & drink back to your seat. Bring cash, as cards are sometimes not accepted if the credit card machine is out of cellphone range.

Open-air viewing platform:  At the front of the train at the rear of the baggage car is a large open-air viewing platform, ideal for seeing and photographing the scenery, with no glass in between you and it.  Children must be accompanied.

What to see on the Auckland to Wellington train ride...

	The Northern Explorer departing from Auckland:  With its baggage car attached at the rear, the Auckland-Wellington 'Northern Explorer' stands at platform 3 of the Britomart Transport Centre.  A 423-mile adventure lies ahead...  Courtesy James Chuang.
	On its way...  The new Northern Explorer.
	Middle Earth!  No wonder filmmaker Peter Jackson realised that NZ looked so much like Tolkien's Middle Earth!  (Photo taken from the old 'Overlander')
	King Country...  A green & pleasant land...
	Approaching National Park...  Are those old volcanoes..?
	Mount Ruapehu, seen from the Northern Explorer train.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.
	Crossing the Makatote Viaduct.  This photo was taken from the old Overlander's open-air viewing platform.
	Crossing the Hapuawhenua Viaduct.  This photo was taken through the rear-facing observation lounge window of a northbound Overlander.  Note the original steel viaduct, now a walking trail, on the left...
	Crossing the Kawhatau Viaduct over the Rangitikei gorge, on the Northern Explorer's viewing platform.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang.
	The "Cookie Time" DC3!  It has since been repainted...
	Coastline north of Wellington, seen in the early morning light from a northbound Overlander...

The train crew provide a commentary over the train's public address system, pointing out things of interest, but here's a summary of what to look out for on the journey from Auckland to Wellington:

• The train leaves from Auckland's shiny new Britomart Transport Centre.  Unlike the airport 23km away, the station couldn't be more convenient.  It's right at the northern end of Queen Street (Auckland's main street), just across the road from the Devonport and islands ferry terminal, and a few minutes' walk from all the city centre hotels and the Sky Tower.  You should check-in at least 20 minutes before departure at platform 3.  The train manager sets up a podium on the platform, allocates seats to passengers with reservations and sells tickets to any last minute passengers.  His assistant will take your heavy bags and check them into the baggage car.

• The Britomart Transport Centre was opened in 2003, and the building that forms its main hall was originally Auckland's General Post Office, built in 1912 and used as a post office until the 1990s.  Auckland's suburban trains and the Northern Explorer now use five underground railway platforms, reached by two short escalators at the back of the main hall.  Funnily enough, this was the site of Auckland's original railway station (albeit on the surface), right behind the post office, opened in 1885 on land reclaimed from the sea (this in fact replaced Auckland's very first railway station located a few hundred yards away, 1873-1885).  The 1885 station was closed in 1930 when an imposing new railway terminal was opened on Beach Road, an inconvenient 15 minutes' walk from the town centre.  Only in 2003 was this 1930 station closed and the trains once more diverted into the city centre to the new Britomart station.  The impressive 1930 station still stands, it is now a university accommodation centre.  It's virtually a clone of the railway station at Wellington, which you'll see later!

• The train departs at 07:25 and the diesel struggles up the steep incline through the tunnel before emerging into the daylight.  You'll see Auckland harbour and container terminal to the left, and a glimpse of the derelict platforms of Auckland's 1930 station to the right.  The train swings right onto a causeway across the Orakei Basin (a submerged crater of an extinct volcano), passing occasional local trains as it snakes its way through the Auckland suburbs.

• From Auckland to the first major stop, the train passes towns, villages, light industry and farmland.  There are some very scenic sections, with extinct volcanoes dotted in places over the landscape.  The train runs along the Waikato river and passes right by Mount Taupiri (287metres), the sacred mountain of the Waikato people.  Many ancestors and chiefs are buried on Taupiri, including all the Maori kings.

• Hamilton is the train's first major stop, where there's time to get off and stretch your legs.  Here, the diesel locomotive is usually changed for an electric.  The central part of the Auckland-Wellington North Island Main Trunk Railway between Hamilton and Palmerston North was electrified in 1988, allowing heavier loads to be hauled over the difficult terrain.  Several new bits of track ("deviations") were also constructed in the 1980s, easing the most severe curves and gradients.

• Beyond Hamilton, the scenery starts to hot up.  The flat farmland immediately south of Hamilton is amongst the richest in the world, grazed by sheep, cattle and red deer.  You'll cross the boundary between Waikato and King Country, and see the volcano Mt Pirongia (959 metres high) in the distance.  King Country is the area once ruled by the Maori Kings.  In the 1870s, the New Zealand government admitted that it had no real control over this area.  However, after 1882 an agreement was reached with the kings which allowed a railway to be constructed.  Surveying started in 1883 and construction in 1885, though it would be another 23 years before Auckland and Wellington were finally linked by rail.

• The train calls at Te Kuiti (alight here for the Waitomo glow-worm caves) and on the left as it leaves the station you'll see a king-size statue of a man shearing a sheep.  Te Kuiti bills itself as the sheep shearing capital of the world!  A few minutes later the Northern Explorer crosses the Waiteti viaduct, built in 1887 and the oldest viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk Railway.

• For the next hour or two, you'll start to appreciate just how lush and green New Zealand is.  The train winds its way through valleys, hills, rivers, and you can almost see those hobbit holes in the hillocks!  Indeed, Peter Jackson (filmmaker and producer of the "Lord of the Rings" films) has said that it was on board an Auckland-Wellington train aged eighteen and reading Tolkien for the first time, that he realised how like Tolkien's Middle Earth the New Zealand landscape is.  The train follows the picturesque Ongarue river all the way to Taumarunui.

• About 30 minutes after departing Taumarunui, the traincrew will make an announcement that the Northern Explorer is about to enter the world-famous Raurimu Spiral.  Actually a couple of major hairpin bends then a couple of loops and two tunnels, all built through thick rainforest, the Raurimu Spiral is how the railway engineers building the North Island Main Trunk got the line to climb 221 metres (700 feet) in less than 6 kilometres (3½ miles).  The train twists, turns, and doubles back on itself as it climbs.  As a result of the spiral, Raurimu to National Park is 11 km by rail, though only 5.6 km as the crow flies..!  Designed in 1898, the spiral was adopted in favour of an earlier proposal for a longer way round that would have been 19km long and involved several difficult viaducts.

• Just after clearing the top of the Raurimu Spiral, the train arrives at National Park station, 7 km by road from Whakapapa village in the centre of Tongariro National Park.  In the southbound direction the train stops for 30 minutes and you can stretch your legs, take photographs, or use the station's excellent buffet (northbound, the train now only stops here for 5 minutes).  Be warned, a huge queue will form at the buffet counter minutes after the train's arrival!  On a clear day, you can see the huge volcanoes in the distance.

• After the train leaves National Park, you pass over a succession of imposing viaducts, in thick bush over huge river gorges.  The first is the famous Makatote Viaduct, 11km south of National Park, the highest of the lot and a huge steel structure 860 feet long and 258 feet above the river.

• A minute or two later, the Northern Explorer passes the site at Manganuioteao where engineers building the North Island Main Trunk from Wellington northwards and from Auckland southwards finally met and New Zealand's Prime Minister Joseph Ward drove in the final spike in 1908.  When completed, the new railway reduced the Auckland to Wellington journey from 3 days of train, stagecoach, steamer and train, to just 14 hours by direct train.  A small grey obelisk marks the spot on the right, though you may not notice it as the Northern Explorer swishes by.

• A few viaducts further on, the huge Hapuawhenua viaduct was replaced in 1985 and is now a concrete structure, taking a shorter route across the valley.  You can see the original 1908 (now disused) steel viaduct curving round the valley on your left.

• At Ohakune you'll see another New Zealand peculiarity, small wooden houses originally built by New Zealand Railways for employees.  There are thousands of these houses, all built to the same handful of designs, all over New Zealand.  In the northbound direction, the train stops here for 35 minutes and you can stretch your legs.

• Ten minutes after Ohakune the train passes over the Tangiwai Bridge, across the Whangaehu River.  After the huge viaducts in the Tongariro national park, this seems a very small and unimpressive bridge, but it was the scene of New Zealand's worst ever rail disaster in 1953.  A small memorial stands next to the track on the right.  It was Christmas Eve 1953, and a lake had formed in the crater of Mt Ruapehu.  The wall of this crater burst, sending a "lahar" or 6-metre high torrent of water, mud and volcanic rock down the mountainside and along the river.  The lahar washed away a bridge pier, just before the 3pm Wellington to Auckland express reached the bridge at around 10:21pm, with 285 people on board.  151 people died as the locomotive and five 2nd class coaches plunged into the river and were washed downstream.  A sixth, 1st class car teetered on the brink allowing time for al but one passenger to be rescued, then plunged into the river.  Today, bridge piers have been strengthened and an early warning devices have been placed upstream.

• Ten minutes later, the train passes the army camp at Waiouru, running through barren country some 800 metres above sea level.  There is little vegetation here except grass, because of the altitude.  After another 15-20 minutes the train doubles back on itself around the Turangarere Horseshoe, a huge hairpin bend around a small green valley.

• Soon, the train starts following the massive and dramatic Rangitikei river gorge, and passes over a series of huge viaducts and occasional tunnel.  Once in Mangaweka, look out on the left for the cafe with a DC3 Dakota aircraft stuck on top of it, painted in "Cookie Time" colours!

• The Northern Explorer descends off the volcanic plateau to Marton, named after the birthplace of Captain Cook near Middlesbrough.  Marton is on the Wellington-New Plymouth railway, and it is the point where they started building the North Island Main Trunk into the interior.

• The train descends further down the side of a hill, curves around a golf course and crosses the Rangitikei River.  Shortly afterwards it stops at Feilding, which has won many "best kept town" competitions and is proclaimed on the station signs as "Friendly Feilding, New Zealand's most beautiful town".

• Twenty minutes after Feilding, the train arrives at Palmerston North station.  Until 1963, the railway ran right through the middle of Palmerston North's main square.  This was not very convenient for either New Zealand Railways or the townspeople, so a new station on a deviation around the outskirts of the town was constructed.  Here, the electric locomotive is usually exchanged for a diesel, and you have a few minutes to stretch your legs on the platform.

• An hour or two of rich green farmland follows, before the train reaches the coast.  The Northern Explorer runs along a very scenic stretch of coastline for a fair way, with great views of the sand and the breaking waves.  It may be dark by now, but on the northbound journey the coastal views in the early morning sun are wonderful.

• The coastline gives way to the picturesque Porirua Harbour and a stop at Porirua station.

• The Northern Explorer heads on to finish it's run at Wellington's imposing railway station, opened in 1937 and a stone's throw from the New Zealand Parliament buildings and city centre.  You've done it, you've travelled overland between New Zealand's two biggest cities, all 423 miles of it.  I hope you'll agree, it was an epic trip.

A brief history...

• Surveys for the route of the North Island Main Trunk Railway started in 1883, led by one John Rochfort.  Building work started in 1885, and the line was finally completed in 1908.

• From the 1920s to the 1950s, the most prestigious train on the route was the Night Limited, an overnight sleeping-car train that would have been used by businessmen, politicians, in fact anyone who was anyone travelling between Auckland and Wellington.  With fewer stops and a lighter load it could manage the journey in about 12 hours.

• There was usually also a slower overnight train with more stops, leaving Auckland and Wellington around 3pm and getting in next day in the early morning.  This had seats but no sleepers, and it was the train involved in the accident at Tangiwai.

• The third of the three main daily Auckland-Wellington trains was the Daylight Limited, also a fast limited stop train that as its name suggests ran during the day, from morning till night.  When it switched from steam to diesel haulage in 1963, it was renamed the "Scenic Daylight".

• In 1968, the Scenic Daylight was replaced by fast railcars with refurbished interiors & Fiat engines.  This was successful, and New Zealand Railways bought several brand-new stainless-steel railcars from Japan, which it named Silver Fern.  With comfortable seats and hostess service, these fast railcars ran the daytime service between Auckland and Wellington from 1971 until 1991, when they were replaced by the Overlander.  You can still see Silver Fern railcars around as all three Silver Ferns have been preserved by KiwiRail to run occasional special and charter trains.

• In 1971, the Night Limited was replaced by the Silver Star, a prestige sleeping-car train which used brand-new stainless-steel sleepers and dining-car also bought from Japan.  Unfortunately, airline competition forced this service to close before the decade was out, and in 1979 it was replaced by the Northerner.  You can still travel in the stainless steel Silver Star coaches between Singapore and Bangkok, as they were bought and rebuilt for the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express tourist train.

• The Northerner had both seats and sleepers until 1987, when the last sleeping-cars between Auckland and Wellington were withdrawn.  The Northerner continued with seats only until it was withdrawn in 2004.  There is now no convenient overnight train between Auckland and Wellington.

• The Overlander was introduced in 1991, increasing capacity compared to the Silver Fern railcars it replaced. 

• The Overlander was almost withdrawn itself in 2006, but was saved, albeit reduced to 3 times a week (as opposed to daily) in the off-peak season.

• On 26 June 2012, the Overlander and its rebuilt 1950s carriages were replaced by the new Northern Explorer running 3 times a week all year, using brand new AK carriages built in 2011-2012.  It is intended to take train travel upmarket as an 'internationally recognised tourism product'.

New Zealand Scenic Railpass:  Check prices & buy online in UK...

There is an excellent New Zealand Scenic Railpass giving unlimited travel on all Kiwi Rail passenger trains, and (if you buy the ferry-inclusive version), the Inter-Island Ferry between Wellington and Picton.  If you're going to travel on all 3 trains from Auckland to Wellington, across on the ferry and down to Christchurch and on to Greymouth, the 7-day pass makes a lot of sense.  To buy online in the UK, see www.internationalrail.com.  For more information, see www.kiwirailscenic.co.nz.  Once you have a railpass, it's easy to make seat reservations to go with it simply by calling Kiwi Rail on 0800 TRAINS (0800 872 467) or from outside New Zealand, 00 64 4 495 0775.

7-night holiday with the Northern Explorer, InterIslander ferry, Coastal Pacific & TranzAlpine...

Tailor-made holiday specialist Railbookers (www.railbookers.com, in the UK call 020 3327 0761) can arrange holidays around New Zealand using train travel rather than buses or flights.  A 7-night trip from Auckland to Wellington on the Northern Explorer, Wellington to Picton on the inter-island ferry, Picton to Christchurch on the Coastal Pacific, and Christchurch to Greymouth on the 'TranzAlpine' starts at around £719 per person excluding flights.

Make sure you take a good guidebook.  The Lonely Planets and Rough Guides are easily the best out there for the independent traveller.  Both guides provide an excellent level of practical information and historical and cultural background.  You won't regret buying one of these guides..!

Click to buy online at Amazon.co.uk...

Lonely Planet New Zealand    Rough Guide to New Zealand

Hotels & accommodation

Find hotels in Auckland, Wellington or elsewhere in New Zealand...

Personal recommendation in Wellington...

In Auckland, the Airedale Hotel or Mercure Auckland Hotel are both sound central choices, the latter right near the Britomart station and Devonport ferry terminal, though not the cheapest options.  In Wellington, the Shepherds Arms Hotel is a cosy gastro pub just 15 minutes walk from Parliament and the city centre with friendly staff, great food and good beer.  A top choice!

Travel insurance...

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.

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