I’ve always loved traveling by train: its enforced slowness enables me to focus on the journey, lost in my thoughts as I watch the scenery unfold, mile by mile.
New Zealand gave me two chances to experience slow travel aboard KiwiRail’s scenic trains. One trip cut through the Southern Alps, which I shared with Chris. The other traced the long spine of the North Island where I traveled solo but not alone, in the Scenic Plus cabin.
Same country. Two great journeys.
The TranzAlpine: Greymouth to Christchurch
The trip aboard the TranzAlpine capped off our 8 days on the South Island. It took about 5 hours to cover the roughly 139 miles between Greymouth in the west to Christchurch in the east.
We had arrived early in Greymouth, which gave us a few hours to walk along its modest streets, get breakfast, and feel the pace of this small city. Before lunch, we stepped into the Pounamu Pathway, a Māori cultural experience created in partnership with Wētā Workshop. It was a welcome pause before the journey: immersive and grounded in the story of this region that would unfold before us once on the train.
By the time we made our way back to the station, the day had settled into a soft gray. The train was running late, but something about waiting for a train seemed less irritating than waiting for a delayed plane. It also heightened the mood rather than dampened it. We stood on the platform with the rest of the passengers, anticipation building in that quiet, collective way that only trains seem to manage. Then, faint at first, we heard the engine approaching—metal and momentum announcing itself before it came into view.
Once we boarded with just our hand-carry, our checked luggage taken care of by the staff, we settled into our ample and comfortable seats on the left side of the carriage. A bit of advance research had promised this was the “better” side. In truth, I suspect it wouldn’t have mattered. On a day like this, with clouds hanging low, the views demanded less strategy and more surrender. Leaving Greymouth, the scenery eased us in gently. We followed the Arnold River as it meandered alongside forested hills and open valleys, then past Lake Brunner. Eventually we crossed the Taramakau River, its water an unmistakable turquoise, clouded with glacial melt—and slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the Southern Alps began to assert themselves.
We went through the Ōtira Tunnel, the first of many, and the longest on the route at just over 5 miles, and not long after, arrived in Arthur’s Pass, the highest point of our journey at 2,424 feet. It should have been the dramatic centerpiece, but the rain had other plans. By the time we stopped, the weather had closed in. We had five minutes to step onto the platform, read the station’s history, and imagine what we couldn’t see: the engineering ambition, the isolation, the stubborn determination it must have taken to push a railway through this terrain. Then we were back on board, rolling onward toward Christchurch, crossing viaduct after viaduct, suspended high above the riverbeds.
As the light faded, Christchurch came into focus outside the windows—first scattered lights, then taller buildings and more defined streets. After hours of rivers, ravines, and mountains half-hidden by cloud, the city felt abrupt and unmistakably urban. We stepped off the train just before eight and waited for an Uber to take us to our hotel near the airport. We were both flying out the next morning, our time on the South Island officially at an end. The transition felt quick, but fitting: one last reminder of how easily a long, slow journey can give way to logistics and departure.
The Northern Explorer: Wellington to Auckland
I flew from Christchurch to Wellington and spent two and a half days with a friend I hadn’t seen in decades. When I left my hotel at seven on the morning of departure, it felt like a clean handoff between trips. The station was close by, and at 7:55 a.m. the Northern Explorer set off for Auckland, beginning its 423-mile journey north. At more than eleven hours, this was a full day on the train rather than a scenic interlude—a deliberate choice to spend time moving slowly across the North Island.
I had booked a seat in the Scenic Plus carriage this time. I shared a table with a man from Switzerland who was attending a conference in Auckland, and the setup immediately distinguished this journey from the last: white tablecloth, larger windows, and a printed menu outlining six eating occasions spread across the day.
Service began around nine, and from there the rhythm was set with meals arriving every couple of hours, each paired with a generous pour of wine. (Scroll to end for detailed description of menu.) Alcohol flowed freely, though I kept myself in check, content to enjoy the comfort without losing track of the long day ahead.
The scenery was less dramatic than the TranzAlpine, but the weather more than made up for it. Under clear blue skies, the landscape unfolded in broad, readable stretches—rolling green hills, farmland stitched together by fences, and sheep everywhere. There was a brief section of coastline near the start, followed by long inland passages. Around midday we passed through volcanic territory, where snow-capped peaks appeared in the distance, quiet but commanding. Viaducts punctuated the route, lifting us briefly above valleys before returning us to open country.
As the hours passed, the rhythm of the day became predictable in the best way: eat, watch, talk a little, watch some more. Dining on regionally sourced dishes while the countryside slid by felt indulgent but also practical—this was a long trip, and the spacing of the meals made time feel organized rather than endless. It was, essentially, a fine-dining restaurant on wheels, with the added benefit that the view kept changing. By the time we arrived in Auckland that evening, I was convinced it had been worth the splurge.
Same Pace, Different Experience
Both train journeys moved at an unhurried pace, covering large distances without pretending they were small. Yet they felt distinctly different—not just because of the landscapes they crossed, but because of the experience on board. One was shared and weathered, shaped by cloud and conversation. The other was solitary and carefully curated, marked by comfort and time. Same rails, same country, same willingness to slow down—but two very different ways of traveling through it.
Photo captions from left to right, top to bottom, courtesy of Northern Explorer menu (Nov 2025):
- Glass of Hunters MiruMiru NV (Marlborough), a traditional method sparkling
- Starter of orchard fruit friand
- Hot breakfast of seasonal vegetable frittata with spiced breakfast beans and local crispy bacon paired with more Hunters MiruMiru NV
- Lunch of Big Glory Bay salmon with summer salsa of capsicum and onion, smoky zucchini salad with pomegranate and sunflower seeds, and Spend Gold potatoes tossed in herb pesto with a sprinkle of rock salt paired with Clearview Coastal Chardonnay
- Afternoon platter of Kapiti cheeses–brie and blue–paired with Pickle and Pie pickles from Ōtaki, fresh grapes, dark chocolate raspberry truffles and crisp Wellington-baked crackers accompanied by a glass of Peregrine Saddleback Pinot Noir
- Dinner of Horopito-crusted slow-roasted lamb shoulder with Gisborne navel orange and mint jus, served alongside charred corn, coriander and lime salad with feta and kumara, and a spinach and potato gratin, washed down with Te Mata Syrah
- Dessert of poached apple and berry crumble with Kāpiti ice cream and a drizzle of runny cream alongside a splash more of Hunters MiruMiru NV