new zealand steam adventure

Welcome to New Zealand! You will be met on arrival at Auckland airport before being transferred to our hotel. After settling in join your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner at our hotel this evening. Grand Millennium Hotel (or similar)

🍽 dinner

This morning travel south over the Bombay Hills and through the Hauraki Plains to Waikino. Here you will travel back in time and enjoy a 30-minute ride on a heritage train on the Goldfields Railway to Waihi at the eastern end of the spectacular Karangahake Gorge. From Waihi travel along the coast through Katikati to Tauranga for lunch at Mount Maunganui before continuing to Rotorua. This evening is at leisure. Overnight: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch

The Heritage Train On The
Goldfields Railway

The Heritage Train On The
Goldfields Railway

The Heritage Train On The
Goldfields Railway

The Heritage Train On The Goldfields Railway

Spectacular Karangahake Gorge Photos Above And Below

The Coastline Near The Town Of Mount Maunganui

Day 3 Monday October 13: (B-L-D) This morning visit the Waiotapu and thermal area including the Artist’s Palette, Champagne Pool and Bridal Veil Falls. Continue on to ride the Skyline Gondola up to Mount Ngongotaha where you will enjoy lunch and views at Stratosfare Restaurant. After lunch return to our hotel for some leisure time. This afternoon visit Te Puia for a guided tour of the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. View the boiling mud pools, steaming silica terraces, hot springs and geysers including the famous Pohutu Geyser which can erupt up to 98 feet high. Continue on to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where young Maori are learning the traditional carving and weaving skills of their ancestors. This evening enjoy a traditional Maori buffet dinner including food from the hangi (traditional Maori method of cooking). Afterwards experience a cultural performance in the fully carved Te Aronui-a-Rua meeting house where highlights include waiata (song), mōteatea (traditional chant) poi and haka. Overnight: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

The Thermal Areas Of
Waiotapu And Whakarewarewa

The Thermal Areas Of
Waiotapu And Whakarewarewa

The Thermal Areas Of
Waiotapu And Whakarewarewa

The Thermal Areas Of
Waiotapu And Whakarewarewa

The Skyline Gondola Up To Mount Ngongotaha

After Dinner We Attend A Cultural
Performance In The Fully Carved
Te Aronui-A-Rua Meeting House

After Dinner We Attend A Cultural
Performance In The Fully Carved
Te Aronui-A-Rua Meeting House

After breakfast we head south to view the impressive Huka Falls where the Waikato River plunges through a narrow gap in the rocks at the rate of more than 58,118 gallons of water per second. Continue on to Taupo, nestled on the shores of New Zealand’s largest lake where we will take a cruise to view the culturally significant Māori rock carvings at Mine Bay, which are only accessible by water. After our cruise enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on the shores of Lake Taupo. Leaving Taupo we travel past large pine plantations before driving over the ranges, through the Eskdale Valley and into Hawke’s Bay and Napier. This afternoon half the group will board the Hawke’s Bay Express, a unique passenger road train with the look and feel of a full-size steam train. Travel through the city to marvel at some of the world’s most stunning examples of Art Deco architecture. From the town center you will head over Bluff Hill and then on into Ahuriri, once the old port village. Half the group this afternoon is at leisure.Overnight: Scenic Hotel Te Pania (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch

Huka Falls On The Waikato River

Huka Falls On The Waikato River

Lake Taupo

The Art Deco City Of Napier

This morning half the group will board the Hawke’s Bay Express while half will have the morning at leisure.There will be time for lunch at your own arrangements before boarding our coach to visit the world’s largest most accessible Gannet colony at Hawke’s Bay. The Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony is New Zealand’s largest privately-owned nature reserve features pristine coastline and is a haven for wildlife including gannets, kiwis and other rare birds.Tonight enjoy dinner at Mission Estate Winery where you will enjoy sweeping views of Napier city and the coast beyond. Established in 1851 by pioneering French Missionaries, this is New Zealand’s oldest winery. Overnight: Scenic Hotel Te Pania (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, dinner

The Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony Nature Reserve

The Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony
Nature Reserve

The Mission Estate Winery

The Mission Estate Winery

This morning we travel through the rolling farmlands of Central Hawke’s Bay and the Wairarapa into the Manawatu Region. We visit the fascinating Pahiatua Railcar Society to view their collection of unique railcars including the Art Deco RM31 ‘Tokomaru’. The Pahiatua Railcar Society was formed in 1991 and comprises of a group of volunteers dedicated to keeping New Zealand’s railcar history alive. Continue south through the towns of Levin and Otaki to Paekākāriki, home to Steam Incorporated, who will be hosting us for a BBQ lunch. There will be time to meet the volunteers and view the depot including the rest of the collection of steam locomotives, vintage diesels and rolling stock. We will also take the opportunity to visit the cab of our steam locomotive Ja1271, which will be fired-up and chat with the crew about its history and operation. Continue down the scenic Kapiti Coast to Wellington, the capital city and seat of Parliament. Dinner is at the hotel this evening. Overnight: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

The Pahiatua Railcar Society

We Visit The Home And Workshops For Steam Incorporated At Paekakariki (Photos Below)

After a relaxed start to the morning we set out for a half-day sightseeing tour of Wellington. Drive along pretty Oriental Bay to Mt Victoria for the 360-degree panoramic views of the city, harbor and the surrounding hills. Stop to see the magnificent Parliament buildings and the iconic ‘Beehive’, the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Government. View Lambton Quay in the heart of Wellington’s shopping and business district and see Old St Paul’s Church which is one of New Zealand’s finest examples of colonial Gothic architecture. We end our tour at the Botanic Gardens where we will have time to wander through this 133 acre Garden of National Significance, or look through the Cable Car Museum, before making our way down to Lambton Quay on the Cable Car - one of New Zealand’s only running funicular railways. Our hotel is a short walk away. The afternoon and evening are at leisure to explore Wellington independently.Overnight: James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor (or similar

🍽 breakfast

Wellington During The day

Wellington During The night

The Cable Car Funicular Railway

The Cable Car Funicular Railway

Wellington At Night

This morning we board our private heritage train at Wellington Station. Our train will be diesel hauled to Paekākāriki where our steam locomotive will be added to the train. Our locomotive, Ja1271 a 4-8-2, was built for the New Zealand Railways in Dunedin and entered service in 1956. Settle back and enjoy the sights and sounds of steam travel as our train thunders through the countryside and along the coastline. Take in the views from heritage carriages and the open air viewing carriage. On arrival at Whanganui we enjoy a cruise and afternoon tea on the majestic Whanganui River aboard the Paddle Steamer Waimarie - the last coal-fired paddle steamer in operation in the Southern Hemisphere. After checking in to our motels, dinner tonight is at a local restaurant. Overnight: Whanganui local motels

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

We Depart Wellington With Diesel Power
But Soon Switch To No. 1271 A 4-8-2

Ja Class No. 1271 At Speed

Afternoon Cruise On The Whanganui River Aboard The
Paddle Steamer Waimarie

Today our train retraces it’s journey to Marton before commencing its climb towards the central plateau. On arrival in Ohakune visit the Ohakune Railway Museum. Much of Ohakune’s rich history revolves around the railway. ‘The Junction’ area of the township was the original hub of the settlement serving the engineers, laborers and early passengers of the railway. Several of the buildings in this part of town date back to the construction of the tracks in the late 1800s and early 1900s. At the side of these all important tracks sits the Railway Museum, a converted 1930s railway shed that was re-located to Ohakune in 1990 and is now home to a selection of fascinating displays on the history of the railway and settlement in the region. Overnight: Ohakune local motels

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

This morning we depart Ohakune gliding through rolling farmland, skirting wonderful rivers, gorges and valleys as we traverse the Waikato area. From the central plateau we enter the National Park, crossing the Hapuawhenua Viaduct before skirting Mt. Ruapehu and crossing the mighty Makatote Viaduct. Lunch will be aboard the train as we soak in the scenery. We then transit the famous Raumiru Spiral where the line loops up and over itself before it descends to follow the Ongarue River. On arrival at Hamilton Railway Station transfer to our hotel. Dinner is at the hotel this evening. Overnight: Distinction Hamilton Hotel (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

We Cross The Massive Hapuawhenua Viaduct

Our Train Will Loop Over Itself At The Famous Raumiru Spira

Today our train continues North from Hamilton to Pukekohe. From here our train diverts onto the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, travelling its length to picturesque Waiuku. We bid farewell to our train here, pausing for lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to our Auckland hotel for check in. Auckland is a modern city set on a narrow isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Waitemata Harbor is a mecca for sailors and has led to the affectionate term, ‘City of Sails’. Tonight is at leisure. Overnight: Grand Millennium Hotel (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch

Our Charter Train Will Cross Over Several
Spectacular Bridges

Enjoy Spectacular Scenery Along Our Route

Enjoy Spectacular Scenery Along Our Route

Our Train Diverts Onto The
Glenbrook Vintage Railway

Our Train Diverts Onto The
Glenbrook Vintage Railway

This morning we explore the highlights of Auckland including the lively waterfront area, Viaduct, Bastion Point and Mount Eden. We then head west for lunch at Soljans Estate Winery which has been family owned for three generations, since 1937, making them the third oldest winery that is still family run. The winery sits at the gateway to Kumeu Wine Country, Auckland’s heritage wine region. After returning to Auckland, the afternoon is at leisure to explore as you wish. Join fellow travellers for drinks and dinner tonight at a local waterside restaurant. Overnight: Grand Millennium Hotel (or similar)

🍽 breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today you will be transferred from our hotel to Auckland International Airport to connect with your homeward flight.

🍽 breakfast