An early start again, 7.45 pick up from our Motel, free shuttle, to Christchurch railway station to pick up the Trans-Alpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth. This is supposed to be one of the top six most beautiful train journeys in the world. (The marketing didn't tell you the other five!)

The journey starts at 8.15 by crossing The Canterbury Plains, the flattest and most farmed (scenically most boring) part of NZ. Here, 90% of all species were introduced by the Europeans, and looks and feels similar to most English countryside. After an hour we reached Springfield, where the muffins came on board, courtesy of the lady at the station who bakes a fresh batch of muffins and cakes daily. This was the start of our climb towards Arthurs Pass. Over the next half hour or so, we went through 16 tunnels and over several viaducts, including the The Staircase which is 73m high above the Waimakariri river. The scenery was quite simply breathtaking! Like nothing else in the world. The river is really blue due to the sediment from the glaciers.

Next stop was Cass, originally the end point of the railway line, until the tunnel at Arthurs Pass was built, the Otira tunnel, around 1923.

We continued alongside the river and into the Southern Alps, through Arthurs Pass national park, 793m above sea level. We stopped at the station before heading into the Otira tunnel. The tunnel is 8.5km, and we started our descent. It descends 1m in every 33m. There is a huge problem of overheating locomotives in the tunnel, and when going the opposite way (uphill!) it needs the power of five locomotives to pull it through, which are loaded on prior to entering the tunnel. The diesel fumes and condensation cause sludge on the tracks, and problems with gripping the tracks. What is about a six minute journey going to Greymouth turns into a 20 minute return. To cope with the overheating problems, when eastbound trains enter the tunnel, a door closes behind the train, and a fan sucks air out... All in all, touch and go if you make it!

Once out the tunnel we followed several rivers, including the Rolleston river as they flowed down to Greymouth. We passed Lake Brunner, the largest lake in the Westland. Then reached Greymouth at 12.50.

We had an hour to look around town and return to the old faithful, Subway before heading back.

The return journey was spent mostly on the observation deck, an open air carriage where photos can be taken without the glare of the windows! Once you get over the diesel smell, this is the best place, as the warm fresh air flows over your face cooling you down. If you can wrestle for a good photo in the more scenic section, you can then relax and enjoy the journey. This was one of the things we booked before we arrived in NZ. On seeing the railways and lack of trains in the country we were a little dubious, but having completed it, would do it again!