A Train Trip to Taieri Gorge
The Taieri Gorge Railway (tel. 03/477-4449; www.taieri.co.nz) is more than a small jaunt on a train -- it is an award-winning journey through history and spectacular scenery that is otherwise inaccessible to the public. No matter what time of the year, you'll be impressed with both the scenic beauty and the sheer engineering feat of the railway's construction. The 75km (47 miles) of rail, including 12 tunnels, and the magnificent Wingatui Viaduct took 42 years to build, beginning in 1879. Make sure you get Your Guide to the Taieri Gorge when you board the train, so you can follow your progress through to the tiny township of Middlemarch, the final stopping point -- a funny little backwater of a place where bachelors need hard-to-find wives. Once here, you can get off and, if you're not interested in finding the bachelors, you can link up to a coach to Queenstown; mountain bike, walk, or horseback ride -- which will take you several days; or stay on the train for the return trip.
From October through April, the Dunedin-Middlemarch return train runs Friday and Sunday morning. It leaves Dunedin Railway Station at 9:30am, has a 45-minute stop at Middlemarch, and returns to Dunedin at 3:25pm. (They offer reduced hours in winter.) It costs NZ$71 to NZ$79 (US$50-US$56/£26-£29) round-trip for adults. Students get a 20% discount; one child (ages 3-17) per adult rides free, with each extra child paying NZ$25 (US$18/£9). The shorter 4-hour trip to Pukerangi (19km/12 miles short of Middlemarch) runs daily at 2:30pm, returning 6:30pm, and costs NZ$71 (US$50/£26). Both trips include at least two photo stops, excellent ongoing commentary, and a buffet car for snacks and drinks. An adults-only car and a wheelchair-accessible carriage (book in advance) are available. For a coastal train experience, leap aboard the Seasider, which departs on selected Wednesdays and Saturdays in the summer season. I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm assured that the wild coastline on the trip north to Palmerston, makes it more than worthwhile. You can make it a return trip, or link with a gold mine tour. It costs NZ$65 (US$46/£23) round-trip for adults, NZ$20 (US$14/£7.20) children ages 3 to 17.
