[LCA2019 Chat] Stopping somewhere during the Tranzalpine Journey?

Mon Jan 14 15:28:14 AEDT 2019

Otira and Arthurs Pass are mandatory stops on the route to attach and
detach the banking engines used to get through the Otira Tunnel... 8.5 km
long running under the spine of the southern Alps... And they don't let you
stand in the observation car going through it either!

Used to have its own power station to run the electric engines but the
switch to diesel required the installation of a door at one end that closes
after the train goes through... The vacuum created then forces air past the
train so you don't all die from diesel fumes :-)

Last time I went through the local kea kept dive bombing the train staff as
they attached the engines at Arthurs Pass... Common working hazard
apparently!

More at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otira_Tunnel for any train geeks...

On Mon, 14 Jan 2019, 3:13 PM Marc MERLIN <marc at merlins.org wrote:

> Thanks all for the answers
>
> So, let me summarize.
>
> The timing looks like this:
> 8:15 am         CHRISTCHURCH
> 8:33 am 8:34 am ROLLESTON
> 8:55 am 8:56 am DARFIELD
> 9:19 am 9:20 am SPRINGFIELD
> 10:51 am 10:52 am       ARTHUR'S PASS
> 11:26 am 11:26 am       OTIRA
> 12:05 pm 12:06 pm       MOANA
> 1:05 pm 2:05 pm GREYMOUTH
> 3:02 pm 3:03 pm MOANA
> 3:50 pm 3:51 pm OTIRA
> 4:27 pm 4:28 pm ARTHUR'S PASS
> 5:38 pm 5:39 pm SPRINGFIELD
> 5:58 pm 5:59 pm DARFIELD
> 6:15 pm 6:16 pm ROLLESTON
> 6:31 pm         CHRISTCHURCH
>
> Several votes for Arthur's Pass. I think most people were saying that
> it'w worth doing as a day trip, and basically get out at Arthur's Pass,
> at 10:52, do stuff around there until 16:27 when the train comes back
> (apparently make sure it's booked or it won't stop), giving me 5h30
> there, which is a good amount.
>
> Some of you said missing Arthur's Pass to Greymouth (2h20 or so) is
> unfortunate, but not essential. Is that correct?
>
> On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 02:50:45AM +0000, brett at davidson.gen.nz wrote:
> > Depends on what you like to do. Arthurs pass has a great set of walks
> > you could do. Other than that, not sure if there is anything worth
> > stopping for.
>
> Kind of a hard question, but are those walks complementary with those
> I'll already have done, namely:
> - milford track
> - routeburn
> - kepler
> or it'll be a bit more redundant and I should just let my wife enjoy
> some bubbly drink in the train all the way to greymouth and back?
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 09:06:30AM +1300, John Carter wrote:
> > It you're more a relax with a beer and admire the scenery from a train
> > sort.. apparently the Tranzalpine is one of the best (I'm told by those
> > into that sort  of thing)... but I suspect what you can do at Arthur's
> will
> > then be driven by the train timetable.
>
> I just finished hiking the routeburn and going to the kepler track as I
> write this. I'm not afraid of hiking, but trying to see what makes the
> most sense. You do cover a lot more ground with the train.
>
> > Last time I went to Greymouth I was singularly unimpressed by it. To me
> it
> > is around the least interesting part of the westcoast.
>
> On the plus side, the train only stops 1h there, so I'm not too worried
> if it's not that great :)
>
> > The wetcoast is great (but wet).... Greymouth.... not so much (but still
> > fairly wet). .. but I should imagine the trip to and from Greymouth would
> > be nice.
>
> I stopped at Atika last time, it was fun (sadly only 30mn)
>
> http://marc.merlins.org/perso/nz2015/post_2015-02-01_New-Zealand-Day-23_-10_5H-bus-ride-from-Nelson-to-Fox-Glacier.html
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 08:00:53PM +1300, Ewen McNeill wrote:
> > and both of them (Otira, Moana) are request stops, as is Arthur's Pass.
> Ie,
> > you'd have to specifically book to go to/from there, otherwise the train
> > won't stop.
> >
> > I believe both are *tiny* settlements (Otira -- population 45:
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otira, Moana -- population about 250:
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana,_New_Zealand).
>
> I'm not worried about skipping those towns, I don't have time to get off
> the train and see them anyway, more whether I miss out by not doing
> Arthur's pass to Greymouth and back, or not.
>
> > For all three (Arthur's Pass, Otira, Moana) I suspect you'd want a
> specific
> > reason to stop, probably involving hiking or similar.  Of the three my
> guess
> > would be Arthur's Pass (another *tiny* village, but a bit tourist
> focused:
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Pass), or maybe Moana for Lake
> > Brunner, if you found a specific walk you wanted to do.  Seems like you
> > could maybe get 4 hours or so between trains if you got off in Arthur's
> > Pass.
>
> 5h30 even.
>
> > PS: Of note, Christchurch is *still* rebuilding after the earthquakes
> some
> > years ago caused much of the central city to be pulled down. There's not
> as
> > much "tourist focused" things to do in central Christchurch as their
> used to
> > be.  But there's plenty in "day trip" / "afternoon trip" driving
> distance of
> > central Christchurch / the University of Canterbury area (which is
> outside
> > central Christchurch), so renting a car to explore might be a good use of
> > extra days.
>
> Noted, thanks.
>
> On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 07:09:31PM +1300, rossd at snap.net.nz wrote:
> > Lake Moana is a good spot. This is near Greymouth with walking
> > tracks.
> > http://golakebrunner.co.nz/walks/
> >
> > If the Grey River is in
> > flood and your visit co-insides with high tide continue to Greymouth
> > walk along the sea wall to the mouth and be amazed at the fishing boats
> > crossing the bar.
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huhEWxW4XFE
>
> Ok, so one vote for going farther, thanks :)
>
> On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 05:13:32PM +1300, hamster at snap.net.nz wrote:
> > Have a look at stopping at Arthur's Pass.
> > It is a small township in the middle of the national park (of the same
> name).
> > Walk to the Punchbowl falls, see the visitor's center, have a coffee and
> cake in the cafe. Warning - the hills are steep!
> > The only downside is you don't get to see the West Coast rainforest.
>
> Yep, that's what I'm struggling right right now.
>
> Thanks,
> Marc
> --
> "A mouse is a device used to point at the xterm you want to type in" -
> A.S.R.
> Microsoft is to operating systems ....
>                                       .... what McDonalds is to gourmet
> cooking
> Home page: http://marc.merlins.org/                       | PGP
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