The views, especially along the coast, are wonderful. Friendly staff and fellow travelers were also a plus. And the open air car was fantastic. Unfortunately the commentary wasn’t functioning, which was quite a disappointment. And the food options could be better, though they were adequate.
From checking in at Christchurch Railway Station and boarding the train to arriving in Picton, the 5hrs 40min went so quick. There was always something to see, whether it was keeping an eye out for seals and dolphins or marvelling at the beautiful scenery along the coast. The open platform at the back was great for taking photos and stretching the legs. Luck was on our side as we had seats on the coastal side and the sun was shining. We purchased food from the café and found the prices to be very reasonable. The comfortable seats with plenty of leg room made the trip very relaxing and so pleased we paid the more expensive fare to travel by train instead of the bus.
The best way to travel through remarkable New Zealand, would do it again! We enjoyed it and even got lucky to see seals 😍
Certainly the best railway journey I have ever done, the time went very quickly. The views along the way were super and having the outside viewing carriage is handy too. The coastal element was a real highlight, we were lucky to see stacks of dolphins and a few seals too. The microwave cooked breakfast was disappointing for the cost - surprisingly not up to the standard of the airline breakfasts that we encountered. They offered a few different bottled beers which was good. I well recommend this train journey, it’s seriously impressive.
The entire journey was wonderful however the highlights: the coastal panaroma view on one side and the mountain ranges on the other - stunning landscape; beautiful brown rolling hills of Marlborough, the winery and seaviews; the array of pink colours of Lake Grassmere, the lovely glimpse of picturesque Picton as you descend towards the township - so blessed to live in such a beautiful land. Absolutely incredible stunningly beautiful landscape 💕✨💕✨💕✨