Train south...

Okay it was a couple days ago. Still... here's the update.

I love trains! If there is a revolution, I want to join the one that brings back the era of train travels. Clickety-clack over the rails!!...

And gorgeous scenery thrown in between the towns: bridges over gorges, tall trees, mountain ranges, volcanoes (inc. the starring mt. in Lord of the Rings, Mt. Doom, also known as Mt. Ngauruhoe).

In the actual town, the tracks usually go through the industrial backside, blech. But on occasion, the train stops at quaint stations or near something obviously designed to entertain the passengers aboard. See photo!




First stop: Waitomo Caves.
I had to see the glow worms. Some people come to New Zealand for the bird life, or adventure sports, or maori culture, but no, my highlight is some larvae stuck to a damp cave ceiling. They're fantastic. Makes the 14 hour plane ride well worth it! Seriously, I'll do some of that other stuff too, but how often does one get to see something truly unique in the world: a cave vault above the tour boat that looked like a sky of blue stars. I stayed overnight, not in the cave.

Next morning I caught the train again, on the 9-hour journey the rest of the way. We had one leg-stretching stop, where I got out to stare across the plains at the volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe. Everyone else crowded into the small cafe, because the train had run out of most of it's fare. I should have followed, the change-over crew aboard, didn't open the food counter again until 3pm. Not like I'll starve, suppose it's my own fault for not thinking to pack a lunch.


Weird to see that so many of the "pest" plants here in New Zealand are similar to BC: gorse, and Scotch broom with the yellow flowers out now, thistles with their purple flowers and nasty spines almost as bad as gorse, and morning glory vines.

The last stretch into Wellington with the beach on the west side of the train was striking, steep cliffs, rocky shore with waves breaking. Into town, easily found friend's house (aren't taxis great for that) and I'm still here.

photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81949&id=593011976&l=33be0