27/4 - Christchurch; TranzAlpine Train; Greymouth
After breakfast from a nearby Starbucks, we set off for the train to take
us to the west coast of the South island. New Zealand consists of two main
islands, North and South. We chose to visit the more scenic and less populated
South Island, which is split by a North-South range of mountains called the
Alps. On Sunday, the twenty seventh, we took the TranzAlpine
train from Christchurch to Greymouth on the Tasman Sea. The weather was somewhat
overcast, starting at 10° before warming up. But this did not keep us
from being able to see the mountains and gorge as the train made its four
hour trip. The seats were comfortable, a snack bar available, and one of
the cars offered an open-air platform for better views and photographs. Once
the train got through the tunnel that went under the divide, the sun came
out to even more beautiful scenery. Although this far north there was no
snow on the mountains, there were lakes, gorges, and fields to view.
The train arrived in Greymouth around noon. The town itself has little to
offer save the Grey river. We walked a bit through the town trying to find
an appealing restaurant that was open on Sunday. We settled for the 1-2-3
Cafe, featuring "Chicken Lasagne" (batter-fried cheese and meat)-adequate
but you should be able to do better when more restaurants are open.
And the return of clouds and cool breezes did not bode well. Also, our hotel,
the Quality King, although adequate, was the least appealing of those we stayed
at during our trip. However, our spirits lifted as soon as we began our afternoon
van tour with Kea Tours. Our driver,
Linda, was very knowledgeable and pleasant. We went north from Greymouth
along the coast visiting overlooks of the ocean, a rain forest, and the Pancake
rock formations. The tour lasted for two hours and we were accompanied by
two other travelers. Overall, a wonderful afternoon.
