NaturePhoto Wikimedia CommonsTranzAlpine Train
New Zealand
Journey across the wide expanses of the Canterbury Plains into high country surrounded by rugged mountain ranges. After leaving the Canterbury Plains, the landscape dramatically changes into sub-alpine we head towards the spectacular Southern Alps. View the Waimakariri River and its unique braided riverbed system. Enter Arthur’s Pass National Park where short walks can be made to experience forests, rivers and mountains vistas.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1TranzAlpine Train
Greetings, and welcome to the beginning of what is widely celebrated as one of the world us most magnificent railway journeys. We are standing at the Christchurch Railway Station, located on the southwestern edge of the central…
Listen in the app2The Carriage Experience and Morning Light
Stepping aboard the passenger carriages, you are immediately struck by the sophisticated design intended solely for scenic observation. Most of the carriages we ride in today were meticulously built between two thousand and ten…
Listen in the app3The Canterbury Plains and the Braided River
Having left the wider Christchurch metropolitan area behind, our train smoothly diverges from the main south line, which continues onward to Dunedin. We now turn our nose firmly westward, officially joining the historic Midland…
Listen in the app4A Masterpiece of Railway Engineering
We have now entered what railway historians universally consider a masterpiece of civil engineering. The section of track we are traversing between the plains and Arthur us Pass is an astonishing monument to Victorian era…
Listen in the app5The High Country and the Open Air Car
The dramatic gorge finally relents, opening up into the vast, sweeping landscapes of the Craigieburn high plains. It is at this point in the journey that many passengers make the pilgrimage to the very front of the train to…
Listen in the app6The Great Divide and the Otira Tunnel
We have now reached the crucial pivot point of our journey, the tiny alpine village of Arthur us Pass. Situated just five kilometers south of the mountain pass after which it is named, this settlement marks the boundary of the…
Listen in the app7The West Coast Descent and Lake Brunner
Having successfully navigated the subterranean plunge of the Otira Tunnel, our train now leisurely follows the course of the Otira River as it tumbles down the steep, forested valleys. In just fourteen kilometers since leaving…
Listen in the app8Arrival at the Tasman Sea
As we enter the final miles of our transalpine odyssey, the train gently follows the wide, sweeping curves of the Grey River, moving inexorably toward the crashing waves of the Tasman Sea. The dense rainforest begins to thin,…
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What is TranzAlpine Train?
TranzAlpine Train is a place in New Zealand with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Type | Nature |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -43.5399, 172.6080 |
| Last updated |
