TRAVEL (RAIL)
By Mick Calder, Probus Wellington Central
FIFTEEN members of Probus Wellington Central signed up for the “Ride the Rails” tour starting in Christchurch on 22 July and hosted by Pete Salvesen and John Anderson of Endeavour New Zealand. There were some concerns that the rain deluge and slips the previous weekend might mean a change of plans, but all was well.
Day 1: Assemble in Christchurch It took a bit of juggling to get all of the team to assemble at the Golden Star Motel in Christchurch on time as some took the ferry and a leisurely drive while the main contingent chose to fly. True to form they were met at the airport by tour guide Pete Salvesen, and transferred to the motel by minibus. He demonstrated his attention to his client’s welfare by going back to the airport to pick up one stray from a later flight and the rental car users. The trip began with a visit to the local Speights Ale House for the Endeavour tour’s ‘Meet and Greet’, which allowed us to get to know our hosts Pete and John, plus transport 16 |
issue 34 • autumn 2022
PROBUS WELLINGTON CENTRAL TRAVELLERS AT ARTHURS PASS.
coordinator Roger Greenslade, as well as catching up with mates. The first drink and the snacks were “free” which was a great way to start the trip, especially when that was on top of a complimentary bottle of wine and some fudge in our motel room.
Day 2: TranzAlpine to Greymouth and back The TranzAlpine train leaves Christchurch at 8.15 am so the team were up at sparrow-fart to board our minibus for the five
minute ride to the station. KiwiRail improved the experience of the trip across the plains and foothills with their commentary on the geomorphology of the area which added to our information. We needed to pay attention to answer the travel trivia quiz distributed by Pete. He told us that the winner would receive a chocolate fish. The journey through the foothills and the Waimakariri Gorge showed us some of the effects of the heavy rain earlier as the rivers were swollen and discoloured
