TRAVEL

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 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.

PROBUS WELLINGTON CENTRAL TRAVELLERS AT ARTHURS PASS.

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

WAIMAKARIRI GORGE.

by the excess sediment from all the slips and slides. This section, between Springfield and Arthur’s Pass is considered a masterpiece of railway engineering and according to Kiwirail is the section for which the TranzAlpine is most famed. The commentary advises that during the ascent to the high plains of Craigieburn, there are 16 short tunnels and four dramatic viaducts, including the 72-metre high Staircase Viaduct.

We had five minutes to admire the chilliness of Arthur’s Pass while extra engines were added for our dive down the 1 in 33 incline through the Otira tunnel. Actually it is one engine for extra power and another for backup in case of breakdown in the tunnel. The tunnel opened in 1923 completing the last section of the railway through to the West Coast.

We made it through without incident, paused to shed the engines and trundle on to Moana and the picturesque Lake Brunner. Further on the Grey River was somewhat swollen as well but nothing to be concerned about.

The schedule allowed us an hour in Greymouth and while some went in search of tourist attractions most looked for food even though there had been a plentiful supply onboard the train. Unfortunately queues formed quickly at most establishments so the eating time was less than satisfactory; not a good look for the hospitality sector.

We mounted the minibus for the trip back to Christchurch and were treated to an informative commentary from Pete about the history and geography of Greymouth and the surrounding area – gold, coal, forestry, and tourism along with some subtle hints for answers to his questions.

Our first stop was the Otira Hotel with host Lester, an eccentric collector of this and that and one thing and another. Some would call it an antique collection while others might refer to it as an assortment of second-hand goods. Unfortunately the pub is not licensed so there was no beer.

The trip back through the pass and down past the Bealey, Flock Hill, Castle Hill and Porters Pass stirred a few memories. We stopped in Springfield for a stretch and a pee, then cruised past the giant Fonterra dairy factory which is the result of changing land use on the plains with dairy cows replacing sheep, beef cattle and arable cropping.

Back in Christchurch at 6.00 pm some of the team opted for takeaways while others trooped down to the Westfield mall to

THE VAGUELY FAMILIAR SIGHT OF THE CATHEDRAL UNDER REPAIR SEEN FROM THE LIBRARY ROOF GARDENS.

sample the food variety on offer. A great day.

Day 3: Christchurch

A free day in Christchurch allowed us to choose our own schedule of activities. Most of us elected to take the tram ride to get a feel for the shape of the city as it is still rebuilding after the earthquakes of 2010 et seq. For past residents of the city, it was a matter of finding a couple of familiar landmarks like the Bridge of Remembrance and Ballantynes while trying to adjust to some of the new structures in between.

The new library in the Square impressed visitors with the open layout and the light, plus the lookout over the city from the roof gardens.

Pete was on hand to satisfy most tourism wishes providing transport for some going to the Air Force Museum or to see the remaining devastation in the northeast parts of the city.

To our delight Endeavour Tours provided us with a complimentary continental breakfast which we and others used as a substitute for our dinner since we were due for an even earlier start for the Coastal Pacific ride to Picton.

Day 4: Coastal Pacific to Picton

An early start meant we endured one of those nights of waking up intermittently to check on the time to be sure we did not oversleep.

We all turned up in good time for the transfer to the station and settled in for the very scenic journey up to Picton. The trip was made more enjoyable by being in a group of like-minded and friendly old codgers.

Personally, it was the first time I had seen the sunrise in quite a few years with the added attraction of a perfectly cloudless day. The low light cast well-defined shadows over the foothills which made for some extensive photographic exercises.

The train journey provides a chance to see the engineering feats of reconstruction of the road and rail after the 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake in 2016. Some of it is awesome.

We arrived in Picton 15 minutes early and quickly transferred to the Picton Yacht Club hotel, which meant that (technically) we had more time to explore the delights of the town.

A Covid-19 ravaged tourist town on a Sunday afternoon presents little in the way of interesting activities so for the travellers exhausted after an early start and a full on morning of concentrating to find the answers to Pete’s Quiz the Olympics provided the perfect answer.

We congregated at the Irish Pub for drinks before walking along to the Da’s Barn restaurant for a very convivial dinner and a lot more chatter.

COASTAL PACIFIC TO PICTON.

Day 5. Picton to Wellington.

The last day of our trip was marred by the persistent plurality – it rained a lot. Even so, we all gathered for the launch trip except for one who is prone to motion sickness. A wise decision as the launch moved about quite a lot at the point where Queen Charlotte and Tory Channels meet.

Despite some misgivings about a launch trip in the wind and rain it proved to be a fascinating experience as we visited a mussel farm and a salmon farm with our skipper giving us useful information on the seeding, feeding, growth and harvesting of mussels on the lines hanging from the rows of buoys. We were treated to a generous serving of the fine products and gained some Omega-3.

The salmon farm in Ruakaka Bay gave rise to more information about the feeding and harvesting techniques plus advice on the predatory nature of the seals looking for a meal.

It may not have been the best weather for feeding the blue cod in Double Cove since the spectators became almost as wet as the fish. However, the general view was that the trip was worthwhile.

Back on shore, we wandered along to a local cafe for a bite of lunch, or a place to keep dry, as we waited for the ferry. The trip across Cook Strait was uneventful and we arrived in Wellington to heavy rain. The group thanked Pete and John again for a wonderful trip and we set off home – satisfied. 