I took a trip on New Zealand's Tranz Scenic railway today, taking the Tranzalpine tour from Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island to Greymouth, on the west coast shores of the Tasman Sea. The mountain range that divides the Island is called The Southern Alps. The railway crosses the Canterbury Plains, climbs through alpine foothills and the Waimakariri Gorge to Arthur's Pass National Park. Arthur's Pass is at 737 meters (2,418 ft.) high, surrounded by alpine peaks. Heading down the other side, we pass through the Otira Tunnel, a length of over 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi). We spend about 15 minutes in the tunnel, while dropping 250 meters, or 820 feet in altitude. We find the weather on the west coast remarkably different than the warm 80 degrees at Christchurch.
Here are a few pictures to give examples of the New Zealand countryside (sorry about the smudge on the camera lense):
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| A Quick Lunch Before the Return Trip |
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| A Quick Glimpse of Greymouth |
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| Reboarding at Greymouth |
Where else can you travel coast to coast and back, and still get home in time for supper?
Beautiful pictures, Dad! I am jealous you are in New Zealand. It's on my list of places to see, but that's because of my fascination with the Maori culture. If there is a cultural museum about Maori history, or something like that, you might find it interesting too. Looking forward to having you home. In the meantime, enjoy getting your senses back on track. :) Love you! Julie
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to darkness at least part time in 24 hours. Beautiful photos and can't wait to hear more about all of the adventures. I even have work related stuff. Pastors are being interviewed at Trinity and there is something on the horizon for me. Blessing welcome home!
ReplyDeleteMitch