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30 Dec 2005 |
Arrive in Auckland. We will meet you at Auckland International Airport at whatever
time your flight arrives. We can offer rest time at our home or a visit to Ikon Loco
works nearby - www.ikoneng.com. Sightseeing until hotel rooms
are available.
Accommodation: Hotel near Auckland City.
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31 Dec 2005 |
0830 hours - Depart hotel and visit the Mainline Steam (MS) depot in Auckland City.
This is a privately owned operation. MS own 6 full-size steam locomotives which are in full
mainline certified working order. In the afternoon we visit the
Manukau Live Steamers (MLS) club and run miniature trains. Several Locos will be available
for tour members to operate at the MLS club.
1700 hours - Depart for the Glenbrook Vintage Railway 1 hour south of Auckland.
We are joining the Glenbrook Vintage Railway staff and crew for an evening of laughter,
good food, steam oil and a trip or two on the beautifully restored vintage passenger train
hauled by one of the full size ex-NZR steam locomotives for a return trip along the 10 km
of private rail track. Cab rides may be available for our group on the GVR on New Years Eve.
Accommodation: Motel near Glenbrook railway.
  
Left: The Shay "Enterprise" for use by tour members, Center and Right: Steam Cars and Aircraft Engines at MLS.
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01 Jan 2006 |
0830 hours - Depart south to the ManuAriki Marae and Mountain railway situated
on 250 acres of hilly farmland near Taumarunui. Marae Director, Mr Alexander Phillips,
always makes the "Train People" most welcome at this unique and interesting site. The
miniature 7.25" gauge railway winds its way up the mountain at gradients of 2% (1 in 50)
around several horseshoe curves, spirals, viaducts and tunnels climbing 16 metres (52 feet)
in altitude to reach the summit. On the downhill run it passes a deer enclosure, park and
ponds with native bird life in abundance. Track length: 3000 metres (10000 feet). We will
run trains for the afternoon on the ManuAriki railway, the longest and most challenging
steam loco drivers' track in New Zealand.
Accommodation: ManuAriki.
 
Left: Mallet No 4 at Glenbrook, Right: Tour members enjoying the open coach at Glenbrook.
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02 Jan 2006 |
0830 hours - Depart ManuAriki and head south to Wanganui where we will take the
2pm sailing on the 100 year old fully restored WAIMARI paddle steamer. In the afternoon
we travel to Fielding.
Accommodation: Motel in Fielding.
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03 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs to visit the ex NZR WAB 4 6 4 tank locomotive. This
has been returned to full mainline service by the Fielding volunteer Live Steam group.
We then head south to the Tokomaru Steam museum to inspect the many large steam engines
from yesteryear. Next we head to Owlcatraz, a bird sanctuary on route to Foxton and visit
the DeMolen Dutch Windmill. The Southward Car Museum
at Paraparaumu is next on the journey. This world class auto museum has one of the best
collections of veteran and vintage cars in the Southern Hemisphere.
Accommodation: Motel near Wellington.
 
Left: Southward Car Museum, Right: Fully restored Wurlitzer (circa 1920).
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04 Jan 2006 |
0730 hours - Coach departs motel for the 0900 Inter Island ferry sailing to Picton
in the South Island. We head south along the highway to the seaside town of Kaikoura. This
seaside town is famous for whale watching. If the weather cooperates and the whales are in
residence you may be lucky.
Accommodation: Motel at Kaikoura.
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05 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs south to the Weka Pass Heritage railway depot. We may
be able to have a brief tour through the depot here on our way to Christchurch. Visit
the the CANMOD convention site to register
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
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06 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach departs hotel for Canmod. Coach returns to hotel at 1300 hrs.
1400 hours - Coach departs hotel for Canmod. Coach returns to hotel at 1900 hrs.
Optional - day trip to Akaroa.
Optional - evening trip to Steam tug "Lyttleton".
These times can be adjusted to suit your requirements.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
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07 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach departs hotel for Canmod. Coach returns to hotel at 1300 hrs.
1400 hours - Coach departs hotel for Canmod. Coach returns to hotel at 1600 hrs.
1730 hours - Coach departs for Convention dinner. Coach returns to hotel after dinner.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
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08 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach travels 100 km south to Ashburton to the "Plains Railway" where
we have chartered the fully restored 1878 Rogers K 88 locomotive for the day. Throttle
time is available for tour members on the famous Rogers K 88 locomotive.
1600 hours - Coach departs the Plains Railway via Canmod and returns to hotel.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
The fully restored 1878 Rogers K 88 locomotive on the Plains Railway.
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09 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs for Canmod - or have a free morning, or ride the city loop tramcar.
1100 hours - Coach departs Canmod and travels via the hotel to Ferrymead Heritage
Park for lunch. Electric tramcars, Steam tramcars, Steam locomotives, Fire engines
and all types of equipment are in working order at the Ferrymead Heritage Park.
1630 hours - Coach returns from Ferrymead to hotel.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
 
Steam tram car (Left) and Electric tram car (Right) at Ferrymead, Christchurch.
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10 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach departs for the Christchurch Live Steamers at the
McLeans Island 'Steam Scene' park. This park has a steam engine society with a building
full of various types of stationary engines. A 3'6" gauge track surrounds the park and
several small 3'6" gauge locos run here. The 7.25" gauge railway is about 2 km long and
winds its way through the trees. The club has nice clubrooms and several 40-foot containers
as storage lockers for member's equipment. There will be several locomotives, Steam, Electric
and Diesel for tour members to operate at this site including the locos with our coach
tour group.
Optional - 2-hour visit to the 'Antarctic Experience' leaving from 'Steam Scene'.
1600 hours - Coach departs the McLeans Island 'Steam Scene' park and returns to the hotel.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
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11 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs hotel to meet the Arthurs Pass steam hauled Excursion Train.
Ian Welch, owner of the fleet of Mainline Steam Trust locomotives has agreed to run a
special steam hauled day trip for our group across the Canterbury Plains into the
Southern Alps to Arthurs Pass. Several photo stops will be made. Cab rides may be available
for our tour members. The loco will be turned at Arthurs Pass and the train will return to
Christchurch around 6 p.m. The Mainline Steam Trust has three depots around NZ and owns
several locomotives that are in full working order. We thank M.S. owner Ian Welch for
preserving all this fabulous steam railway equipment for us all to enjoy.
Accommodation: Rydges Hotel - Christchurch.
The Southern Alps as seen from the cab of the Excursion Train.
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12 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs south to Pleasant Point Heritage Railway. We have
booked a 30 minute trip on the 1925 Model 'T' Ford railway 'Superintendents' car. We
then go past the beautiful Lake Tekapo and travel on to Mt Cook, NZ's tallest mountain
in the Southern Alps.
Accommodation: Twizel.
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13 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs via Wanaka and the outback 'Cadrona' hotel for lunch.
We then tackle the Crown Range Zig-Zag mountain pass to Queenstown.
Afternoon - Cruise on the steamship 'TSS Earnslaw'.
Accommodation: Queenstown.
The steamship TSS Earnslaw at her dock in Queenstown.
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14 Jan 2006 |
0700 hours - Coach departs via Kingston to check out the 'Kingston Flier' steam
train. We continue via Te Anau and take the 10am cruise on Doubtful Sound.
Accommodation: Te Anau.
The Kingston Flyer near Queenstown.
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15 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs Te Anau to the Croydon aircraft factory near Gore.
This company specialises in rebuilding vintage De Havilland aircraft to flying
condition for clients from all around the world. Lunch at the Gore Model Engineers
track and then travel to Dunedin later in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Dunedin.
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16 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach departs for the Otago Model Engineers clubrooms track and station.
This group has large clubrooms with a HO scale train layout, boating pond, and racecar
track and a raised railway track. We return to the hotel at 11am.
1315 hours - Coach leaves hotel for the historic Dunedin Railway station where we
board the Taiere Gorge excursion train departing at 1400 hrs (Returns 1800 hrs).
Accommodation: Dunedin.
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17 Jan 2006 |
0830 hours - Coach departs for the Signal Hill privately owned miniature railway.
This 5" and 7.25" gauge railway is built on top of a mountain and has several very
interesting features. Embankments are constructed from local sandstone.
1100 hours - Coach departs north for the Moeraki Boulders and Oamaru for lunch.
Many of the older buildings in Oamaru are built from sandstone and are well detailed.
Accommodation: Christchurch.
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18 Jan 2006 |
0700 hours - Coach departs north to Picton to depart on the 1300 ferry sailing to
Wellington.
Accommodation: Central Wellington.
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19 Jan 2006 |
Free day in Wellington, you could:
Visit the Museum of NZ, www.tepapa.govt.nz, or:
Ride the suburban trains, or:
Ride the cable car, or:
Visit the botanical gardens.
The choice is yours, have a look at www.wellingtonnz.com for information
about things to see and do.
Accommodation: Hotel in Central Wellington.
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20 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Visit the WETA WORKSHOPS, home of the 'Lord of the Rings' movies.
See some of the fabulous 'props' that are used to create the illusions seen in movies.
1100 hours - Ride the Metro train 30 km to Plimerton and visit the Mainline Steam Depot.
We then board the coach to Raumati Live Steamers for an afternoon run.
Accommodation: Home stay at Raumati.
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21 Jan 2006 |
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22 Jan 2006 |
0830 hours - Coach departs via the City of Napier
to Lake Taupo for lunch.
1230 hours - Coach departs for Rotorua.
We visit the Rotorua Live Steamers for an afternoon run and afternoon tea. Maori concert
that evening
Accommodation: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.
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23 Jan 2006 |
Free Day - Visit attractions in Rotorua like the Rainbow Springs Trout farm, the Jade
Factory or Whaka thermal valley with the steam geysers and boiling mud pools.
Accommodation: Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.
The Agrodome sheep shearing show in Rotorua.
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24 Jan 2006 |
0830 hours - Depart for Tirau, inspect the local arts & crafts and enjoy morning
tea at the Castle. Travel to Paeroa for lunch on the way to Thames for an afternoon run
and evening dinner at the Thames Small Gauge Railway.
Accommodation: Motel Thames.
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25 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs for the
Driving Creek Mountain Railway at Coromandel. Potter, conservationist and narrow
gauge mountain railway builder, Barry Brickell takes us on his 15" gauge railway up
the 7% gradients to the Eyeful Tower at the summit. We return mid afternoon to Auckland.
Accommodation: Central Auckland.
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26 Jan 2006 |
Free day in Auckland Central City.
Accommodation: Central Auckland.
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27 Jan 2006 |
0800 hours - Coach departs via the Matakohe Forestry Museum
on the journey to Whangarei. We visit the town basin and the Whangarei clock museum with its 1500 different clocks.
Accommodation: Motel in Whangarei.
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28 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach departs for the Whangarei Live Steamers Open Invitation Weekend at
Heritage Park. See vintage machinery and New Zealand's native Kiwi birds. We will run trains
all day with an evening meal at the club.
Accommodation: Motel in Whangarei.
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29 Jan 2006 |
0900 hours - Coach leaves for Whangarei Live Steamers for morning run and lunch.
1300 hours - Coach departs for Auckland.
Blowdown evening meal and goodbyes at venue near Auckland Airport.
Accommodation: Hotel near Auckland Airport - advise your requirements.
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