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4 days
U-Drive Railway Adventure
Self drive Railcart Adventure through 21 tunnels. Whangamomona Pub overnight. Tawhiti Museum. English Lifeboat Cruise launched on rails. Train to Auckland.
Take your turn at driving a Railcart over 70km from the King Country to Taranaki on the 'Forgotten Railway'. 21 tunnels, innumerable bridges and viaducts, rivers, rapids, gorges, remote bush country! Spend a night in the Republic of Whangamomona's wonderful 100 year old Pub! Tawhiti Museum. Travel right around the 8,261' dormant volcano - Mt Taranaki/Egmont. Cruise New Plymouth's Sugar Loaf Islands on an English Lifeboat' launched on rails! Enjoy a fast ride home on the Northerner Explorer train from Otorohanga to Auckland.
Tour Itinerary:
DAY 1: Auckland to Tamarunui
We travel through the back roads from Ngaruawahia to 'kiwiana' Otorohanga for our Lunch stop. Next, we pass through the sheep shearing capital of Te Kuiti before turning on to SH4, at 8 mile junction, which leads us into the heart of the King Country and our overnight at Forgotten World Motel, Taumarunui..
DAY 2: By Railcart to Whangamomona
We meet up with our 2 and 4-seater Railcarts at Okahukura Railway Station to begin our self drive adventure through 21 tunnels, over numerous bridges, rivers and viaducts. This is remote NZ at its very best! We have a delicious picnic lunch and afternoon tea deep in the middle of nowhere. Pass through huge high country farming stations, native bush and we may even see Mt Ruapehu! Late afternoon we roll into Whangamomona Railway Station having traveled over 70km on a railway track under our own steam, through some of NZs most scenic, remote landscapes. Tonight we are welcomed by the friendly folk at the Whangamomona Pub! You will love this place.
DAY 3: Tawhiti Museum. Around Mt Taranaki to New Plymouth. English Lifeboat Cruise.
This morning we travel the Forgotten World Highway from Whangamomona to Stratford, following streams and rivers through magnificent pastureland. Next we enjoy time at Tawhiti Museum - often described as "the museum for those who don't normally visit museums!", with life-sized figures, this museum has scooped many tourism awards. ...there's even an 'indoor' boat cruise!. Early afternoon we travel right round Mt Taranaki on SH45, the Surf Highway, till we reach New Plymouth and kit up for an English Lifeboat Cruise (launched on rails) to the Sugar Loaf Islands seal colony. Tonight we'll be spoilt by the girls at Plymouth International Hotel.
DAY 4: Coastal Walkway and Northern Explorer Train home.
This morning we set off to see the amazing Te Rewa Rewa Bridge at the beginning of the Coastal Walkway. Do none, some (45mins) or all (75mins) of this stunning walk, alongside the Tasman Sea, that leads you to New Plymouth's, Central City Wind Wand. Late morning we begin heading north, with a lunch stop at Mokau (Whitebait Fritters anyone?), then onto Otorohanga to meet up with the Northerner Explorer train for our scenic rail journey through to Auckland Railway Station, arriving 7pm. Ron will be waiting in the SHIP n SHORE coach to take us home.
PRICES FROM
$1765 pp
TWIN SHARE
+$273 for single room accommodation
Tour Inclusions:
- Door to Door Coach Transport
- 3 nights Twin Share Accommodation
- 3x Breakfasts, 1x Lunch and 3x Dinners.
- Railcart Tour. Northern Explorer Train.
- English Lifeboat Cruise. Traders and Whalers Indoor Cruise.