Day 2 (Part 1) New Zealand Tranz-Alpine Train

The next morning we woke bright and early to take a taxi to the train. We scheduled part of our trip around taking the Tranz-Alpine train. We had heard that the views were great from the train as it wound its way through the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The train ride was neat- a four hour ride with food available for snacks along the way. The seats were comfortable and welcome after bring crammed into several airplane seats by this time in the trip. The view WAS was beautiful- and our first glimpse at the mountainous and strikingly beautiful scenery that is New Zealand. What I didn't realize, but makes sense, is that the photo opportunities were better taken from the outdoor train car, rather than from our seats. I spent most of the time out in one of the two train cars, one which was crammed with people vying for the same photographs as me. :) I was a bit disappointed in that, as well as the train's rattling which also made it hard to take pictures. Again, when you think about it, it makes sense since it is a train that it isn't going to be the smoothest ride. It was also super windy, as you might expect riding on a fast moving train, and freezing cold to boot... And we didn't think to bring gloves on a train ride!:) Live and learn!

The Tranz-Alpine took us into Greymouth, where we boarded a bus to take us down to Franz Josef Glacier.

This was a SPECTACULAR day that was the never-ending day for Karen and I. With going on a train for 4 hours, a bus ride for nearly as long and ending up in Franz Josef with several hours of daylight left, it was unbelievable and felt like an entire vacation in one day! Stay tuned for the rest of the day's adventures in Part 2- too much to put all in one day!! :D

Enjoy New Zealand's gorgoeous beauty below and if you want to see > 500 more pictures (!!), go to my photo site and select "NZ Day2-Tranz-Alpine." :) Click here for the next post in this journey :)