Taumarunui On the Main Trunk Line 2019

Our route will take us over the Mangaweka viaducts which are among the tallest viaducts in the North Island, with views seldom matched in New Zealand. You can see the picturesque Rangitikei River below you as it flows pass the high sandstone cliffs.

Leaving National Park we then travel down one of the rail wonders of the world, the Raurimu Spiral. This magnificently engineered piece of railway, steeped in history with stories of how an engineer with courage, foresight and a brilliant ability overcame one of the most challenging railway engineering assignments of the last century.

Descending the Raurimu Spiral we speed on to our final destination, “Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line”.

We arrive at Taumarunui for our lunch, served with large pieces of nostalgia. It will be very like the fare served in the Taumarunui refreshment rooms when the Auckland Express pulled in many years ago.

Taumarunui Hot Lunch One
Peas, carrots, pie, mashed spud and gravy

Taumarunui Hot Lunch Two
Roast beef, potatoes, kumara, pumpkin, peas, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy

Tea, coffee and large chunks of fruit cake will wash down your lunch.

You may then wish to visit the railway museum (on the platform) and wander down memory lane before it’s “All aboard!” for our return journey to friendly Feilding.

The trip will be hauled by a KiwiRail diesel locomotive.