Coastal Pacific

the journey is split into four sectors, or different types of terrain. the first is through Marlborough, there are hills, a huge lake, many vine yards, and some spectacular scenery. in fact all the sections have spectacular scenery, it is a Scenic Journey after all. part two is right along the coast, similar to the Amtrak Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it's rails, road, then rocks. so point one; it's wonderful to have been on a train running along both sides of the Pacific. section 3 is a twisty and beautiful part of the trip, where the tracks take the train inland, over rivers, through one horse towns, and farm land, until the plains that take the train into Christchurch - the forth sector.

the coastal part of the Coastal Pacific journey is by far the best part. it wasn't the clearest day, but sunny in patches. even still, it was stunning. from rocky stoney coves to pale sandy beaches, and from tree lined shores to sheer white cliffs that remind me of the Isle of White. we passed through tunnels, over bridges, and into the whale watching capital of New Zealand - Kaikoura. this is a very small touristy place, that i'd love to have spent time in. but all i got was a short walk to the pacific ocean to snap a photo and throw a stone! the whistle blew and she was ready to roll... miss this, and it's a 24 hour wait for the next one... tempting...

not far after Kaikoura we passed fun looking surf spots Goose Bay and Oaro, separated by this triple tunnel. one for rail, one for road, and a natural one carved by the ocean - spectacular! other highlights were; campers beside the ocean, the famous Nin's Bin seafood caravan, and seals. i looked out the window to see rocks moving... eh? oh! wow! but i didn't get any decent photos of them unfortunately. this train runs faster then the snail paced big heavy Amtrak double deckers, despite the old appearance of the loco above obscuring some very modern european style coaches behind it.