Akl-Wgtn by train - who has done it?

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jarledb

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#3018067 7-Jan-2023 02:13

Eva888:

If mum has a walking problem flying back will be very tiring as walking to and from gates and to parking either end is quite far unless you can borrow an airport wheelchair. PM if you run into trouble in Wellington.

I would suggest contacting the airline and arranging for assistance. Much easier to travel if you have some help. Should not be scared of asking IMHO.

Here is more information about Special assistance at Wellington Airport.

Would probably do Auckland to Wellington by train and Wellington to Auckland (or vice versa) by plane if I was doing the journey.

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kiwifidget

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#3018079 7-Jan-2023 08:29

Such excellent feedback, thanks everyone. I havent decided yet, still some other factors at play.

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#3018085 7-Jan-2023 08:44

Eva888: Personally as long as time wasn’t a constraint I’d choose trains or coaches over flying any time. We did Sydney to Melbourne by train about 10 hours and it was a memorable pleasure. The journey is part of the holiday and far more relaxed and low key than standing or being herded in long lines at airports

If mum has a walking problem flying back will be very tiring as walking to and from gates and to parking either end is quite far unless you can borrow an airport wheelchair. PM if you run into trouble in Wellington.

You can request mobility assistance on the booking. Air NZ will wheel you from checkin to your seat.

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#3018096 7-Jan-2023 09:25

Not what you want but a bit of nostalgia:

When I was based at Ohakea Airbase in the seventies and going on leave, the government paid for either your bus or rail fee. The Wellington <> Auckland train, the "Silver Fern" day train and the "Silver Star" night train, stopped at Palmerston North. You were dropped off or picked up by RNZAF transport. Did the Fern once and the Star once both return Auckland. But I also did the Star return Wellington <> Auckland when I was based at Whenuapai.

Loved these two trains. With the Silver Star I paid the RNZAF the difference between the Fern and the Star as the Star was a sleeper train only. On the Wellington <> Auckland trip (both ways) I stayed up well after midnight and played cards and drank for free with the stewards after the buffet car closed. Breakfast was delivered to your sleeping berth. Great days 😀.

These were great trains. Well appointed with great food and staff. Reading the above sites I noticed that a Star ticket cost $18.00 but there was also a government subsidy of $20.00 per ticket. No wonder it only lasted 8 years, 1971-1979.

On a sad note - one of the carriages is in a paddock at Hinuera Natural Stone on Hwy 29 just before the Hwy 29 & Hwy 1 intersection in the Waikato.

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#3018104 7-Jan-2023 09:39

FineWine:

Not what you want but a bit of nostalgia:

When I was based at Ohakea Airbase in the seventies and going on leave, the government paid for either your bus or rail fee. The Wellington <> Auckland train, the "Silver Fern" day train and the "Silver Star" night train, stopped at Palmerston North. You were dropped off or picked up by RNZAF transport. Did the Fern once and the Star once both return Auckland. But I also did the Star return Wellington <> Auckland when I was based at Whenuapai.

Loved these two trains. With the Silver Star I paid the RNZAF the difference between the Fern and the Star as the Star was a sleeper train only. On the Wellington <> Auckland trip (both ways) I stayed up well after midnight and played cards and drank for free with the stewards after the buffet car closed. Breakfast was delivered to your sleeping berth. Great days 😀.

These were great trains. Well appointed with great food and staff. Reading the above sites I noticed that a Star ticket cost $18.00 but there was also a government subsidy of $20.00 per ticket. No wonder it only lasted 8 years, 1971-1979.

On a sad note - one of the carriages is in a paddock at Hinuera Natural Stone on Hwy 29 just before the Hwy 29 & Hwy 1 intersection in the Waikato.

Being a kid with a dad in the air force (and being at Ohakea in the 70s!), the standard way for some long trips was on a rearward-facing seat on a Bristol Freighter, with earmuffs on.

One time there was just myself, my sister, and my mum on a trip from Ohakea to Woodbourne in a Devon. The pilot let me steer for a while over the Cook Straight. That was possibly the coolest thing any 8-year-old could experience.

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#3018182 7-Jan-2023 14:04

Tickets were much cheaper during Covid and I did a trip then Wellington to National Park. Current prices are back to tourist insanity.

Station stops are only a couple of minutes - barely longer than a suburban train. Long enough for them to unload a few bags but not much more. Depending on timetabling and freight volumes you might pass a freight train or two and have to wait in a crossing loop - we didn't. We did stop in the middle of nowhere for about five minutes to swap drivers - they just parked a ute up near the tracks.

Suspension, ride quality, seating, and noise level were all very good. It's a medium-distance luxury train. There's also a wheelchair lift on the train if that's a better option.

There are times when you get up to a decent clip, but there are certainly sections of track (particularly between Waikanae and Palmy) that are pretty slow and windy.

Food was meh and pricing was absurd. Bring sandwiches.

Can't speak to the Auckland end, but if you're going to Upper Hutt, the commuter trains leave from the same station about every twenty minutes. The buses are a little further away but there is an underpass - you don't have to deal with weather or traffic, just a bit of a walk. It might be worth calling Kiwirail and seeing if they have a wheelchair that can be borrowed for use within the station?

You could also consider stopping over somewhere midway like Taumaranui. It would need to be 2-3 nights unfortunately due to timetabling.

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#3018192 7-Jan-2023 15:22

johno1234: You can request mobility assistance on the booking. Air NZ will wheel you from checkin to your seat.

Just used that service a few weeks ago when returning from Christchurch to Wellington following neurosurgery. Wheelchair available at terminal entrance in Christchurch and Air NZ couldn't have been more helpful. As above, got wheeled all the way to the plane, boarded first and exited last in Wellington where there was another wheelchair waiting for me. No additional cost.

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#3018496 8-Jan-2023 08:23

Has anyone taken suitcases on the train?

Do they get stowed in a separate carriage where you can't access them for the entire journey, or do they go on with you?

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#3018546 8-Jan-2023 11:48

They're in a separate carriage, and you can't access during the journey. You can take a small backpack or similar with you, though. It's much like flying, although from memory there was no weight restriction on the carry-on bag.

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#3018547 8-Jan-2023 11:53

Actually, just a thought. Based on your location, Pukekohe Travel arrange a fair few rail packages (when we caught the Northern Explorer to Palmy a year or two back, it seemed almost half the train had booked a tour through them!). If you're passing (I think they're in King St?), they might be worth having a chat to?

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#3018615 8-Jan-2023 16:35

kiwifidget:
Has anyone taken suitcases on the train?

Do they get stowed in a separate carriage where you can't access them for the entire journey, or do they go on with you?

Like the plane. You can take a carry on which goes on a rack above your head, though you need to put it up, and backpack. Suitcases go in a separate carriage.

MikeAqua

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#3018858 9-Jan-2023 08:35

For car hire you can get a bus from near the Wellington Station to the corner of Taranaki and Dixon, which is about 100m from the downtown Avis depot.

Or if you get a taxi, Budget and Hertz also have depots with the CBD. Budget is on Ghuznee St and Hertz is behind Cambridge Terrace.

Mike

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