If you're ever on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, you owe it to yourself to enjoy what is arguably the Best Burger In the World and perhaps the second best tempura-coated fish a... (more)

Apologies for disturbing this bovine trio grazing in damp farmland near Kotuku while the Tranz scuttles past in the background.

After traveling across the South Island from the east coast to the west in the morning, the TranzAlpine heads back home again in the afternoon. The train is snapped here following the Arnold river... (more)

While the eastern rail approach to the Southern Alps is more rugged and dramatic, the West Coast (which has unfairly garnered a reputation as having a permanent pall of miserable weather) has a ch... (more)

Ahh no! they've replaced the character-laden rickety old wooden bridge across the Cass River with this clean and functional item. DCs 4513 + 4761 head west with a decent off-season train of seven ... (more)

In the early evening of 11 October 2012, DC 4755 and oddball DXC 5310 bring Hokitika goods train 826 through the historic Moana station precinct on the shore of Lake Brunner. I'd planned to take t... (more)

DXs 5258 and 5327 leave the Waimakariri River behind with their coal train and head for Cass. The bridge here over the Cass river has recently been replaced by a less-quaint concrete version.

5258 and 5327 work eastwards past the Mt White Bridge across the Waimakariri River

A pair of cleanish KiwiRail DCs roll the TranzAlpine passenger train across the Broken River Viaduct, the third of four viaducts it will cross on its westward journey. While it's hardly the Orient... (more)

Loco Engineer Neil D. connects the MU cable and brake hoses between three banker locos and the road power of an eastbound coal train for a run up through the 3% Otira tunnel. 5304 is the lead lead... (more)

Clean KiwiRail DC 4761 and ratty old blue 4628 head a westbound TranzAlpine passenger train in the sun between Cora Lynn and Arthur's Pass

DXs 5431 and 5039 work east across the Slovens Creek Viaduct and through tunnel 16 with export coal bound for the Port of Lyttleton, near Christchurch.

A mixed up mess of colour leads a loaded coal train through the scrub covered Waimakariri River floodplain towards Cora Lynn. 5258 is a KiwiRail patched Toll green snotbonnet while 5327 wears the ... (more)

It's not quite as fancy as Switzerland's Landwasserviadukt, but New Zealand makes do with the locality of Staircase (population:0). After leaving an unmanned passing loop of the same name, wes... (more)

After traversing the Waimakariri gorge, Staircase and Broken River, the TranzAlpine passenger train reaches relatively flat land for a brief period as it heads toward the Southern Alps on a lovely... (more)