Northern Explorer-treinreis van Auckland naar Wellington

A great scenic ride! The staff were friendly and helpful. They are great ambassadors of NZ for first-time visitors like my wife and me. A long day, but worth it!

Auckland to Wellington route 11 hour trip really enjoyed my time on this train comfortable seats plenty of leg room staff were lovely food and coffee was good but expensive but you can bring your own food, having one of the carriages being open was awesome as you were able to get some fresh air and see the scenery but still be safe so kids were okout there I'd definitely recommend you do it

The train left on time, and pleasantly the buffet car was open before departure which enabled a coffee and snack as it was early morning. The check in queue was quite long, as there were a few tour groups joining the train, and perhaps a better queuing system should be put in place to allow independent travellers to check in separately. Once on board and on our way, the recorded commentary was very good and was timed to match up with the views outside. The huge windows and open air viewing car were a huge plus. Although there is no Wifi, there are USB charging points located on the floor, but hard to find. The buffet was good value for money, although a nice meat pie was not offered!!! I had the bangers and mash, and it was a lot better than airline food. The journey between Auckland and Waiouru was great, the views across Waikato and then to the mountains of the North Island were awesome. After Waiouru, the journey until the Rangitikei River was very slow and very boring. Once reaching Palmerston North, the train picked up speed and made its way to the West Coast of NZ, where again, the views of the Kapiti Coast were amazing, and then through some long tunnels into Wellington All in all, am I glad I did this trip, yes, would I do it again, no. If you are on a short holiday, then fly, but if like me, and time was no issue, then, sit back and relax. My suggestion, bring a good book or download something to watch on your tablet for the boring part of the trip, as well some snacks to pass the time. The staff were all friendly and added to the experience if you had any questions. This is a train ride that is designed for tourists like me, and I enjoyed it.