The Northern Explorer is a tourist train from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to Wellington Pōneke. It is one of NZ’s Great Journeys, a series of rail trips crossing much of the country. The Northern Explorer is an excellent way to see much of the North Island in one day. It’s especially perfect for visitors who may not enjoy or be comfortable driving on the notorious roads of Aotearoa.
The journey takes eleven hours, so is especially spectacular on longer summer days when it is light for the duration. However, we took this trip at the end of winter. This created the perfect timing to catch the sun setting over the Kāpiti Coast shortly before arriving in Wellington.
An alternative to doing the trip in one day is to do a shorter section or split it up over a few days. Some of the ten are top destinations like National Park and Ohakune. Note that the service only runs once in a single direction each day, so if you choose to stop along the way, you will stay two nights before returning to the train to continue your journey.
Auckland and Waikato
Although you can begin the Northern Explorer at any stop, we started at the northernmost station – Strand in Parnell, Auckland. From the station, there is a great view of the Sky Tower over the horizon. It was a particularly relaxing onboarding experience as the station does not cater to other services. This means there is no risk of getting on the wrong train!
Before stopping in Papakura, the train winds its way through the city. It is particularly interesting around the Ōrākei Basin, the cone of a now-extinct volcano. It then heads into the mighty Waikato for a stop in Hamilton. This section of the journey mostly offers views of farmland and rural NZ life; as spring was fast approaching, there were many glimpses of lambs and daffodils out the window.
The second Waikato stop is at Otorohanga, near the world-famous-in-NZ Waitomo Caves. These Caves are home to native glow worms, and there is a variety of tours and activities available.
Manawatū-Whanganui
In the late morning, the train crosses from Waikato into Manawatū-Whanganui, with the first stop in the region at Taumarunui. Beyond the town, you enter some of the first real native forest along the route through Tongariro National Park. From the viewing car or out the window, you can see thick stands of mamaku and forest giants like tōtara, as well as invasive yellow-flowered gorse.
Before the stop in Waimarino / National Park Village, the train ascends the Raurimu Spiral, an engineering feat designed in 1898. This loop allows the train to climb 139 metres, travelling up onto the Central Plateau through a series of tightly curving tunnels. Surely a highlight of the trip for any engineering enthusiasts!
From Waimarino / National Park Village, views of the two famous volcanoes – Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu – dominate the skyline. Ngauruhoe will be instantly recognisable to any Lord of the Rings fans as the iconic Mount Doom. Ruapehu, further south, is home to two ski fields, and its summit is often snow-capped, even in the middle of summer.
The section just north and south of the Ohakune station boasts rapidly changing and extremely diverse environs, from dense beech forest overlooked by massive viaduct bridges to the tussock-covered Rangipo Desert, familiar to anyone who has driven the Desert Road. All this is backed by spectacular views of the looming volcanoes.
As you exit the Central Plateau and enter Rangitīkei, the ecology out the window changes once again. Through the southern part of Manawatū-Whanganui, the train’s route is dictated by the deep river gorges carved out of the local sandstone. The steady waters have created steep-sided rivers backed by white cliffs, spectacular seen from the top of viaducts crossing them. In fact, the Northern Explorer is perhaps the best way to see these magnificent Rangitīkei gorges, giving much better access than roads to the river. Lord of the Rings fans will enjoy the opportunity to fly across the waterways that stood in for the Anduin River in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations.
The final stop in Manawatū-Whanganui is in the small city of Palmerston North before the train crosses into the Wellington region and heads out to the coast.
Wellington
The final section of the Northern Explorer route, from Paraparaumu to Wellington City, is arguably also the most beautiful. After an entirely inland journey, the ocean finally becomes visible along the Kāpiti Coast. There is a particularly stunning section as the train clings to the cliffs between Paekākāriki and Pukerua Bay, with the sea almost directly below. This can also be done as a hike, the Paekākāriki Escarpment Track, which is part of Te Araroa.
At the end of winter, the sun will be setting over the ocean as you travel along the coast, accentuating the glorious beauty of the journey. After the Kāpiti Coast, the Northern Explorer train travels through the cute beachside town of Plimmerton. Next is Te Awarua o Porirua, allowing for more sunset reflections in the calmer harbour waters.
From Porirua, two long tunnels through the mountains will pop travellers out in downtown Wellington, barely above sea level. The last leg traverses the edge of the city, with views down towards the Wellington Harbour. Finally, the train pulls in to Wellington Station in Pipitea, central Wellington.
The neo-Georgian station, opened in 1937, is listed as a Category I Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand. Take a moment to enjoy the architecture as you pass through. From here it is easy to connect with other public transport or to hail a taxi at the front entrance as you reflect on the remarkable landscapes that passed outside your window over the course of the day.
Want more North Island Trip Ideas?
Check out our blogs on the Beautiful Parks of Central Auckland, the Kāpiti Coast. If you prefer to drive rather than train, check out our State Highway 1 North Island Road Trip.