Overdue Overhaul for the Overlander

Kiwirail has announced that it is going to give the Auckland/Wellington Overlander train service a complete makeover. Not before time.

In theory this train journey should be one of the world's great train trips, if for no other reason that the engineering marvels needed to build it. 

The massive viaducts necessary to bridge the central North Island's hill country for example. And the famous Raurimu Spiral . . .  it was a world first in railway engineering, creating a track layout that literally crossed its own tracks.


The service has suffered from dodgy old carriages, some of them over 60 years old that have been given once -over-lightly refurbishment - and that some years ago,.

The new carriages are being poached from the Coastal Pacific  route between Picton and Christchurch. They have large viewing windows for a better customer experience. The onboard crew will have new uniforms, there'll be a new menu and the journey will be faster because they have reduced the number of stops.

Let's face it with air fares AKL/WLG as cheap as $39 nobody is going to use the train as a way of getting from A to B.  It's only future is as a tourist attraction and that means ramping up the whole experience package.

Got to say, on past performance, I don't hold out much hope, but, hey, these are new days, new management, and hopefully a more creative approach to creating great new product.

It starts a three-time a week run in each direction from June 25.

Christchurch Eateries Decimated

I can not believe how many restaurants and cafes Christchurch has lost.  I knew it was bad but until today I had no idea just how bad. 

If a Roman legion failed to perform in battle the officers would execute every tenth man . . . thus the term decimated.  That's at least what has happened to a city that used to have an excellent dining environment. In the central city I would guess that nine out of ten eateries have closed permanently.

Right now I'm writing the Christchurch page of my extended Travelguide to New Zealand and I'm slogging through all the restaurant options to select the best. 

Time after time when I look up an entry I'm told that the building has been condemned and the restaurant will not re-open.  There seem to be literally dozens and dozens of eateries - including some of the city's best - that have disappeared never to return. 

Sadly some of my favourite watering holes now lie in ruins in the red zone and the promenade of eateries fronting the river along Oxford St are similarly momentarily unavailable, but there are still some posh nosh spots to be savoured. Spagalimis, 50 On The Park at the George Hotel,  Cathays at Hornby for cheap Chinese, Chinwag Eathai Victoria, Cook.n With Gas,  Corianders for Indian, Edesia out at Addington, JC’s Place Chinese restaurant at Riccarton, JDV  at Merivale, and if you’re out that way and prefer Thai try Merry Thai, Nobanno in Colombo St, Pescatore another highly rated George Hotel option, Rotherhams of Riccarton,  Servantis in Burnside.  


Read more about Christchurch at A New Zealand Travel Guide

Not All Motels Are Suffering The Honesty Attack

Some motels are so blatant it borders on dishonesty. Strathern Motor Lodge is one. On the AA website they list their prices as from $90 - $280. On their home page, however, they show studios at "From" $79. '

Yeah, right. Do these guys write Tui billboards in their spare time?

When you click on Book Now and get taken to the reservations site they list those same units as having a "Full Price" of $140 which they then generously discount to $115 for a three night stay.

Click through to dates in June and the rate is, sure enough, $140.

$140 minus $79 . . . is there a discrepancy here? Let me think?

Hello Commerce Commission - here I come.

New Zealand motels having and attack of honesty?

Are me beady old eyes deceiving me . . . or has the New Zealand motel industry had an attack of honesty?

In the course of checking out motel prices in Blenheim and Kaikoura as I write the State Highway 1 material for my Travel Guide I have noticed a phenomenon not previously seen: Motels actually offering rates below their advertised rate on the AA Travel website.

I have been a trenchant critic of the motel industry using bait advertising. Rates shown on widely used sites such as Jasons and AA often have no relation to reality.

But in these two towns things have changed - or maybe it's just that things are tough and there's a bit of discounting. Either way, in Kaikoura, for instance, 12 out of 20 motels surveyed were showing low season rates that were equal to or below their AA rate and another couple were only $2 a night dearer than advertised.

One, however, Beachcomber Motel, was a full $20 above their advertised rate. That's dishonesty by any measure.

In Blenhein four out of 13 were offering units at the promoted rate.

It may be that the now widespread availability of online booking engines means that the punters can check out rates instantly . . . thus removing the incentive to use bait advertising. It's not a good look to be caught lying about tariffs. Might lead to instant use of the back button.

For more on New Zealand accommodation go to http://new-zealand-travel-guide.com/accomm.htm

Hobbit Movie Filmset A Big Attraction

The Hobiton movie set near Matamata has seen a huge boost in tourism numbers this year as a result of filming the latest Peter Jackson trilogy.

Must say I wonder how they are going to stretch a fairly slim book intro two full-length movies . . . Lord of the Rings, yes, because it was three full-length books. But I read The Hobbit to my kids in the course of about a week of bedtime stories.

Never mind, I'm sure we will just love what the Jackson-Weta team do with the story.

In the meantime the rebuilt Hobbiton is pulling in the crowds. Over the past 12 months it has attracted 266,000 visitors, a 60% increase on the previous year. The Matamata business community must be happiness-filled.

When it was originally constructed for Lord Of The Rings in 1999 it was temporary and was to be bulldozed when filming finished. Problem was that more and more Ringies kept turning up at the gate of farmer Russell Alexander and asking to wander over his paddocks to see it. Initially his deal with the film company was that no commercial use was to be made of the abandoned set, but the sheer numbers of fans arriving caused a change of game plan and a formal tour was set up.

This time the 44 hobbit holes have been built of permanent materials with the intention of making it a major tourist attraction. Can you hear the ker-chang of the cash registers?

You can learn more about Hobbiton Tours at http://www.hobbitontours.com.

And learn more about attractions in the Waikato region at http://new-zealand-travel-guide.com/Waikato-New-Zealand.htm.

Ride The Rails 21st Century Style Near Rotorua

Fancy taking a ride in your own railcar? Mamaku Express will put you in the cab and on the rails.

They have taken a lease on a chunk of the old Putaruru - Rotorua railway line, the 20km bit between Mamaku and Turekenga, and developed a world-first hybrid petrol / electric rail-car to ride the rails.

The 4-seater cars are fully automated - you just sit back and enjoy the view as you rumble along at 20kmh.

In so doing you ride the North Island's steepest gradient at 3.5:1 through the rain forest in the Dansey Scenic Reserve and enjoy 360 degree views over rolling hills and Lake Rotorua.

It carries with it the heritage of past generations who built and lived their lives on the commerce of the rail: tourist operators; loggers; haulers; millers and foresters of all sorts. The railway was the heart of a forestry industry that thrived in Mamaku for many years around the 1940's. It is this heritage and stunning scenery in addition to its reach into the local tourist centre of Rotorua that made the Rotorua Railway the perfect place to offer a new and entirely unique rail experience.

You'll find Mamaku Express at the Mamaku Railway Station on the top of the Mamaku Ranges just off State Highway 5 between Tirau and Rotorua.

Mamaku Express: 11 Kaponga St Ph 0800-724-574 (0800-RAILRIDERS) Email info@railcruising.com.

You can read more about Rotorua's attractions Rotorua page of my New Zealand Travel Guide

Arrowtown's Autumn Festival is a must if you are travelling New Zealand

If you are on a New Zealand travel adventure, arrange your schedule to be in Arrowtown, Central Otago, on tbetween April 20 - 29. It's the annual Arrowtown Autumn Festival and it is days of history, fun, music, food and all round good times.

That time in April is when the Central Otago foliage is at its glorious finest. Like any climate which has hard winters, the summer foliage in Central turns to fiery displays of colour in autumn.

Arrowtown, 20km from Queenstown, is at the very heart of that autumnal finery . . . and the good folk of the town celebrate it in down home country style.

Let's put it this way: I am specially arranging my travel affairs to be there again. It's that good.

Proceedings kick off on Friday night, April 20, with an art exhibition at the Lakes District Museum. Given that Central is home to some of NZ's finest artists this will be a good night out even if you "don't know much about art, but know what you like". Entry is a miserable $5 . . . and that includes your first drink. What's more you can have a wander around one of the best small museums in the country. How good is that!!

And, just as an extra sweetener, there's $5500 in prize-money up for grabs.

Saturday is market day, family day and a parade. A village wide market experience with over 120 stalls selling some of the best NZ made products ranging from arts and crafts, to farmers and artisan food. Set amongst the canopy of autumn trees, this vibrant market is full of atmosphere and with live entertainment throughout the day. It's on the village green and admission is a gold coin donation. Priceless!

Jazz bands, international street performers, aerobatic displays - you can even go gold panning to see if you make your fortune. (Don't bet the ranch on it). And that night is the 70s Disco Inferno at the Athenaeum Hall. $30 gets you in, cash bar and a light supper served. Heartland fun at its best.

I've been to this festival before. Take it from me it really is a great day out. For the traveller it's something you'll fondly remember for the rest of your days.

You can get more information and tickets from the Arrowtown Autumn Festival Website.

For more on Central Otago attractions go to the Queenstown and Central Otago page.