MASTERTON TO WELLINTON BY TRAIN and BACK.

BY  TRAIN - MASTERTON  TO  WELLINGTON  and  BACK.


The photo story is the return trip - Wellington to Masterton.


The imposing architecture of the Railway Station

  Both the exterior and the interior.

Victoria University is adjacent to the station.


We exited the station into a "people place" - a delightful courtyard , flowers ,  shade trees, lawns and seats.


 We enjoyed our lunch there.


The courtyard lead into an arcade of cafe's , fast food joints and bars above which a 12 storey hotel sheathed in mirror glass that reflected various images dependent on where you stood.

So - there we were , two happy oldies , Margy as bright as the flowers and me as Grumpy as ever.




















We did the return trip at no cost to us thanks to our Super Gold Cards.









The trains were modern and well presented .


A similar style to a jet airliner , but a lot slower.


Having said that , it rattled along at 80km and topped 100km for a 13km stretch .





The track runs alongside the harbour , up to Lower Hutt .

Somes Island sat in a pool of blue today. The harbour was at it's brilliant best and the famous Wellington wind was conspicious by it's absence.

The 3rd photo is the Hutt River , flowing quite well despite the dry spell.

Next , the uppermost houses in Upper Hutt.

Then it is all bush of the Rimutaka's.

Oop's - the next 5 photos will not accept text next to them.
Will catch up here.

From the bush of the Rimutakas we plunged into a tunnel !!!!!  -  there was a claustophobic  panic but with eyes closed and some deep breathing things settled down.
Then the lady opposite said "it only takes 8 minutes" - 8 minutes !!!!!
Then we burst out into the sunshine again.
Time to open eyes and take a deep breath - just - because there was another tunnel !!! - thankfully only one minute long.

Then 4 photos of the parched farmland.
The 3rd photo shows Lake Wairarapa.

Then the old station of Carterton and the even older cemetry  at Featherston.

Next , deer sunbathing despite the heat - very little other stock to be seen.












These paddocks cannot get any drier - no irrigation here despite the lake.

This railway Goods Shed has had its moment of glory.

The rivers run from the Tararua Ranges to the East Coast.

The flows are well below average.

The further North we go the less the flow.

Hundreds of hectares of dried pasture and no stock.

This is a pool - this river has stopped flowing.

And back to Masterton.

We are very pleased we did the trip.

Thank You NZ Rail.

Cheers.