Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - is the overland train from AKL to WLG scenic?

Does one see Rotorua type scenery along the way?

It is scenic but misses Rotorua and geothermal areas completely. Personally I like the hill country and mountains in the middle of the North Island. Rugged bush on the ascent to the central plateau, then stark (treeless) with the mountains hopefully visible (weather dependent of course), followed by descent through several gorges. The first and last bits are not as scenic.

It is scenic but misses Rotorua and geothermal areas completely. Personally I like the hill country and mountains in the middle of the North Island. Rugged bush on the ascent to the central plateau, then stark (treeless) with the mountains hopefully visible (weather dependent of course), followed by descent through several gorges. The first and last bits are not as scenic.

thanks for the reply. I like tall mountains and lakes like in the south island, would i see it? the map shows it goes kinda near ROT, does it pass areas that have similar sights?

is there only one train in each direction?

is there only one train in each direction?Yes. Not sure if it runs during the week or only at weekends. This passenger service was going to scrapped last year but it still running thanks to political influence

would you do this or spend a day at Rotorua?

I would take the train. It goes nowhere near Rotorua. The rail line goes down the western side of the mountains to the west of Lake Taupo (and Rotorua is northeast of Lake Taupo).

The hills and mountains in the North Island are rather different from the South Island - rugged hills with a few volcanoes on the plateau.

AFAIK train runs daily (1 per day in each direction), and now the government is buying it back from Toll I cannot see it being discontinued.

I would take the train. It goes nowhere near Rotorua. The rail line goes down the western side of the mountains to the west of Lake Taupo (and Rotorua is northeast of Lake Taupo).

The hills and mountains in the North Island are rather different from the South Island - rugged hills with a few volcanoes on the plateau.

AFAIK train runs daily (1 per day in each direction), and now the government is buying it back from Toll I cannot see it being discontinued.

I will be doing a three day tour of the South Island as described here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=826920

So I will be seeing scenic landscape for 3 days. I am also the type who gets bored (did a 10 day rail trip in Europe and got "cathedraled" out). Are the mountains/landscape different from South Island? Right now one thing in favor of ROT is that it is something different. Please disagree or present arguments against my reasoning.

Online descriptions of this line say that it goes past volcanoes/volcanic plate. Is this a nice sight/do you see any active volcanoes or geothermal activity from the train compartment?

Which of the three trains is the best:

Overlander, TranzAlpine, TransCoastal

I will be doing a three day tour of the South Island as described here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=826920

So I will be seeing scenic landscape for 3 days. I am also the type who gets bored (did a 10 day rail trip in Europe and got "cathedraled" out). Are the mountains/landscape different from South Island? Right now one thing in favor of ROT is that it is something different. Please disagree or present arguments against my reasoning.

Scenery in central North Island is very different to what you get in the South Island.

Online descriptions of this line say that it goes past volcanoes/volcanic plate. Is this a nice sight/do you see any active volcanoes or geothermal activity from the train compartment?

You won't see geothermal activity. As for volcanic activity - hope Ruapehu doesn't erupt when you travel (very unlikely even though there is some unrest at the moment) as the trains may be forced to stop if it does.

Which of the three trains is the best:

Overlander, TranzAlpine, TransCoastal

Sorry I can't answer for you - they all have good (and different) scenery. All require half day to full day. Overlander described above already. TranzAlpine across the Canterbury plains and through the Southern Alps and down the wet valleys on the other side - scenery slightly similar to the drive between Queenstown and Milford Sound. Tranzcoastal through low hills and then along the coast where mountains reach the sea - probably the least interesting of the three IMO.