From May to September, every second Saturday, a steam engine’s going to pull the Auckland/Wellington passenger train between Feilding and Ohakune, just over 3 hours apart by steam train. The usual engine takes under 2.5 hours to do the same trip.
Too cool 
Oooooh …
Y’know, I do need to visit Wellington again, sometime soon. Might be even sooner now I know about that! Cheers, dynamitedave! 
How wonderful. You guys really do live in the best country in the world.
Cheers for that, jjimm. NZ has its faults, but I’m always glad to come home to it. 
Hey, dynamitedave, you a member of any of the local rail societies? I’m with the Rail Enthusiasts down in Onehunga – it’d be cool if they incorporate the steam train into one of their winter excursions (I’ve heard of one called an excursion to the snow, might be part of it, dunno.)
No, Ice Wolf, I’m not involved in the scene, just had a toy push train when I wos a little horror (and Dad’s model steam (non train) engine when he thought I was trustworthy* :smack: ) I’m trying to figure out if I can manage a train to Welly and back, might just have to book and take the consequences 
*brats and meths don’t mix, don’t know how many times I almost burnt the shed down
I don’t consider I’m as involved as a lot of the hard-core railfans are – but I do love rail history, absolutely adored visiting Glenbrook Railway during one of their open weekends, and was in a state of seventh heaven riding in Silver Fern railcars up to Kaipara Flats and back recently.
Definitely going to take at least one trip on the Overlander, but I’ll also sort out a bit of accomodation down there in the capital 'cause there’s some research stuff I’d like to tear into as well. But your news about the steam section of the trip … sigh
Off t’ count my pennies … 
I smell a Dopefest in the making…
Hey, I’d be keen! You’ve got a cool city there, Mbossa. Only seen it for a few hours so far, but what I saw, I liked (besides, you have the Alexander Turnbull Library. That’s enough to lure any Ice Wolf from the Auckland den!)
Supposed to be anathema for an Aucklander to admit it, of course, but I love Wellington; I always seem to have a good time down there. I’m probably due a trip, too: my sister and her family have settled down there, and I haven’t seen them for a while. Been mulling over the Overlander option, too - I hate the drive - and the young 'un would adore a steam train ride. Maybe next school holidays…
I don’t care about the anathema thing (they want t’ try and take my loyal Aucklander status away, they can certainly try … ) but yes: Wellington is a cool place. Goes for a lot of the country, I find.
But it isn’t going to do the Raurimu Spiral - which would be really cool in a steam train.
I did the Overnighter several times as a teenager between Hamilton and Wellington - I really wish I could have done it during the day. That was in the early eighties - I was 12/13 or so. My parents put me on a bus in Kawerau and I got picked up in Wellington. And no-one thought anything of it. I even did it (once) with a couple of younger tearaways in tow. We almost got thrown out of the Railway station on the way, and just about missed our final connecting bus on the way home cause we were playing spacies. Mad
sigh - times have changed.
Si
Aw heck – spacies! There’s one for the nostalgia! You’re right, lots has changed.
NZ rail has been savaged since the early 1980s. (I’m still grizzling about there being no Geyserland Express to Rotorua anymore. Or even one along to Tauranga. The ratbags have ruined a lot of our fun.)