Tranz Alpine Rail out of action..Feb 2017

Fire has ripped through 300 hectares and the Tranz Alpine rail journey is out of action for a while until damage done to rails and bridges can be repaired. It will effect up to 20,000 passengers who will now have to bussed .

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/324034/fire-derails-tranzalpine-journey

Thanks, David.

I've posted a note on the roll call for my upcoming Solstice cruise in case anyone there has booked an excursion on the TransAlpine.

Yikes, see why the line is closed:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11798393

Fire has ripped through 300 hectares and the Tranz Alpine rail journey is out of action for a while until damage done to rails and bridges can be repaired. It will effect up to 20,000 passengers who will now have to bussed. ]

Appreciate these various postings and details. Sad news for New Zealand, plus visitors to the scenic area!!

From the NZ Herald as mentioned, they had this headline on Feb. 8: "17,000 Tranz Alpine bookings affected after fire damage closes Midland Line to West Coast" with these highlights: "KiwiRail says 17,000 Tranz Alpine bookings to the West Coast are affected by the closure of the Midland Line after bridges were badly damaged in a scrub fire at the weekend. KiwiRail confirmed the only railway line to the West Coast will remain closed for at least six weeks. A tentative date of April 3 has been touted for the reopening. The fire covered 300ha in an inaccessible part of the high country, damaging bridges, track and signal systems."

Clearly this means for the current season of cruise ship visitors, that their chances for taking this rail trip will not be possible. Below are some of my pictures from our enjoying of this "adventure". More on the live/blog.

Full story at:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11796893

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 169,903 views for this posting.

Here is the one NZ Herald picture that was included with their article to indicate how the damage affected the rail line, bridge, etc.:

First is one of my visuals that gives a little sampling for the spectacular Waimakariri River gorge seen from the Tranz Alpine Rail trip. Great "drama" in this aspect of the trip, especially with the blue waters that we would later travel "up-close-and-personal" via a JetBoat trip.:

This second picture gives an idea for the view from the outdoor viewing platform near the front of this train. It had a covered roof but open sides to create an ideal location to take photos from the train. No photo glare from trying to shoot through a window. I spent most the time through the mountains in this rail car location.:

Yes, there was snow on some of the mountain tops in this part of NZ, even during the summer time. The blue water are part of scenic nature for this park and its nearby area. The mix of steep gorges and wide braided rivers straddle the main divide. Below are three more visual samples from here and captured during our late January 2014 trip.:

Hey there Terry from Ohio, I really enjoyed your blog - it allowed me to relive my own memories of many of those places. With pretty much nowhere in NZ more than an hour or so from the coast a cruise around it is a great way to see this place.

Too bad they didn't take you to the best locations on your tour through.

Just kidding - you nailed it pretty good!

Cheers

JohnO