Taieri Gorge Railway independent tour - Dunedin NZ

We will be on the NCL Star in Feb, and we are looking to do the Taieri Gorge for our Dunedin excursion. NCL has an option, but we normally prefer to book on our own to get a bit of a cost savings, but our preliminary research isn't coming up with many options.

Has anyone booked an independent tour that includes the railway? Any suggestions or tips would be welcome!

I found the link for the train site.

http://www.newzealand.com/us/plan/business/dunedin-railways-taieri-gorge-railway/?rd

I am sure you could get a cab or shuttle bus to the station and then take the train out. I am not sure about getting back though!

It recommends going through the cruise ship. But where is the fun in that?

http://www.dunedinrailways.co.nz/our-journeys/cruise-ship-visitors/suttle-and-train-ex-wharf

Sometimes the cruise ship books out the whole train so there will be no availability for private bookings. :(

Are you in Dunedin 13th Feb ?

I had a look on the railway website and there appeared to be tickets available.

BUT....check your scheduled arrival time.

I had a look and it said 9am

This, for me, would be too close to the train departure from town which is 09:30.

The ship's tour uses different carriages from the public and the train actually pulls up right next to the ship.

There is this thread with info from last year.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2220022&highlight=good+company+tours

Sometimes the cruise ship books out the whole train so there will be no availability for private bookings. :(

That is certainly the case this December when we will be visiting on Dawn Princess. Now wish I hadn't looked as, by looking at doing it privately on the previous day, I can now see how much the cruise line is marking up the tour!!

As an aside.

Port Chalmers will be our first port of call in New Zealand and, as our mutual UK bank gives me Visa interbank exchange rate, and does not charge a commission on foreign ATM withdrawals, we always get our foreign from an ATM at our first port of call.

So, hoping there is an ATM either at the port ,or at least close enough to allow me time to visit it before the ship's tour leaves, or failing that at the railway station.

There is a BNZ ATM about 400 metres from the wharf (a 5 minute walk), in George St (the main street) in front of the Four Square grocery store.

I don't think there is one at the Railway Station.

There is a BNZ ATM about 400 metres from the wharf (a 5 minute walk), in George St (the main street) in front of the Four Square grocery store.

 

I don't think there is one at the Railway Station.

Many thanks for that info. Just hope that I have time to get to it before the ship's tour departs.