Dunedin train tour

[shortstuffy]

Here's something to keep in mind if you are doing a "private" trip on the Taieri Gorge Railway. (sorry if it sounds negative but just want to explain what might happen).

 

Depending on whether your cruise ship is circumnavigating New Zealand in a clockwise (last port of call before Milford Sound) or anti-clockwise (first port of call after leaving Australia) direction may affect your day and throw a spanner in the works of a finely tuned timetable.

 

Cruise ships coming from Australia (Syd/Mel/Bris) take 2-3 days to reach the Sounds (where you can't disembark anywhere), then another day to sail around the foot of the South Island before docking at Port Chalmers. This is when the chaos begins as almost 2,000 "stir crazy" passengers begin queueing at the two available gangways and clogging the hallways, the stairways and the whole atrium in general. Before anyone can disembark and visit Dunedin, NZ Customs Officers need to first board the ship to check paperwork for the passenger manifest & crew. On our trip, they weren't in a particular hurry to process any visas or other passports, and so our 8.15am arrival dragged on until well after 9 o'clock until they finally gave the approval to set foot on land.

 

Coupled with the huge queues and clamour to get off the ship (everyone claimed "but my tour is leaving now and I need to be first off") the Taieri Gorge train was very late leaving the dock after having to wait for the stragglers stuck on the ship. We boarded on the woodchip pile side of the dock (muddy walk of about 200m). The train seems to be a bit closer to the ship on the container wharf side of the dock and the wharf is paved.

 

The train trip from Port Chalmers into Dunedin was pleasant enough, but then we sat for another 30 minutes at Dunedin Railway Station as our privately owned train had "missed its slot" to access the TranzRail (owned by the NZ Govt) network due to the dockside delays. We then had to wait for the regular trains to clear the lines before setting off.

 

The morning trip up to Pukerangi (where the locals usually run a handicrafts stall) and back was great and a couple of their locomotives are ex-Qld Railways (3'6" narrow gauge). Take a bottle of cold water if possible as it can get hot as mentioned by other posters. As we were also visiting Dunedin's Olveston House in the afternoon, it meant the whole day was pretty rushed when we got back to Dunedin Railway station and onto a bus. We were the last group of passengers tgo make it back before the ship sailed.

 

So all in all, I'm sure it doesn't affect cruise ships that visit the North Island first as all the initial NZ Customs paperwork is covered off at the Bay of Islands or Auckland.

 

Just be aware of what "might happen" if your ship is coming the other way and Port Chalmers/Dunedin is first up.

[LuckiePuris]

Here's something to keep in mind if you are doing a "private" trip on the Taieri Gorge Railway. (sorry if it sounds negative but just want to explain what might happen).

 

Depending on whether your cruise ship is circumnavigating New Zealand in a clockwise (last port of call before Milford Sound) or anti-clockwise (first port of call after leaving Australia) direction may affect your day and throw a spanner in the works of a finely tuned timetable.

 

Cruise ships coming from Australia (Syd/Mel/Bris) take 2-3 days to reach the Sounds (where you can't disembark anywhere), then another day to sail around the foot of the South Island before docking at Port Chalmers. This is when the chaos begins as almost 2,000 "stir crazy" passengers begin queueing at the two available gangways and clogging the hallways, the stairways and the whole atrium in general. Before anyone can disembark and visit Dunedin, NZ Customs Officers need to first board the ship to check paperwork for the passenger manifest & crew. On our trip, they weren't in a particular hurry to process any visas or other passports, and so our 8.15am arrival dragged on until well after 9 o'clock until they finally gave the approval to set foot on land.

 

Coupled with the huge queues and clamour to get off the ship (everyone claimed "but my tour is leaving now and I need to be first off") the Taieri Gorge train was very late leaving the dock after having to wait for the stragglers stuck on the ship. We boarded on the woodchip pile side of the dock (muddy walk of about 200m). The train seems to be a bit closer to the ship on the container wharf side of the dock and the wharf is paved.

 

The train trip from Port Chalmers into Dunedin was pleasant enough, but then we sat for another 30 minutes at Dunedin Railway Station as our privately owned train had "missed its slot" to access the TranzRail (owned by the NZ Govt) network due to the dockside delays. We then had to wait for the regular trains to clear the lines before setting off.

 

The morning trip up to Pukerangi (where the locals usually run a handicrafts stall) and back was great and a couple of their locomotives are ex-Qld Railways (3'6" narrow gauge). Take a bottle of cold water if possible as it can get hot as mentioned by other posters. As we were also visiting Dunedin's Olveston House in the afternoon, it meant the whole day was pretty rushed when we got back to Dunedin Railway station and onto a bus. We were the last group of passengers tgo make it back before the ship sailed.

 

So all in all, I'm sure it doesn't affect cruise ships that visit the North Island first as all the initial NZ Customs paperwork is covered off at the Bay of Islands or Auckland.

 

Just be aware of what "might happen" if your ship is coming the other way and Port Chalmers/Dunedin is first up.

 

Shortstuffy, you have made a great point here for members to consider when looking at doing their own tours vs ship's tours. It can be a risk and needs to be considered carefully when choosing to book independent tours.

 

On our cruise to New Zealand, after leaving Australia, our first visit was to the Sounds (scenic cruising) followed by Dunedin (our first actual stop in New Zealand). From memory we didn't have any delays with NZ customs etc, and were off the ship in no time. We used a taxi to get to the train station, and were there before their ticketing office even opened.

 

Glutenhab - what time does your cruise ship dock / what time do you need to be at the train station?

 

Booking tours independently can save you a lot of money and can also offer different tour options than the cruise line's tours. Although it is important that you check the embarkation / disembarkation time for each ports, and tour times and durations, and allow extra time on either side of the tour for delays etc.

[glutenhab]

Shortstuffy, you have made a great point here for members to consider when looking at doing their own tours vs ship's tours. It can be a risk and needs to be considered carefully when choosing to book independent tours.

 

On our cruise to New Zealand, after leaving Australia, our first visit was to the Sounds (scenic cruising) followed by Dunedin (our first actual stop in New Zealand). From memory we didn't have any delays with NZ customs etc, and were off the ship in no time. We used a taxi to get to the train station, and were there before their ticketing office even opened.

 

Glutenhab - what time does your cruise ship dock / what time do you need to be at the train station?

 

Booking tours independently can save you a lot of money and can also offer different tour options than the cruise line's tours. Although it is important that you check the embarkation / disembarkation time for each ports, and tour times and durations, and allow extra time on either side of the tour for delays etc.

 

Thanks all...great info. Maybe not what I wanted to hear but great to be aware of these possible snags.

We do cruise the sounds first but have a stop in Oban (Halfmoon Bay) before our Dunedin stop. Hopefully customs clearance will be done there?

So, are you saying the train stops in Port Chalmers before Dunedin? For some reason I thought it was the other way around.

If it is a totallly different train I suppose it doesn't really matter.

Our ship is scheduled to dock at 7:00 & we were told to be in Port Chalmers by 9:15 so unless something goes wrong, hopefully we will be OK.

 

I am now concerned with this statement;

You are very lucky. I attempted to book this trip over the net, under advice from others such as Australian Family (Hi there!!) and was advised that the train was not available for bookings that day, as there were two cruise ships in town and had been fully booked by them. They didn't know we were on one of the ships. We have now hired a car.

Jen

 

Hopefully our booking wasn't confirmed in error!!!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

We do cruise the sounds first but have a stop in Oban (Halfmoon Bay) before our Dunedin stop. Hopefully customs clearance will be done there?

 

Whenever we have done the Au/NZ cruise, Customs and Immigration staff have been on board for the Tasman crossing , and it is all processed at Sea. Whenever we have arrived in either Au or NZ, and the ship has port clearance , we have been able to go ashore with no hold up.

 

[Australian family]

Thanks all...great info. Maybe not what I wanted to hear but great to be aware of these possible snags.

We do cruise the sounds first but have a stop in Oban (Halfmoon Bay) before our Dunedin stop. Hopefully customs clearance will be done there?

So, are you saying the train stops in Port Chalmers before Dunedin? For some reason I thought it was the other way around.

If it is a totallly different train I suppose it doesn't really matter.

Our ship is scheduled to dock at 7:00 & we were told to be in Port Chalmers by 9:15 so unless something goes wrong, hopefully we will be OK.

 

I am now concerned with this statement;

You are very lucky. I attempted to book this trip over the net, under advice from others such as Australian Family (Hi there!!) and was advised that the train was not available for bookings that day, as there were two cruise ships in town and had been fully booked by them. They didn't know we were on one of the ships. We have now hired a car.

Jen

 

Hopefully our booking wasn't confirmed in error!!!

 

It appears that you are travelling with HAL, they do all their immigration processing whilst cruising across the Tasman. We were able to disembark the Volendam very quickly the day we visited Dunedin.

 

Maybe just check if there is another cruise ship in port. The railway line are very good at what they do, and very quick in their responses, I am sure they would not have made an error. They receive lots of bookings from cruise ship passengers. Also check their schedule on their website.

[bobhsv]

On our last cruise to NZ, customs boarded in Aust and the appropriate customs checks were done efficiently over the two sea days before getting to Milford Sound. That was a Princess cruise. Once at Dunedin, we were off and running very quickly.

Jen

[bobhsv]

On our last cruise to NZ, customs boarded in Aust and the appropriate customs checks were done efficiently over the two sea days before getting to Milford Sound. That was a Princess cruise. Once at Dunedin, we were off and running very quickly.

Jen

[LuckiePuris]

Thanks all...great info. Maybe not what I wanted to hear but great to be aware of these possible snags.

We do cruise the sounds first but have a stop in Oban (Halfmoon Bay) before our Dunedin stop. Hopefully customs clearance will be done there?

So, are you saying the train stops in Port Chalmers before Dunedin? For some reason I thought it was the other way around.

If it is a totallly different train I suppose it doesn't really matter.

Our ship is scheduled to dock at 7:00 & we were told to be in Port Chalmers by 9:15 so unless something goes wrong, hopefully we will be OK.

 

I am now concerned with this statement;

You are very lucky. I attempted to book this trip over the net, under advice from others such as Australian Family (Hi there!!) and was advised that the train was not available for bookings that day, as there were two cruise ships in town and had been fully booked by them. They didn't know we were on one of the ships. We have now hired a car.

Jen

 

Hopefully our booking wasn't confirmed in error!!!

 

For your reassurance, I would suggest contacting them to confirm that there is availability and that you do have a spot on the tour.

 

When we went, they were definately seperate trains. The train that meets passengers where the ship docks was a seperate train to that of the one we caught at the Dunedin station. From memory, the ship's tour only went to Pukerangi, whereas booking independently, we went through to Middlemarch. We actually passed the ship tour's train as they stopped in Pukerangi for a lunch from what it looked like. Although this may have changed and suggest that you refer to the cruise line's list of tours for more information on where their train goes and inclusions.

 

For your booking, what train trip have you booked?

 

We too docked quite early in Dunedin and had plenty of time to get to the train station. You are lucky that you have been able to get a booking independently as the cruise line does often book the majority of seats and there is not always availability for booking independently.

[bobhsv]

[

 

I am now concerned with this statement;

You are very lucky. I attempted to book this trip over the net, under advice from others such as Australian Family (Hi there!!) and was advised that the train was not available for bookings that day, as there were two cruise ships in town and had been fully booked by them. They didn't know we were on one of the ships. We have now hired a car.

Jen

 

Hopefully our booking wasn't confirmed in error!!!

 

I think you should be totally ok if your booking has been confirmed. I did a double check on our dates, and went into the actual train site on the web. When you commence a booking, as you prob did, have a look at our date on the calendar onscreen, Mon 21st Nov 2011. You will see that there are not any trains for that day, except I think a 2.30pm departure. I am assuming it is because there are two ships in town that day, hence being fully booked. I personally can't see a problem with yours, especially if it has been confirmed. Just unlucky for us!! We have never had any probs booking with NZ....they are exceptionally good with their tourism industry.

Hoping this eases your mind.

Jen:)

[glutenhab]

It appears that you are travelling with HAL, they do all their immigration processing whilst cruising across the Tasman. We were able to disembark the Volendam very quickly the day we visited Dunedin.

 

Maybe just check if there is another cruise ship in port. The railway line are very good at what they do, and very quick in their responses, I am sure they would not have made an error. They receive lots of bookings from cruise ship passengers. Also check their schedule on their website.

 

I am with HAL & glad to hear that the immigration process will proabably be done beforehand. I have checked for other ships in port that day (bobhsv...quote earlier in this thread..

"You are very lucky. I attempted to book this trip over the net, under advice from others such as Australian Family (Hi there!!) and was advised that the train was not available for bookings that day, as there were two cruise ships in town and had been fully booked by them. They didn't know we were on one of the ships. We have now hired a car." Jen... but cannot find another cruise ship visiting Dunedin on Nov 30/11.

 

I have since gotten a response from the railway to my question & we have to board in Dunedin. Apparently, yes, this is totally separate from the train that picks up those booked through the cruise line.

 

OOOPPSSS...Just noticed you had posted that yours in Nov 21 & not Nov 30.

Looks like ours is the only ship in port on Nov 30 as far as I can tell & maybe that is why I could book on my own.

 

Thanks to all again.

[missbsmom]

Hi , we are a group of 10. We will be there on a Sunday, Oct 23. Looking at this as our excursion while in port. Thinking of booking it on our own since as I understand it we can qualify as a group and get a discount.

 

My question, how far is the actual town of Dunedin from the Port ? How long is the taxi ride ? What is the average cost of a taxi from the port into town ? Those who have taken the train, which city would you recommend we stop at ? How long do you stay there before returning to Dunedin ? Is there something to do/see it one city that would make the decision easier ?

[LuckiePuris]

Hi , we are a group of 10. We will be there on a Sunday, Oct 23. Looking at this as our excursion while in port. Thinking of booking it on our own since as I understand it we can qualify as a group and get a discount.

 

My question, how far is the actual town of Dunedin from the Port ? How long is the taxi ride ? What is the average cost of a taxi from the port into town ? Those who have taken the train, which city would you recommend we stop at ? How long do you stay there before returning to Dunedin ? Is there something to do/see it one city that would make the decision easier ?

 

We did the trip to Middlemarch, and back. At Middlemarch, we had a half hour or so to get some lunch and have a quick walk around, before needing to be back on the train. I strongly recommend you check your disembarkation / embarkation times for the ship, and the total tour duration before booking, to ensure that you allow enough time on either side of the tour. We had 10 hours in Dunedin so found that we had enough time to do the train trip first thing, and then see a bit of the city in the afternoon.

 

I am unsure exactly how long the drive was from the port to Dunedin, but from memory would have been 20 / 30 minutes. This may be longer if there is another cruise ship in port and if there is traffic.

 

There were some taxis waiting at the port, so we were able to get one to take us to the train station. Although as you are a group of 10, you may need two taxis. I would suggest perhaps contacting the taxi company in Dunedin (not sure if they have a website?) and you may be able to book two taxis to be waiting for you on the day.

 

Hope this helps!

[Procajlo]

LuckiePuris - I have just made our direct reservation from Dunedin Railway Station (leaving 9.30AM) to Pukerangi - and returning to Dunedin at 1.30PM.

Taking the train all the way to Middlemarch - how much longer will this ride be?

Why did you take the train all the way to Middlemarch vs. only to Pukerangi?

Thanks for your response

[Australian family]

LuckiePuris - I have just made our direct reservation from Dunedin Railway Station (leaving 9.30AM) to Pukerangi - and returning to Dunedin at 1.30PM.

Taking the train all the way to Middlemarch - how much longer will this ride be?

Why did you take the train all the way to Middlemarch vs. only to Pukerangi?

Thanks for your response

 

The trips depend on the timetable. We went to Middlemarch and it was great. There is only a little station at Pukerangi.

[LuckiePuris]

LuckiePuris - I have just made our direct reservation from Dunedin Railway Station (leaving 9.30AM) to Pukerangi - and returning to Dunedin at 1.30PM.

Taking the train all the way to Middlemarch - how much longer will this ride be?

Why did you take the train all the way to Middlemarch vs. only to Pukerangi?

Thanks for your response

 

The trips depend on the timetable. We went to Middlemarch and it was great. There is only a little station at Pukerangi.

 

Procajlo, Australian Family is correct in that it depends on the timetable.

 

There is a summer timetable (October - April) and a winter timetable (May - September). The links for the timetables:

 

http://www.taieri.co.nz/summer_timetable.htm

http://www.taieri.co.nz/winter_timetable.htm

 

On the day we were in Dunedin, the trip that left in the morning was to Middlemarch. Wanting to do a morning train trip, we booked the Middlemarch one. Depending what day / time of the year you are going, you may or may not have the option to go to Middlemarch.

 

We didn't stop at Pukerangi on our trip so don't have much information on that. But if you go to the link to my photo album in my signature, I do have some photos of the train trip.

 

On our trip, we were fortunate to have booked seats on the last carriage of the train, so that we had access to an outdoor balcony on the back of the train where we could stand and take photos during the trip. It was a fantastic spot to be. If this sounds of interest to you, you may be able to contact the Taieri and make a request for these seats.

[Procajlo]

Thank you very much for your responses.
LuckiePuris - your pictures are beautiful.
Looking forward to seeing it myself.