Jan 30 - Glenbrook Vintage Railway

Status update: Doug slept for 12 hours last night, but even so, the short walk to breakfast left him dizzy, lightheaded and weak. He would not have been able to make the trip today and he certainly would not have been able to drive should we have opted to hire a car and follow the bus. With many more days of hilly, windy, twisting roads ahead of us, we made a tough decision. Doug chose to leave the tour and stay in Auckland for the next two weeks. We will rendezvous at the airport here when I fly back in from Christchurch on Feb 13 and go from Auckland to Tahiti. This is one of the very low points in our extensive travel history. Read the blog about the trip to the Middle East for the other low point.

With incredible support from our travel agent, Colette, Doug has relocated to another hotel and will be going to a walk-in medical clinic. We have both medical and cancellation insurance, so don’t worry about us. Doug is going to become an expert on Auckland in the next two weeks.

So, I and my 16 fellow travellers left at 8:00 a.m., heading south. The city of Auckland covers a huge area - over 425 square miles. To drive for one end of it to the other is a full 60 miles. The emphasis is now on building up instead of out to preserve the surrounding countryside. The countryside is soft, rolling hills with lots of healthy-looking farms, although things are very brown right now because of the lack of rain. We saw lots and lots of cows and sheep. Farming is a huge part of the New Zealand economy, with dairy farming comprising the largest sector. Fully 95% of all dairy products are exported. Potatoes, onions and kiwi fruit are major crops.

We also passed through several areas where thoroughbred breeding and racing are major economic drivers. There is actually a position in the government called Minister for Racing. Sweet job….

Linda’s excellent commentary told us about some of the environmental disasters that have taken place in New Zealand. The possum/ferret was brought here from Australia to establish a fur trade. Eight breeding pairs failed to breed in captivity and so were released into the wild. At one point, 90 million of them roamed the forests, stripping the foliage, eating bird eggs and spreading bovine tuberculosis. Extensive trapping and baiting has driven the number down to 35-40 million - they are still New Zealand’s most problematic invasive species. No one is sad to see possum road kill - referred to as “squashums”.

Our first stop was Glenbrook Vintage Railway run largely by volunteers (Railway Enthusiasts Society) dedicated to preserving the history of New Zealand’s rail industry. The engine on our trained was used for many years to haul coal to steel mills on the west coast of the South Island. We were the only passengers aboard. We travelled 7.5 kms through beautiful countryside to the town of Waiuku on the Manukau Harbour. There, we disembarked while engine shunted to another track and was positioned to make the return trip. Some lucky people got to be in the engine while it was operating. Along the way, we stopped at the Engineering Workshops where the volunteers maintain and refurbish the rolling stock. Having some MacGyver skills must be a real asset there. Partway back to home base, we disembarked again, the train backed up around a corner and then came towards us a full steam. What a great photographic moment!! Back at the station, we enjoyed tea and morning nibbles before climbing aboard our chariot once again.

Our next stop a lunch break in Matamata. Just southwest of the town is where the Hobbiton Movie Set was created for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. People stream here in droves to tour the sets. Hobbit tourism now makes up a huge part of the tourism income of New Zealand. The place has 44 hobbit holes and Bag’s End (Bilbo’s home) which explains why the information bureau looks like a hobbit house.Les mer