Train to Blenheim

We woke up early today, took an Uber to the Christchurch Train Station & boarded the 5 hour Coastal Pacific Railway Train to Blenheim. This region is well known for its vineyards. The scenery from the train was spectacular but difficult to capture in photographs. We did our best. The first couple of hours were inland, with lots of sheep & cattle farms, & rolling hills. The next couple of hours were along the Pacific coast. We kept a look out for pods of dolphins, seals, & sea lions, which our commentator said are often spotted from the train. We didn’t see any, or any whales, which are usually further out. Towards the end of our journey, we travelled through a huge area of salt flats. Salt water is pumped into huge pools & the sun & wind evaporate the water leaving huge amounts of salt that is shipped throughout New Zealand & abroad. The train was comfortable and we enjoyed it very much.Read more