Fantastic way to see North Island's lovely scenery. Left Strand Train Station in Auckland at 7.45am and arrived in Wellington at 6.45pm.

We especially included this rail trip in our visit to NZ as we both wanted to be passengers so as not to miss any of the sights to be seen. Headsets provided gave interesting insights into what was outside on the route including historical stories about the importance of railways in the different locations. A couple of stops permitted passengers off the train but mostly we just soaked up the luxury of the Scenic Plus service, excellent food in eight courses throughout the day and plenty of soft or alcoholic drinks as well as barista coffee. The staff were OUTSTANDING and together they made the day extra special. Highly recommended!!

It was a wonderful trip with a beautiful sunny days and amazing scenery. The staff were very helpful. I am coeliac and am gluten free. There was only one option for food which was the chicken salad which was very nice but I would have liked more options.

Wonderful views. Total comfort. Audio tour available that spoke of the Maori history, British colonialism, geologic features, and the history of the train. Auckland to National Park. Two days at National Park. Then onto Auckland. So relaxing and enjoyable. Reserved seats. Only 2 passenger cars in winter.

The train journey is a very good way to experience the landscape of the North island.There is nothing much to see in the first hour as you leave Auckland but as you journey through the outskirts into the central region , the views are amazing. The journey through the viaducts and grasslands were breathtaking. If you have 11 hours to spare and need a good break from the hustle and bustle of the city, the journey will give you that. The staff on board were extremely friendly and the cafe was stocked with different options to choose from.I would not say it a must to ,but definitely worth the money. Except for some extremely loud co passengers, the journey was very relaxing.

The travel was great. Service was excellent, However the winter schedule is uncertain, and I had re arrange my schedule so I could use the train after it ran post a few days hiatus.

We travelled on the Northern Explorer train from Aukland to Wellington with a 2 night stay win Ohakune on the way. It was all part of a 10 day trip finishing in Christchurch about a week later. Very relaxing trip which was somewhat spoilt by continual rain on the first day, however that was not the train service's fault and we thoroughly enjoyed the rail experience. Meals on the train were adequate and the buffet service fine except they could not accept credit cards when out of wifi range. Although not up with some other international train trips, it was everything we expected and we would certainly recommend it to our friends! Commentary along the way was provided via headphones and also only functioned when wifi was available - it did give us a good insight to much of New Zealland's history.

The first four hours is mostly cattle and corn with valley areas sprinkled in. And THEN came higher mountains and deeper valleys in a picturesque display! Abundance of waterfalls. Wild turkeys, cows, and sheep scattered away from the train into the hills and ravines. The dramatic climb into the mountains finally gave way to the splashes of bright yellow in the autumn landscape. The narration was as you chose to listen on your headphones. Lots of great information on history, culture, geology, and commerce. If you have the time, this is a relaxing way to get to know New Zealand.

After the dismal third world Strand station, it can only get better, and it does. The ride is smooth, the seats comfortable and the views captivating. There is a periodic commentary in english and mandarin available on headsets distributed free by the staff, on the history, both human and natural, of the places we pass. It is informative and interesting, and enhanced my enjoyment of the journey. The scenery is great for the first two thirds of the journey; once the train descends to the plains it gets monotonous. On a clear day the views of distant mountains would be great. On this trip the volcanoes were clouded over, but the near scenery was attractive, sometimes spectacular: pretty valleys with no road, and viaducts passing high over deep gorges. The observation car, with no windows or seats, is a great place to view the gorges and the Raurimu spiral, but dress warmly - it can be cold and windy. The buffet car serves drinks, snacks and heated food. There is no wifi but USB sockets are provided. The last part of the journey was in darkness, and the train pulled in to Wellington station ahead of schedule.

its a nice trip no commentry comfortable seats tables you can eat at there is a cafe carrage where you can buy food and drink and a viewing car

We enjoyed this very long train ride, although rain and low clouds did obscure some of the views we were expecting. The cars are clean, the service very well organized, and there is an upbeat vibe to the whole thing, which is obviously geared to tourists with time on their hands. It's a nice way to get a feel for the landscape rather than flying over it. We didn't find the audio commentary very fascinating and gave it a pass eventually.

Very pleasant and comfortable. Glad to have met some fellow travelers with whom we will spend time in the future. Seeing the beautiful landscapes was rewarding.

Was something to tick off the bucket list, a very long boring 13 hours! Done, would not do again. Have to say the staff were amazing!

I you like to ride trains, this would be an enjoyable trip. For me, ran out of sandwiches 4 hours into 11 hour journey, nothing real spectacular on the scenery and an hour late. As I said if you’re looking for a relaxing trip on a train, this is for you. Too long and uninteresting to me.

Travelled from Auckland to Wellington. When booking as a couple ask for two seat configuration much better than sharing four seat configuration. Commentary was good. Long trip but enjoyable. Beware large taxi driver with white hair and long white beard at Wellington Train Station, make sure meter is on.