It was a bleak start to our day in Greymouth, with a southerly wind chilling us to the core as we walked to the station to drop off our bags for the train.

We still had four hours to spend in the little town before our departure.

The sun did break through around 11am. I’m unsure if that is normal. It was too cold and bleak for me to go for a walk this morning. I’ll save up my ‘steps’ for when I get back home.

Because the town is so small, it made it inevitable that we would keep crossing the paths of several other pairs of travellers from yesterday – all up I think we saw about five other couples in the various shops, cafes and at the railway station. All of us with the same idea – to find somewhere out of the wind until it was time to go. (Actually, one couple we kept running into travelled in the seats in front of us on the way to Christchurch, and then arrived at the same hotel that we are staying in tonight.)

This was not that couple, but it was one we kept running into.

They sat behind us on the train on the way to Greymouth. We stayed at the same hotel last night, and we both had dinner at Monteith’s last night. But they weren’t interested in having a friendly chat which Mick is always up for. The man fascinated me as he only wore shorts the whole time.

However, Mick and I were the only ones who eventually spent the last 2 hours in the local library. While it was not as new as the one in Blenheim, it was warm and comfortable with lots to keep us busy for that time. And this time, Mick could not resist the community jigsaw puzzle.

We spotted this quite crazy vehicle parked in the main street, but there was no sign of the owner. Mick was certain it was set up like this as gimmick and not as a working ute. I was unsure. Perhaps it was owned by a gold miner.

Gold was discovered in this area in 1864 – and as it turned out, a lot of it – three million ounces were extracted during the gold rush that followed the dicovery. More than 200 men came to the town a few months after it was established and after the news that gold had been found.

I knew there had to be something to get people to move here.

In total, 29,000 diggers came to this area by ship or my trekking across the mountains we came across yesterday. Not all of them made it though, as history records show there were lots of floods and ship wrecks where men lost their lives trying to reach their pot of gold.

Greymouth was once one of New Zealand’s busiest ports.

But as far as a destination for a couple of oldies like us – one day is enough to get a feel for the place.

Our train departed at 2pm, and for this trip we were the keen holders of Scenic Plus tickets. These tickets ensured we had a seat in the Scenic Class carriage with panoramic views.

And to heighten this comfort, we’ve added air conditioning and state-of-the-art airbag suspension to guarantee a smooth ride across New Zealand’s rugged terrain.

We were welcomed aboard with a glass of bubbles and a hot hand towel each. Mick went for the Summer Love (on the left) – a blend of Riesling and Pinto Noir bubbles – but it was very sweet.

We had wonderful views from our seat and personal table. The train was only about at half capacity – possibly an advantage of travelling out of season and on a Monday.

I took this photo from our carriage’s private viewing deck – it is Lake Moana or Lake Brunner.

I had misunderstood yesterday that we only dropped off extra engines at Moana. In fact we had picked them up at Arthur’s Pass and then dropped them off at Moana. And that’s what happened today – but in reverse. The extra engines needed to get the train safely up and or down the long tunnel.

Quite a few passenger got on at Moana, and yes, this fellow was about of average age.

The tickets also included meals and drinks.

Using the finest ingredients carefully selected from the lands you see through your window, we’ve curated a menu of regional delicacies that are freshly prepared in our custom-built kitchen carriage and served at your seat throughout the journey. 

To start with we had a charcuterie plate and a baguette with a glass of wine of our choice.

A few hours later we had a choice for dinner – Mick chose the lamb and I had the chicken.

We both thought this trip was a highlight of our stay in New Zealand and would recommend it to anyone thinkiung about it. And I think the afternoon return trip is the one to pay for an upgrade.

Light faded around 5.30pm, so the last 75 minutes did not have the views.

This post brings this trip to an end.

We fly back to Brisbane tomorrow. But we have already pencilled in some dates to return to the South Island in February 2025, when it will be a little warmer. Our plans are to fly into and out of Cookstown; spending most of our time exploring the Central Otago (wine) Region. Of course.

Our next trip is a big one. Departing in late September we will undertake an around the world trip, exploring some parts of the world we have not seen before, and learning more about some of the best known wine regions in the world.

This trip to NZ was a practice run.

Thanks for joining us.