NZ's remaining rail journeys

Trains are endlessly fascinating, and Graham Hutchins' new book, Great New Zealand Railway Journeys (Exisle, hbk, $60) celebrates the few passenger rail journeys still operating in this country.

They range from the small heritage trains, such as the Kingston Flyer and the Weka Pass Railway, to the big tourist trains like the TransAlpine Express and Tranz Coastal which run from Christchurch to Greymouth and to Picton, respectively.

There are special-occasion trains like the Art Deco Express that runs from Paekakariki to Napier for the Art Deco Weekend in February, and modern commuter trains such as the Wellington Wairarapa and Capital Connection (Wellington to Palmerston North), which point the direction of future development in passenger rail transport.

The Taieri Gorge Railway features twice, once in its Taieri Gorge guise, and again as The Seasider (Dunedin to Palmerston), and even the Ocean Beach railway is mentioned.

Well illustrated, Great New Zealand Railway Journeys is a tribute to what remains of our railway history, both the lines and the stations, as well as an optimistic look at the future of rail travel since the recent government buy-back of the rail system.

Freebies
The Otago Daily Times has three copies of Great New Zealand Railway Journeys to give away.

To enter the draw for one, write your name, address and daytime phone number on the back of an envelope and send it to Great New Zealand Railway Journeys, Editorial Features, Response Bag 500013 Dunedin, or email playtime@odt.co.nz [1] with Great New Zealand Railway Journeys in the subject line, to arrive before September 11.