On a cool December morning at 6.50am on the dot we turned up at Paekākāriki Railway Station to catch the Passchendaele Heartland Flyer to Woodville, departing at 7.05. Milling about on the platform, all rugged up, despite it officially being summer (a Wellington summer!), was a motley assortment of other nerds and steam train enthusiasts. This trip was a Xmas present to ourselves.
It is impossible not to admire the beautifully restored, gleaming black steam locomotive with its vintage red carriages (some of us of the same vintage still remember travelling on those old carriages) as it huffed and puffed its way into position at the platform while billowing out big clouds of grey, sometimes black, smoke.
Once on board, we planted ourselves on the plush seats, with thoughts of coffee from the neighbouring buffet carriage. A loud, almost mournful whistle – an iconic, old world sound – heralded the commencement of the trip. At the start of any journey, no matter how small, there is always that quickening of excitement, the sense of an impending adventure. But train travel is also time away from life’s usual demands and pressures, including the luxury to sit back and look out the window at the passing sights with a homemade scone and a cup of tea or coffee (instant but good) from the buffet carriage. There were also sandwiches, crisps and other food for purchase.
Something about train trips, especially on ye olde trains, gets you reflecting about life, including those of fellow passengers and people you spot out the window; a great restorer of perspective and sanity.
The train guards, all volunteers, comprised a group of steam train devotees, several eager young men, and a smattering of older folk, including our attentive carriage attendant who was an excellent commentator on points of interest along the way broadcast over an intercom system superior to modern local trains, and the driver in his cap. All of them were helpful and oozed a sense of vocation, some even dressed the part.
This was my third excursion by steam train. The first was a visit to the lovingly restored Shannon Railway Station, while the second was to the Mauriceville Country Fair in the Wairarapa, a wonderful destination. This time we had the urge to traverse the iconic Manawatū Gorge railway line – one of the few ways to experience the gorge’s dramatic scenery since the State Highway 3 road through the gorge closed in 2017 due to landslides.
But first there were stops at Waikanae, Otaki, Levin and Shannon stations to pick up fellow travellers, with a quick stop at Palmerston North before heading into the gorge. Things got interesting at Levin when a group of steampunk revellers boarded dressed in Victoriana gear: the women in bonnets, long skirts, buttoned ankle boots, and frilly blouses trimmed with lace, and the men in waistcoats, long jackets, watch chains, and tall hats. A few were also sporting old style googles and looking glasses. This glamorous retro group upped the rizz factor considerably, adding to the festive atmosphere onboard. I asked a young woman in a black corset (whalebone?) if they were celebrating an occasion. “Yes, she replied pointing a white gloved finger at her bonneted friend, “it’s her birthday!”
For many travellers, these excursions were once the main means of reaching their holiday destinations. Before widespread air travel to vacation in Bali and Fiji became almost de rigeur, train trips to places like Whanganui or Napier were major events, often highly anticipated highlights of the year.
As the train entered the cavernous gorge, we headed to the outside viewing car to savour the dramatic views of the winding Manawatū awa below with its steep, bush covered banks. Other passengers had the same idea and we had to squeeze into a spot at the viewing rail. The train tooted at a couple of neon bright cyclists across the river picking their way through the closed gorge road. We took this as a cue to wave to the cyclists who returned the salutation. What is it about hailing randoms across bodies of water?
Small bridges along the gorge and sections of the old highway are still visible, as is the new Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway in the broader gorge area. You also get to see up close the Meridian wind farm wind turbines as the rail line goes right past them. As we approached the gorge’s two tunnels the driver issued a warning to move inside.
Emerging from the gorge the vista opened out into the large, paddocked area which heralds the entrance to Woodville. There, a huge crowd waited to board once we had all disembarked so they could take the return trip through the gorge to Palmerston North. Meanwhile we had a couple of hours to kill in Woodville’s cafes or to buy some food from the bakery and take it around the corner to Woodville’s tree lined Fountaine Square park. There was even time for a quick scour of Woodville’s famous second hand shops before heading back to the station for the return trip.
A strong sense of history surrounds these beasts of burden. Our locomotive (AB608) was built in 1915 in NZ Rail’s Addington workshop and only withdrawn from service in 1967. It was even used on some Royal Tours as well as the lead loco on the official train from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass for the opening of the 8.5km long Otira Tunnel in August 1923, a major engineering feat at the time.
I like to think the same locomotive hauling me once hauled the Prince of Wales around the South Island in 1920 and the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927.
We are already planning our next trip, maybe Whanganui…
Steam Inc. a is a volunteer run railway heritage and preservation society based at the Paekākāriki railway station. There are several trips coming up so if you fancy experiencing the retro joy of steam travel head onto their website. https://steaminc.org.nz/book-train-trip/
Photographs by Paul Callister, 6 December 2025.
