Due to unscheduled maintenance between Blenheim and Picton, our train is unable to travel on a small section of the line while repairs take place. We are very pleased to advise that the Coastal Pacific service will go ahead as planned however a 25-minute portion of your journey, between Blenheim & Picton, will be replaced by Bus.
If you are starting your journey from Picton, you are able to check in at the train station as usual and will be advised by train staff on the location of our private bus transfer.
For those doing a day return from Christchurch, you will have your break time in Blenheim. The station is in the centre of town, so lots of time to explore.
Two of New Zealand's most popular attractions can be found in the Central North Island: the Hobbiton Movie Set and the amazing Waitomo Caves. Now you can see both of them in one day on one great value InterCity day tour from Auckland!
Sit back and enjoy the lush rural scenery as you head south from Auckland central to a magical Middle-earth location: the private farm outside Matamata which has become famous worldwide as the filming location for Hobbiton in Sir Peter Jackson's award-winning Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies.
Take a guided tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set and learn about how this breathtaking film set was created in impressive detail. You'll see Hobbit Holes (including Bilbo's house at Bag End), the Party Tree, the Green Dragon Inn, and hear behind-the-scenes secrets from filming.
After your tour, sit down to lunch at the Green Dragon Inn (included in your tour) and enjoy a feast worthy of Bilbo's birthday party!
Then cross the countryside to the township of Waitomo and head underground into a world of stalactites, stalagmites and twinkling lights: the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
During your 45-minute tour of this natural wonder, you'll travel through underground tunnels and see vast caverns made from incredible limestone formations. Learn about how the caves were created over millions of years, and experience the magic of an underground boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto - gliding silently through the darkness while glowworms twinkle overhead.
After your Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves day tour, return to Auckland, arriving in the early evening.
Please note that bus travel is onboard our scheduled InterCity services and does not include commentary.
