Between 15 January 2025 and 27 January 2025 and Between 12 April 2025 and 28 April 2025.
Essential upgrade work will be taking place on the Auckland network to prepare for the City Rail Link to open in 2026. The tracks between Auckland Strand Railway Station and Hamilton are closed for train travel for this portion of the line while the Rail Network Rebuild work takes place.
We are very pleased to advise that the Northern Explorer service will go ahead as planned however the first 2.5 hours portion of your journey will be replaced by bus.
The bus will follow the standard timetable:
· Auckland departure at 7.45am
· Papakura departure at 8.35am
· Hamilton arrival at 10.10am
The transfer bus will meet the Northern Explorer train at Hamilton Railway Station. The train will depart Hamilton at 10.15am and continue travelling to Wellington following the standard train timetable.
Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Rotorua, taking in four of its most popular visitor attractions.
Visit Te Puia and get an insight into Maori culture and traditions. Take a tour of workshops where master weavers and carvers are passing on their skills, then enter Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley and experience its extraordinary landscape of boiling mud and steam. A highlight is the famous Pohutu Geyser which shoots jets of vapour up to 30 metres into the air.
Then learn about rural life in New Zealand at the Agrodome, a working farm on the outskirts of the city. Learn all about our thriving agricultural industry with an entertaining show where you'll see sheep being shorn and sheep dogs showing off their amazing skills. Get close to a wide range of native and exotic wildlife at Rainbow Springs Nature Park, including New Zealand's famous flightless bird, the kiwi. Learn about these unique endangered creatures and sneak a peek at them in the nocturnal viewing house.
Travel on the Skyline Gondola up the side of Mount Ngongotaha. From 487 metres above sea level you'll have stunning panoramic views over Rotorua's main centre, Lake Rotorua and its environs. A delicious lunch is available at extra cost. You may like to experience the thrill of a luge ride (additional cost). Enjoy scenic forest views as you speed down the tracks in your luge cart. Choose from a range of tracks and set the speed yourself. Following your gondola experience, a transfer shuttle will take you back to your hotel.
Free WiFi available on board
