Tranz Metro is a commuter division of KiwiRail

The Wellington train station is not much different from train stations throughout the world

Taking a train from Wellington to Wairarapa in New Zealand gave me an excellent glimpse into the lives of  local folks who commute between the city and the rural areas where sheep stations, vineyards and small towns provide an idyllic way of life. The Tranz Metro service runs five trains a day in each direction (six on Fridays) for a journey that takes slightly less than two hours. Trains run less often on weekends, but Wellingtonians take them to visit Wairarapa vineyards, wine and food festivals, horse races and to take short breaks in the country. Special trains are scheduled for events such as the popular Toast Martinborough Wine, Food and Music Festival  which takes place the third Sunday each November.

Watch the world of New Zealand's North Island go by from a comfortable seat on a train

Along the way we passed through the five and a half  mile long Rimutaka tunnel - nothing compare to our Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, but the the second longest tunnel in all of New Zealand.



The train is very straight forward and easy to negotiate, even for folks who don't live with regular train transporration in their lives.A cruise through the www.kiwirail.co.nz website has convinced me that next time I visit New Zealand I'll be booking train tickets for part of my explorations.