Northern [Windows] Explorer

From National Park to Wellington,
July 16th 2015

"The Station Cafe" and "National Park Station" 2 in 1.

 Among the many trains stations I have been to, in several countries, this one is my coolest 

-- both, in concept and in design.

The other side of the cafe / the station.

Back to grey, back to rain.

Northern Explorer by KiwiRail.

My long-dreamed train journey has come true. If ever I go to New Zealand, I should ride on KiwiRail's Scenic Journey, I promised myself. How did I come to know about KiwiRail? Thanks to Asanti Astari, author of Scandinavian Explorer, who shared her photos on Facebook. And, thanks to Antin Sambodo for introducing me to "Scandinavian Explorer" which brought me to find more about the other. So, how did I get on KiwiRail? That's another story alone. A bird is never of its own feathers.

A bridge in a very distance among the dense green (winter) of New Zealand.

 
I was constantly fighting -- in vain -- against the reflection on my window seat while from my headphone I followed a remarkable commentary. I checked out the viewing deck which is not glass covered, but the commentary couldn't be heard from there. Hence, the title of this post "Northern [Windows] Explorer".

Next stop after National Park: Ohakune.

Yippee... blue is coming back.

 

All those white little dots are sheep, NZ's number one resident I suppose.

 

 

 

 

Maybe, it would have been a better shot if I had taken this from the viewing deck.

 

What a disturbing reflection. Sorry about that.

 

The First National Park in New Zealand

From National Park to Tongariro National Park,
July 16th 2015

National Park or sometimes also called National Park Village, borders with Tongariro National Park, which is the first national park established (1887) in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. Acknowledge by UNESCO as a world heritage, Tongariro National Park is described as the following:

In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised criteria describing cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural and religious significance for the Maori people and symbolize the spiritual links between this community and its environment. The park has active and extinct volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and some spectacular landscapes.

Spectacular landscapes! Indeed.

Good morning, National Park!

To Tongariro, off we go. Hello, Aotearoa! You are just everywhere.

Aotearoa close up.

Anna, my host, drove us all the way up to Whakapapa Village.

Getting higher and getting closer to Ruapehu Mountain.

The road starts icy, and winding.

From here, the traffic road will soon end. Meaning, no car can go further.

Turn your head. National Park is the---re... behind the misty grey.