The Taieri Gorge train departs from the Dunedin Train Station, which has been called a “gingerbread confection” for its elaborate and grandiose style. In 2013 Condé Nast Traveller magazine called it one of the top 16 railroad stations in the world.
The Taieri Gorge Line itself dates back to 1879 when construction was begun on a rail link between the Port of Dunedin on the southeast coast and the Central Otago farming communities to the west. The rail line climbs from sea level at Dunedin to an elevation of 250 metres (820 feet) in Central Otago in just 85 kilometres (50 miles) through a gorge carved by the Taieri River. There are 10 tunnels and 12 viaducts (in the US we call them trestles – stone and iron bridges crossing deep ravines) on the steep and winding track.
That "tiny" structure in the upper left of this photo is one of the viaducts.
This photo gives you some perspective on the steepness and depth of the Gorge.
Though we wish we’d had a sunny day, it was still a lovely trip across the plains and then up through the Gorge.
Classic New Zealand farmland with hedges and paddocks
Looking up a deep ravine as we crossed a viaduct
The tops of stone viaduct towers and the track behind us
Sheep are everywhere in NZ, even next to the train tracks
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