The TranzAlpine is regularly listed among the world's great rail journeys: four and a half hours from Christchurch across the Canterbury Plains, up the gorge of the Waimakariri, through Arthur's Pass and the Otira Tunnel, and down to Greymouth on the West Coast. The open-air viewing carriage is the obvious place to be for the alpine sections — wind-chilled but unmatched for photography.
Most travellers do the journey as a round-trip from Christchurch, with the return train departing in mid-afternoon and giving you a few hours in Greymouth between arrivals. Booking ahead is essential in summer; the train sometimes sells out weeks in advance. The station in Greymouth is a five-minute walk from the centre of town.