All language subtitles for The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys S02E05 1080p WEB DL H264 BTN_track3_[eng]

BILL NIGHY: Join us on this
spectacular journey

through New Zealand...

..one of the most dynamic places on
Earth.

It's always changing depending on
the sea, the sky.

It's beautiful. I just love it.

On an ambitious railway faced
with many challenges...

This was started in 1898 and took
ten years to build

using picks and shovels.

It is a very smart
piece of engineering.

..we'll explore this land of lava
and legends

and see how nature
shaped its railway.

There weren't many survivors

and those that were, were washed
down the river.

We'll visit places brimming with
history and wildlife...

She would be expecting us
to be sharing it with people

and sharing our family story
and why we are still here.

Lovely journey.

..and meet the people who live and
work along this special railway...

Another busy day on the Northern
Explorer,

but absolutely wonderful.

..at New Zealand's vibrant capital.

Welcome to Wellington.

This is no ordinary railway journey,

this is one of the most scenic
railway journeys in the world,

The North Island, New Zealand.

The majestic North Island,

a land famous for its volcanoes
and its dramatic scenery.

Our journey starts here, in
Auckland.

Sprawling between two coasts and
sitting on 48 dormant volcanoes,

this buzzing city is
the biggest in the country.

Just before dawn at Auckland Strand
Station,

our train arrives and so does our
team.

They'll be travelling in style

on this 5-car diesel-electric DF
locomotive,

on a route described as an
engineering miracle.

For some it's the first time on this
train, but for others...

..it's a nostalgic
trip on a railway they know well.

See you later, Pearl.

With departure time fast approaching
so is Bruce,

our onboard service manager.

I basically look after all the staff

and make sure they get fed and
watered.

I look after any passenger issues

and basically make sure everything
goes to plan.

So, yeah. What do you call it?
Holding everything together.

And at 7.45 sharp they're off.

Right ready for lift off.

ALARM BEEPING

CONDUCTER: Good morning ladies and
gentlemen.

On behalf of KiwiRail,

welcome on board this Northern
Explorer service to Wellington.

On the first leg, we'll travel
through Waikato and King Country

till the line rises to the
extraordinary Raurimu Spiral.

We then climb up to
Tongariro National Park,

see its three volcanoes,
and cross its giant viaducts.

We'll stop at Tangiwai, the site of
the country's worst train tragedy,

before our train thunders high above
several ravines at Rangitikei.

As we reach the sea we'll explore
the glorious Kapiti Coast.

And after 423 miles and 11 hours,

we will arrive in Wellington, New
Zealand's capital city.

My name is Bruce. Working with me
are Hatim, Christine and Richard.

Another busy day on the Northern
Explorer

but it's absolutely wonderful.

Everyone seems to be enjoying
themselves and things,

so all very good. Is everyone well
behaved today?

I'd like to think so,
so far, yes indeed.

As our train heads south down the
centre of the North Island,

our passengers can just relax.

It's a much better way of seeing
the country than driving.

You don't see much when you're
driving, of course.

There's some stunning scenery to
see,

so this is definitely the way to do
it.

The Main Trunk Line is one of the
most historic railways in the
country.

It's no surprise that it attracts
many connoisseurs

of the train world...

How fast are we going?

We're doing about 80k's.

..like Alan and his sister Margaret.

To me, rail just has
a sense of adventure

and that's what I really enjoy.

Where does the rail go to?
Who are you travelling with?

The country you see.

Every time you travel it's a
different experience.

Our train now heads into the Waikato
district,

named after New Zealand's
longest river.

It is one of the richest
agricultural areas in the world.

In the mid-19th century,

the European settlers cleared the
native forest and built tram lines,

but to move this timber around the
whole country,

they needed a new railway.

It was one of the reasons
that in 1872

work started on the North Island
Main Trunk line.

It would also make a huge
difference to passengers.

In those days, for people to
travel to Wellington

they would take the train
from Auckland town to Onehunga,

board a sailing ship, sail across
the Manukau Bar to New Plymouth,

and then board the train from
New Plymouth to go to Wellington.

It was probably a journey of five to
six, seven days at the most.

In all, 14 tunnels...

..352 bridges, including ten giant
viaducts, were built

plus mile-upon-mile of track
through this wild landscape.

It took 23 years of back-breaking
work to complete.

Margaret, a retired tram driver,

first took this rail route as an
infant.

I grew up on the trains.

I was six weeks the first time I
went on the train, apparently.

I don't remember that trip.

But the thing I do remember is,

every year, it was a Christmas
thing,

we'd go down and see Grandma,

I was getting on that train
determined

that I was going to stay awake
longer than Alan.

Hopefully there'll be no sleeping
today.

Two and half hours into our journey
and we're heading into King Country.

TRAIN HORN BLOWS

The arrival of the Europeans
and the railway

brought enormous changes to the
Maori here.

Conflicts arose and their land was
forcefully confiscated.

This was a deeply regrettable
time in New Zealand's history.

Professor Tom Roa, explains.

When the railway was put through,
Maori had no control,

and so the desecration of those
kinds of spaces

were beyond our control.

They lost their lives, their
livelihoods.

All of this land we see on both
sides of us

at the present time were taken away.

The railway even went close to Mount
Taupiri,

a sacred mountain and burial ground
for the Maori royals.

This is the burial
place of the Maori kings.

As you can see the mountain is
really covered with grave sites.

It is the most sacred space for the
Waikato people

and here it is right beside the
railway.

In the last few years,

the government has been trying to
re-address the wrongs of the past.

But much is still to be done.

No wonder a Maori elder
and warrior said...

.."We will fight on forever,
forever."

We've travelled 200 miles
since we left Auckland

and the railway is starting
to climb.

We're just coming into township
of Raurimu at the present time

and the road on the left is
the original old coach road.

This was one of the last
sections of the line to be built,

and for good reason.

A steep escarpment, rising over 200
metres from the valley floor

to the Volcanic Plateau above.

No train would have the power or
traction for such a slope.

But in 1887, engineer Robert Holmes
had an ambitious plan

to overcome the steep incline,
the Raurimu Spiral.

By carving into the rock a huge
horseshoe curve, two tunnels

and a complete loop, trains can
climb the 456 foot ascent.

It is an engineering masterpiece.

The gradient here was a complete
150.

You'll hear the engine working hard
now.

In the old days of steam trains
they were double-headed

with the most powerful locomotives
available

to haul trains up this steep
gradient.

So important is this section

that KiwiRail must regularly perform
safety checks,

and they rely on a pretty unusual
vehicle.

So this is one of our high rail
vehicles

that we operate in KiwiRail.

And it just allows us to get to
places

where access is very difficult.

These clever dual-mode trucks can
drive on roads and rail,

riding the parts that others
just can't reach.

I think it's really neat.

It's much better than the old
jiggers that we used to have,

a lot more comfortable.

It's got heaters and air
conditioning.

The first stage is a giant horseshoe
bend,

cut deep into the hillside.

That's geologically a lahar.

A lahar is about 60m thick and it
includes lots of large boulders.

This was started in 1898 and took
ten years to build.

It was mainly done by just straight
manpower using picks and shovels.

The 2,000 strong team had just
dynamite, muscle power,

and pack horses to work with,
while living in brutal conditions.

It's very, very hot here in summer

and in winter it's quite harsh,

lots of frost and snow.

It would have been pretty
inhospitable

if you were living in a tent.

Smothered in dense native forest,
it took ten long years to complete.

So it is a very smart piece of
engineering.

So we're right up the top now.

Despite advances in technology in
the century since its completion,

no feasible alternative to the
spiral has ever been found.

And even today it is internationally
recognised

as being one of the most important
spirals, in terms of the railways.

Having travelled up the spiral,

our train now climbs...

..onto the Volcanic Plateau,

sometimes called
The Roof of the North Island,

as we continue our journey
into the land of volcanoes.

We're five and a half hours into our
journey

travelling down the centre of
dramatic North Island...

..wow at an average
altitude of 800 metres...

..passing through some of the
world's most spectacular scenery.

Our onboard crew are all regulars.

I've been here two years and five
months now

and I thoroughly enjoy it.

There is always someone
new to talk to

and I really enjoy that about the
job.

The vistas out the windows

and obviously good tea,
coffee and hot chocolate.

The next leg of our journey

takes us into the breathtaking
Tongariro National Park.

We'll cross several iconic viaducts
to reach Ohakune

and after another five miles along
this ancient volcanic land,

we'll arrive at Tangiwai,

a town no New Zealander
will ever forget.

For the next hour, we are within New
Zealand's most active volcanic zone.

For the last 1.5 million years
deep below this area,

two tectonic plates are being forced
together...

EXPLOSIVE BANGS

..causing eruptions...

..and creating this high
plateau of ancient lava and ash.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Unperturbed, the onboard service
happily continues.

That's $17.

Something that manager Bruce enjoys,
and has done since he was 17.

This is my second home.

I am probably more familiar with
here than I am at home.

I can almost tell where we are just
by listening to noises

like bridges and tunnels, yeah.

So it's no surprise he knows fellow
regular train traveller, Alan.

Have you had a nap yet?

Your sister told me had a bet
on who is going to have a nap first.

I haven't had a nap yet. No. I said
to her,

"Is Alan going to have a nano-nap
cos he's not getting any younger?"

Oh, thank you.

Lovely journey.

Hatim will have a nap later.

He gets tired because apparently he
overworks.

I think that's an optical illusion,
but you know...

Our next station is the highest
stop on the Northern Explorer route.

At 809 metres, it is also the
gateway to Tongariro National Park.

Passengers disembark here to explore
its three famous volcanoes,

Mount Ngauruhoe,

Mount Tongariro...

..and Mount Ruapehu,

which is the highest at 2,797
metres.

Through this dramatic
active area of craters and lakes

is the famed Tongariro Alpine
Crossing.

140,000 people a year take this
incredible 12-mile trek.

CONDUCTOR BLOWS WHISTLE

Whilst the approach was relatively
flat,

now the journey abruptly changes.

Rivers flowing from the volcanoes
cut into the plateau,

forming deep ravines.

The rail surveyors could not avoid
them

as any detours would be too lengthy.

So they bit the bullet

and constructed a string of giant,
complex viaducts.

Including this one,
the mighty Makatote,

the highest on the Main Trunk Line
at 79 metres

and 262 metres long.

Steel fabrication for it
began in 1906.

What was extraordinary was that all
the materials

had to be carried in by horse
and cart from Raurimu,

including 15,400 square metres of
steel

to build the intricate lattice work.

Coming up shortly, we will cross the
new Hapuawhenua Viaduct

which is a concrete structure that
is still the longest viaduct

on the North Island Main Trunk

and it was built in the 1980s

as part of the re-alinement of the
central section of the Main Trunk

for the preparation of
electrification.

The Hapuawhenua Viaduct is a
rare curved construction,

gracefully spanning 284 metres
at 45 metres high.

In fact, you get two for the price
of one

as there's also the abandoned
original 1908 steel truss viaduct...

..now - a popular walking
and cycling trail.

Our next station stop is Ohakune.

Until 1908, this was once the
terminus for trains from Wellington.

From here passengers had to go by
horse and coach to National Park,

where they could catch a train to
Auckland.

Operating a railway through
an active volcanic

is going to have its hazards.

But the biggest risk isn't
always lava and ash.

In an eruption, the worst threat is
Mount Ruapehu's crater lake.

If its walls collapse it
releases a lahar.

A fast-flowing volcanic mudflow
which is incredibly destructive.

Our train is now approaching
Tangiwai,

a Maori name meaning Weeping Waters,

and one particularly poignant.

In 1953, Barbara was living
near the railway with her family.

It was the 24th of December.

I remember coming home from midnight
church on Christmas Eve

and turned the radio on expecting
Christmas music.

And there was this dreary music
saying what had happened.

And we just couldn't believe, you
know,

that this could be
happening in New Zealand.

The walls of Ruapehu's crater lake
had collapsed,

unleashing a torrent of water
and debris.

Such was its force that it swept
away the bridge at Tangiwai,

just minutes before the
Wellington-Auckland Night Express
arrived.

The train and six carriages plunged
into the raging icy mudflow.

151 people were killed.

20 of them were never found.

So powerful was the lahar

that one carriage was carried three
miles downstream.

You can see here on this
memorial

are all the names of all the people,
young and old.

And it was full at Christmas time.

The timing of the accident
couldn't have been worse.

People were going home to have a
joyous Christmas

and that should happen.

It's unbelievable.

I think I was probably 16,

but it's a memory that's stuck
in the back of my mind forever.

Now the area has six lahar warning
systems

and bridges like this one are
reinforced

to prevent such a disaster ever
happening again.

Our train has crossed the high
Volcanic Plateau

and now descends into a land
of dramatic deep gorges,

where we'll see the first-ever
bridge in the world

that was built to rock.

We're on a remarkable ever-changing
train journey

from Auckland to Wellington,
the country's capital.

Our southbound Northern Explorer has
now been

cruising for over 250 miles.

Our train now turns south at Waiouru

to follow the North Island Main
Range mountains.

We'll pass over three iconic
viaducts in the Rangitikei area,

through Palmerston North to finally
reach the coast and Kapiti Island.

We get little things like this
sometimes,

where everybody comes out in waves

and you'll get a little break for
ten minutes

and then they'll all
come down again.

On a busy train we can have queues
out the door

like down to the thing there.

We serve them pretty fast. And
people eat a lot when travelling,

I don't know why, but they do,
and they drink a lot too.

So, yeah, fun times.

I love trains. I just love the
noise.

I love the "boo-boo", I love the
"choo-choo-choo".

I just love trains.

It beats flying. And the views, you
can't pay for these views.

We're travelling through
the Rangitikei District

and with about eight hours
of the journey completed so far,

I'm certainly feeling alive
and awake and with full senses.

My sister here has been trying to
do the nod off,

but I'll give her due credit. She
hasn't shut her eyes yet. No-no.

You yawned so I thought I was in for
a winner.

No, I was just unblocking the ears
from the altitude drop.

Do you believe that? Yes, I do.

We are now travelling on a new
section of railway,

opened in 1981,
the 4-mile-long Mangaweka Deviation.

It required the construction
of three massive viaducts

so spectacular
they are not to be missed.

Ooh, here we go. Here's the first
viaduct,

this is the North Rangitikei
Viaduct.

Towering 78 metres above the
Rangitikei River,

the bridge spans across the White
Papa Cliffs.

These distinctive mud and
silt-stone rocks

are unique to this area...

..but there's one they are all
waiting for.

Here's the big
South Rangitikei Viaduct.

It's one of the tallest and longest
rail bridges in New Zealand.

It is not just structurally strong,

coping with 110 trains
crossing it every week,

but it can sway with Earth's
punches,

the first of its kind in the world.

Last year alone, this area
had 65 earthquakes,

and across New Zealand,
15,000 were recorded.

Engineer Rudolph has worked for
many years as a bridge consultant.

Now he is part of the team that
maintains this special Viaduct.

This is the beauty of being
a bridge engineer.

You can get out of the office
and spend a day

and look at beautiful bridges. What
more do you want?

This is a beautiful bridge...

..and whether it was intentional or
not, but the concrete,

which is very often not seen as very
aesthetic,

but if you superimpose that onto the
papa, the mudstone,

it fits in pretty well.

Earthquakes do pose a big
risk for bridges in particular,

cos very often bridges are lifelines
and links,

so if a bridge goes down it's a
major disruption.

And so, yeah, they pose challenges
to engineering.

Incredibly the extremely tall
78-metre high twin piers

are not locked into the ground.

The towers are isolated from the
Earth

by ingenious steel pin systems
called dampers.

They allow some movement

while dissipating the energy of an
earthquake.

What's going to happen is

the earthquake will effectively
shake the ground,

but in effect, the bridge is going
to start do this.

It is going to start rocking.

And in that case there'll be
pressure on that leg

on the other side, for example if
it's this way

and this damper will try
and keep it down.

And because of the nature of seismic
forces,

it's normally an oscillation, so you

could end up with the bridge
starting to do this.

And so the whole design is
predicated

around keeping those legs down on
the ground.

This is a magnificent
piece of engineering.

It's simplicity. It's clean.

It's the first in the world that
seismic dampers

have been used in a bridge.

Although this viaduct looks
simple,

it is designed to cope with even the
biggest seismic events.

I would have a lot of faith
that this bridge would perform

pretty well in a large earthquake.

New Zealand has done a great
job in earthquake engineering

and it's known worldwide for the
expertise.

And this is just one of those
examples of ingenuity.

We're running just over ten minutes
behind schedule now.

We'll be in to Palmerston North
just before 16:30,

for those of you travelling there.

From Palmerston North, it is 50
miles

through the fertile agricultural
region of Manawatu

to reach the Kapiti Coast...

..a place close to Margaret's heart.

This is my part of the world.

I moved here permanently 18 months
ago when I retired.

And I guess part of its special

as our grandfather bought
the first section there

when the beach was opened in 1928.

So as kids that's where we always
went to.

After we got the train to
Palmerston,

we'd come down to the beach.

Margaret isn't alighting
here at Paraparaumu today...

..but if you do, it is a good place
to take off on a wild adventure.

Just three miles off the coast
is Kapiti Island.

Although just six miles long
and a mile wide,

surprisingly it has been inhabited
for over 800 years.

It's also a sanctuary for many
threatened bird species.

Pania Barrett lives
and works here full time.

This is all our supplies
coming off from the mainland.

Island living.

As a guide and natural guardian,

she teaches about the importance
of protecting the island.

They brought five little spotted
kiwis out here in 1912

and those five birds saved that
species from extinction.

But it's not just the wildlife that
has a long history here.

So has Pania's family.

1,500 Maori came out here in the
1820s,

including her
great-great-great-great-great
grandfather.

But before their arrival,

European whalers had already
established villages on the island,

as the Tasman Sea nearby was a
nursery for whales.

The Maori realised they could
benefit by trading with
these settlers.

My family arrived in the 1820's

and have had a presence
on the island ever since.

Always as the Kaitiaki or
the "guardians" of Kapiti Island,

keeping a watchful eye on what
goes on out here.

At first it was all about whaling

and building ties with
the Europeans.

They very quickly established
a relationship with the whalers.

So they knew they had these
different technologies.

They knew they had different
food supplies.

They knew that they had
the muskets or the guns

and they knew what kind of firepower
that could provide

and protection that could
provide for the Maori people.

My great-great-great-great
grandmother, Metapere Waipunahau,

was married to George Stubbs the
whaler.

They set up a whaling station on
Motungarara,

one of the three small
islands. They had two sons.

These children grew up straddled
between the two worlds,

so each community could benefit.

In its heyday there were about
3,000 people living out here

stretched along the island.

But through that time they were so
successful at whaling

that they almost hunted those whales
to extinction.

The islanders had no choice
but to turn to the land.

Stripping 80% of its lush native
forest, they started farming.

It wasn't for another 50 years,
in 1897,

that the New Zealand Government
declared the island

a forest and bird nature reserve.

The farms were removed,
native bird species re-introduced,

and all predators were eradicated.

It was no longer a sanctuary for the
poor possum.

They took out 22,000 possums over
a six year period

through that process.

They know how many they caught as
they were paid-per-tail.

The native birds could then
flourish.

Now the island is home
to at least 60 species,

like the flightless Weka,

the Kaka, the island's friendly
food opportunists,

and the shy Takahe, who have needed
a little encouragement.

So that's Blitzen.

Blitzen was brought out here last
summer in an arranged marriage

to come in and settle in with her

in the hope that they would become
friends and then start breeding.

For the last 100 years,

Pania's family has continued to
protect the island.

They've always wanted to share
the place

and their conservation work with
visitors,

in some quite surprising ways.

Her great grandmother set up
a bowling green.

She also encouraged people to come
out and stay with her

as like an island retreat

and then had a tennis court
and lawn bowls just out here

and she would host people
out to come and stay with her.

So she was sharing it with these
upper class European people.

And then she would also share
with them stories about people

and how we ended up being here in
the first place

and how Maori connect to the land

as well as playing bowls and tennis
at the same time.

But they'd go back and start talking
and filtering that story out

amongst the community of the upper
class European.

Lots of people say she would have
been so proud of you guys

for still doing what you do out
here.

But the reality is she wouldn't have
been proud of us.

She would have been expecting us
to do this.

She would be expecting us to be
holding on to the land,

sharing it with people

and sharing our family story and why
we are still here.

That's the end of Kapiti.

Wherever you are on the coast
you can always see Kapiti.

So you get all the different
aspects.

It's a very sacred
place for a lot of people.

Our train continues to cruise
along the glorious Kapiti Coast,

as its climbs towards Wellington.

It's always changing
depending on the sea the sky.

It's beautiful. I just love it.

We are on our final stretch onboard
the Northern Explorer.

After travelling ten hours, we've
reached the shimmering Kapiti Coast.

Although our train only passes
through here...

..Paekakariki is a unique place

and one close to local legend,
Michael O'Leary's heart.

He runs New Zealand's only
second-handbook shop in a station.

It's a very special place. It's a
place of history, travel.

People who live here tend to
really love it.

This station in particular,
we're very lucky to have it

because it was due to be
demolished in 1992

and the local people got together
and saved it.

They said, well, what are we going
to do with it?

So it got turned into a museum.

I've been involved in bookshops for,
you know, 40 years now.

I came to live in Paekakariki 20
years ago

and that makes me almost a local.

And all my novels begin
and end on the train.

You know, railways have played
a big part in my life

and I think they are such an
important part of our country.

Paekakariki.

The whole expanse opens up. You've
got the beautiful coastline.

I just love the view.

Whichever aspect you see of it,
it just makes you smile

when you see the summit of it.

And some beautiful sunsets some
nights.

It's a very special place.

I guess it something I guess I've
never taken for granted

and I really appreciate that I live
in such a special part of New
Zealand.

We're now going to go through a
series of tunnels

and it's really quite amazing,

the engineering that went into
giving us this rail route,

particularly when how long ago it
was built

and the tools they had at the time
to build tunnels.

As you can see we're
climbing a bit now.

Squeezed between the mountains
and the Tasman Sea,

the trains now have to
climb around 200 feet.

In the age of steam, extra power was
needed to thunder up

these hills,
inspiring poets like Will Lawson.

"Stoking on the Paekok with 30
wagons on,

"choking in the Paekok
when air and daylight's gone,

"and hearing her roaring funnel,
a thrashing in the tunnel,

"a Firing on the Paekok
with just your trousers on."

These twisting, steep hills to get
to Wellington

were no good for heavy freight
trains,

so in 1928 work began
on a deviation,

not over, but right through the
mountains.

We got to go inside because we're
going through the two long tunnels.

So they close the viewing deck here.

These were no ordinary tunnels.

Burrowing deep into the greywacke
rock,

through earthquake prone land, they
took five arduous years to build.

The first tunnel was
three quarters of a mile long.

But Tawa No 2 became the longest
double-track tunnel in New Zealand,

stretching to over two and half
miles.

Well, big brother, we're 20-25
minutes out.

Yes. And you're still awake. I'm
still awake.

And I have no intentions of giving
in in the last 20 minutes.

I should have popped something in
that tea.

I thought all that talking might
have worn you out. No way.

It's been a brilliant day.
It has been a gorgeous day,

the scenery has been fantastic.
It's been a smooth ride.

What more would you want

travelling down the historic main
spine of the North Island?

It's nearly half past six,

and it's time for our old train
friends to say farewell.

Welcome to Wellington. Come and join
us again.

You know you love travelling by
train.

And you are welcome any time of
course.

I'll be on a train in a moment's
notice, you know my travelling.

And I look forward to seeing you
and having your expertise

and joyous banter at any time.

Is it an addiction? No.

THEY LAUGH

I think it is. Obsession.

Yeah, yeah. That's right.

After more than 400 miles
and 11 hours

our train pulls
into Wellington Railway Station.

See you again.

This iconic earthquake-resilient
station was built to last

and is the gateway to Wellington.

Tucked between the glittering
harbour in the south...

..and lush tropical
hills to the north,

this city has
a population of just 214,000.

No wonder it's called "the coolest
little capital in the world."

On our journey through the dynamic
heart of the North Island,

from Auckland to Wellington,

we have travelled along great
feats of engineering...

..crossed a land of active
volcanoes

and explored towering bridges,

before reaching the beautiful Kapiti
Coast.

It is one of the most scenic and
captivating train journeys in the
world.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media