1 / 3Gisborne City Vintage Railway
đ Awapuni, Gisborne
Best for train-mad kids on a set excursion day. Volunteers run the 1897 steam locomotive Wa165 from Gisborne to Muriwai on scheduled dates from spring to autumn, crossing an airport runway and the North Island's longest rail bridge on the way.
I enjoyed a wonderful trip on the train on Easter Day. Everything was superb and the people running the train were unfailingly helpful and delightful to speak with. We had to stop to let a plane land before crossing the runway on the outward trip and chuffed furiously across it on the return. I rode on the open platform at the end of the front carriage on the way back to Gisborne, immediately behind the steam locomotive, which was a sublime experience. A thoroughly memorable afternoon out, which I would commend to young and old alike.
đ Family Action Verdict
If your child likes trains at all, plan a Gisborne visit around an excursion day, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime ride at a very reasonable price. Toddlers can wave at the planes from a seat; older kids should stand on the open platform behind the engine for the return. Book ahead through the i-SITE, since seats sell out on holiday weekends.
âšī¸ What to Know Before You Go
đŦ What Families Are Saying
View all reviews â33 Google reviews
S J K
âI enjoyed a wonderful trip on the train on Easter Day. Everything was superb and the people running the train were unfailingly helpful and delightful to speak with. We had to stop to let a plane land before crossing the runway on the outward trip and chuffed furiously across it on the return. I rode on the open platform at the end of the front carriage on the way back to Gisborne, immediately behind the steam locomotive, which was a sublime experience. A thoroughly memorable afternoon out, which I would commend to young and old alike.â
Ieme de Wolf
âThe WA 165 steamtrain is a beautiful and unique experience. Did the return trip to Muriwai in the afternoon during the Labour weekend. The weather was great so it provided great vistas for this journey. I can highly recommend this scenic train trip for both visitors to Gisborne and locals alike. The volunteers were warm welcoming and helpful. Thank you!â
Som Chakraborty
âOnce in a lifetime experience! If you're in Gisborne you just can't afford to miss this beauty. Definitely a steal for $35.â
Karen Denby
âFabulous scenery all the way. Cross the runway of the airport. Only train in the world to have to wait for âī¸â
Reviews from Google
Overview
Gisborne City Vintage Railway is a volunteer society that keeps Wa165, built at Hillside in Dunedin in 1897 and the last of its class in the world, in steam. Excursions run from the Gisborne platform off Awapuni Road down to Muriwai and back, and two things make the trip: the train stops to let aircraft land before it steams across the main runway of Gisborne Airport, the only railway in the world that does, and it crosses the long Waipaoa River bridge. An open platform sits behind the engine.
