1 / 3Goldfields Railway Inc.
📍 Waihi, Waikato
Goldfields Railway runs heritage trains between Waihi and Waikino through the Karangahake Gorge. One-way trip is 30 minutes. Bikes carried on board. Waikino Station has a café with Devonshire scones.
What a fun train ride! My kids (5 and 8) and I rode the train one-way from Waihi to Waikino and started our cycling trip from there to the Tunnel. From there all the way back to Waihi we stopped at the Waikino Station for some ice-cream, they have a cute little cafe. The train looks great, is clean, and staff is very friendly. Tickets are affordable ($41 for one adult, 2 kids, 3 bikes, one-way). We definitely recommend this trip to other families. The kids (and I) really enjoyed it.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Reviewer M W took kids aged 5 and 8 one-way to Waikino to start a cycling trip, describing it as 'a fun train ride' with friendly staff and an affordable family fare. Anita Brown notes it is 'funny to watch all the adults on the train waving to the cars going past and all the cars honking back.' One reviewer's toddlers 'loved every minute of it.'
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →62 Google reviews
M W
3 years ago
“What a fun train ride! My kids (5 and 8) and I rode the train one-way from Waihi to Waikino and started our cycling trip from there to the Tunnel. From there all the way back to Waihi we stopped at the Waikino Station for some ice-cream, they have a cute little cafe. The train looks great, is clean, and staff is very friendly. Tickets are affordable ($41 for one adult, 2 kids, 3 bikes, one-way). We definitely recommend this trip to other families. The kids (and I) really enjoyed it.”
Anita Brown
7 years ago
“Tucked away down Wrigley St, the wee Waihi train station full of character and old time nostalgia. Take the kids for a ride to Waikino and back enjoy the country scenery. It is funny to watch all the adults on the train waving to the cars going past and all the cars honking back. There a little bit of kid still in all of us!”
Gotham Bhatia
2 months ago
“What an awesome experience! A must do if you have littlies. My 2 muchkins loved every minute of it. We’ll be back for more.”
Chris Caldwell
a year ago
“A restored railway station at the end of the Waihi branch of the Hauraki Rail trail. A tourist train runs from here to Waikino in the Karangahake Gorge on a regular holiday schedule. It carries both passengers and bicycles. The statin has some amenities, but no food options. There is god parking outside and it is a short walk to Waihi township”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Goldfields Railway runs heritage trains on a 30-minute route between Waihi and Waikino, beside the Ohinemuri River through the Karangahake Gorge. The line follows the original East Coast Main Trunk Line, passing historic goldmining sites not visible from the highway. Bicycles are carried on board for the Hauraki Rail Trail. Waikino Station has a café. Wheelchair-accessible carriages available with advance notice. Tickets at both stations.
