Aboard the TranzAlpine Train.

We boarded the TranzAlpine train at Christchurch to cross to the West Coast of New Zealand (South Island). Lonely Planet calls this "one of the world's great rail journeys." I'm not sure if it qualifies for that distinction, but it certainly was scenic, if only because of the sheer variety of terrain. The journey crosses the alluvial Canterbury Plains to the foothills of the Southern Alps, ultimately crossing the alpine village of Arthur's Pass.