New Zealand’s Ultimate Rail & Ferry Journey | Christchurch to Wellington in Premium Class

Welcome aboard the Coastal Pacific, one of New Zealand’s most spectacular rail journeys! In this video we travel in the brand new Scenic Plus carriage from Christchurch to Picton, before connecting seamlessly onto the Interislander ferry across Cook Strait to Wellington. Scenic Plus is the premium class on Great Journeys New Zealand’s Coastal Pacific and includes all food and drinks, priority check-in, increased luggage allowance and a beautifully designed signature carriage with panoramic windows and table service dining. Along the way we’ll experience the dramatic Pacific coastline, the Kaikōura region, Marlborough wine country, open-air viewing carriages and some fascinating railway history. After arriving in Picton, we’ll transfer directly to the Interislander ferry for one of the world’s great ferry journeys through the Marlborough Sounds and across the often wild Cook Strait to New Zealand’s capital, Wellington. We’ll also take a look at: What Scenic Plus is really like The food and wine served onboard Seat features and onboard facilities Scenic vs Scenic Plus Coastal Pacific fares and booking tips Interislander ferry facilities and pricing The open-air viewing carriage Whether Scenic Plus is worth the extra cost Great Journeys New Zealand bookings, fares and timetable: https://www.greatjourneysnz.com/ Interislander ferry bookings and timetable: https://www.interislander.co.nz/ 🚉 Train: Coastal Pacific 🚉 Operator: Great Journeys New Zealand 🚉 Loco: DFB 7241 🚉 Class: Scenic Plus (First Class) 🚉 Route: Christchurch - Picton 🚉 Distance: 348 km (216 miles) 🚉 Scheduled travel time: 5 hours 40 minutes ⛴️ Ferry: Interislander (KiwiRail) ⛴️ Vessel: Kaitaki ⛴️ Route: Picton - Wellington ⛴️ Crossing time: Approximately 3.5 hours Support the channel by becoming a YouTube channel member. You'll get early access to new videos and other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2JOJLAYqW0muUdvC1oqLrA/join EQUIPMENT: 🚉 Cameras: iPhone 15 Pro Max, DJI Osmo Pocket 3, DJI Mini 3 Pro Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: New Zealand’s Ultimate Rail & Ferry Journey 01:12 Christchurch Station & Scenic Plus Check-In 03:00 Boarding the Coastal Pacific Scenic Plus 05:28 Today’s journey: Christchurch to Wellington 07:25 The Canterbury Plains 08:15 Scenic Plus seating, lounge & inclusions 13:40 Pacific Ocean coastline including seals 19:52 Morning tea service & Kaikōura 23:18 Open air viewing carriage & earthquake damage 26:40 Salt production at Lake Grassmere 27:43 Through Marlborough wine country 29:06 Lunch service in Scenic Plus 30:49 Blenheim & dessert service 33:00 Fares & Arriving in Picton 36:15 Boarding the Interislander ferry 37:08 Interislander facilities & onboard tour 38:45 Sailing through the Marlborough Sounds 42:05 Crossing Cook Strait 44:35 Ferry fares & Arriving in Wellington 46:12 Northern Explorer to Auckland 47:36 Final thoughts: is Scenic Plus worth it? Music I use Artlist for high quality, licensed audio. If you sign up using my referral link below, you will get two extra months for free. https://artlist.io/Adam-3542584 Credits and sources: JK Railphotos: https://www.instagram.com/jk_railphotos/ Wahine video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Qc5nqPlBA&t=6s Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NZ-SH1_map.png https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BRR_train_at_Beaver_Station.jpg Follow me on social media: https://www.instagram.com/_fromthewindowseat/ https://twitter.com/adamgjoyce https://facebook.com/adamjoycetravels #tripreport #slowtravel #trainreview