I tried to get back to sleep but the bed was just too uncomfortable. The mattress felt like sleeping on a nest of cables.
Eventually 6am came and I woke up Blake. We soon departed for the station, as the sun slowly rose over the city, casting the skyscrapers and tall palm trees into silhouettes.
A helpful kiwi couple showed us the way there and we stowed our large bags and took our seats, buzzing with anticipation.
The journey started slowly, Auckland's suburbs are pretty but not awe inspiring, and there was the usual pattern of ugly industrial units around the train line.
However, after our first couple of hours, we stopped photographing mountains on the distant horizon, as our train plunged through some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen.we were provided with headphones for an optional audio-guide on which gave commentary on any sites of particular interest, geographically or historically.
Please excuse the window reflection, because it was only at this point that we discovered the open viewing coach - where the windows had been removed so that you could hear and smell the countryside around you, feel the stinging wind on your face, and most importantly, take photos without any reflection!
The twelve hours we spent on that train were very long, but it was absolutely spectacular, and we both agreed it had been an amazing experience.
Blake and I almost immediately took a liking to Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. We checked in at the YHA, an altogether far nicer (and cheaper!) hostel than the previous night, and walked around the corner onto Wellington's main Street for some late night pizza at a place recommended by TripAdvisor, where we were joined by Blake's friend and travel companion from his adventures down Australia's east coast, Max.
After pizza, the three of us went to a bar for a pint, or in my case, a delicious sugary raspberry cocktail that came in a martini glass, before crashing out in bed around 11.30.
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