"The alpine rail leg is a four-hour, mountain-crossing journey that delivers unobstructed views of snowcapped peaks while serving elevated regional cuisine: breakfasts of hot-smoked king salmon sourced from around the highest mountain, avocado from the Bay of Plenty, and lunches like free-range roasted chicken with bacon salad and roasted corn paired with an oaky local Chardonnay. The route links a cosmopolitan eastern city with the remote rainforests of the West Coast and offers front-row panoramas of the corrugated cliffs around the highest vehicular pass in the range." - Brad Japhe