Come Saturday, passengers on the Crystal Symphony cruise ship will be boarding the Wa 165 steam train for a late morning trip to Muriwai. It will be the train’s third trip for cruise ship passengers, and a first visit for the Crystal Symphony which will sail here from Tauranga before heading on to Napier. The train has a further 13 cruise ship excursions booked this season. File pcture
The 2023/2024 season is full steam ahead for Gisborne City Vintage Railway with its iconic Wa165 steam train setting off on its third trip full of cruise ship passengers to Muriwai on Saturday.
The Crystal Symphony is making a 15-night journey, travelling from Auckland to Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier before
making its way around the South Island and across to Melbourne and up to Sydney. On its Gisborne stop, many of the passengers will be boarding the steam train at 11am for the chartered return trip to Muriwai.
They have already had two cruise ship excursions this season with a further 13 scheduled over the next two months. They also have public excursions with the next ones coming up on December 27 and 28.
As part of the cruise ship contract passengers are entertained by students from Muriwai School who perform kapa haka at Muriwai. GCVR, Muriwai School and the local Hihi Winery, which provides on-board bubbles, all benefit from the cruise ship contract which was originally secured by Tourism Eastland nearly 20 years ago.
The steam train excursions are a popular tourism offering for the region where people travel in the Wa165 locomotive from Gisborne to Muriwai and back.
