I spent a day on New Zealand's longest train in first class

Video Description

🌿 I crossed New Zealand by train. Welcome aboard the Northern Explorer — Scenic Plus Class, travelling from Wellington to Auckland straight through the heart of Aotearoa. Operated by Great Journeys New Zealand → https://www.greatjourneysnz.com/ This is Episode 4 of Luxury Trains Around the World – Season 1, and it might just be the most quietly emotional journey of the entire season. After filming luxury trains across Vietnam, Britain, and Australia, coming home to New Zealand felt different — familiar, grounding, and surprisingly powerful. This isn’t the flashiest train we’ve taken… but there’s something about seeing your own backyard from the rails, with barista-made coffee in hand, that hits right in the heart. This journey is slow, scenic, and deeply comforting — rolling coastlines, river gorges, viaducts, farmland, and volcanic landscapes unfolding outside the window, all experienced from a moving restaurant on rails. 🚆 In this episode: • Boarding the Northern Explorer in Wellington • Surprising my mum and two aunties with Scenic Plus Class • Barista-made flat whites on a long-distance train (yes please) • Restaurant-style dining while New Zealand rolls past the windows • Crossing dramatic viaducts (many squeals involved) • River gorges, rolling farmland, and volcanic plateau views • The Mt Ruapehu reveal from the rails • Realising you don’t need to leave the country to experience something extraordinary There’s a quiet kind of luxury in being comfortable, being home, and sharing something special with the people you love — and this journey reminded me just how proud I am to be from Aotearoa. ✨ About the Series Luxury Trains Around the World is our cinematic travel series exploring the world’s most iconic and unexpected luxury rail journeys — one country, one train, one episode at a time. Season 1 includes: 🇻🇳 Vietnam — SJourney 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — British Pullman 🇦🇺 Australia — The Ghan 🇳🇿 New Zealand — Northern Explorer Scenic Plus Class 🇺🇸 USA — a secret surprise finale 👀 📆 New episode every Sunday. 🔍 Practical bits (so you don’t have to Google later): Train: Northern Explorer — Scenic Plus Class Route: Wellington ➜ Auckland Length: ~12 hours Style: scenic long-distance day train with premium dining Best seats: anywhere near a window or the outdoor viewing patform (especially through the viaducts) Vibe: comforting, scenic, quietly emotional 📸 Filming gear: iPhone 15 Pro Max Insta360 X5 → https://www.insta360.com/sal/x5?utm_term=INR0OKO Insta360 GO Ultra → https://store.insta360.com/product/go-ultra?utm_term=INR0OKO Tripod that somehow never stays with us Flat whites (essential) 💛 If you enjoyed this… Please like, subscribe, and leave a comment (train emojis encouraged 🚂). It genuinely helps our channel and lets us keep making cinematic journey stories like this. 🔔 Next up: The finale — a brand new train route through the American Southwest 🇺🇸🏜️ #northernexplorer #newzealandbytrain #luxurytrain #scenicplus #greatjourneysnz #luxurytrainsaroundtheworld #slowtravel #cinematictravel #newzealandtravel -------------------------- 🚂 Support the Adventures Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/c/chloeandludvig 💪🏼 Train With Us (From Anywhere) Trainwell → https://go.trainwell.net/ChloeAndLudvig 🌿 My Go-To Natural Skincare Antipodes → https://antipodesnature.com?sca_ref=8… 🎵 Want Our Quirky Music? Epidemic Sound → https://share.epidemicsound.com/52dthl ☕ Buy Us a Coffee? Ko-fi → https://bmc.link/chloeandludvig 🏨 Need a Hotel? Hotels.com → https://www.hotels.com/affiliate/IqQzOLg 😎 Hang Out With Us Online • Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/chloeandludvig • TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@chloeandludvig ----------------- Hej hej from the FANCY rails! I’m Chloé — a Kiwi travel creator exploring the world one awkward train moment at a time. My husband Ludvig (dry humour, Swedish passport) joins when he can. Together, we seek out the quirkiest journeys, comfiest cabins, and always squeeze in a touch of luxury when we can (okay, that part’s mostly my idea 😅). We’re all about making travel fun, relatable, and a little bit weird — with a side of scenic magic.💛 Some links are affiliate, which means we might earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). It helps keep the adventures going — and pays for coffee when the train café runs out of it. And honestly? Every time you use one, it triggers a little happy dance on my end. 🕺 So thank you!