Weka Pass Railway

The girls have been saving up to go on the Weka Pass Railway and we finally made plans to do it today. The Steam engine had been off since November last year and only just recently gotten working again. With fire bans coming in summer there are not many Sundays left that it will run on the steam (it will go to the diesel engine once it's too dry and the fire bans are in place).
So we were very pleased to have the steam engine today and to see the wonderful excitement for especially Hezekiah and Hannah.

The last time we came was just over a month before Hezekiah was born.

Pleased to have steam.

The open carriage is always so much fun for the children.

Enjoying the beautiful Weka Pass.

Such beautiful rock formations and then heading through "Frog Rock" where they have cut the train's path through the big rock and it's steep rock face on both sides.

Asher did really well. She normally has a nap after lunch - so I knew if she did need to sleep I could just get her to sleep in the sling. It worked really well to just hold her though and she could see around nicely.

Just beautiful. What a perfect time of year to come. Leaves all green and the grass still green before the summer heat kills it.

We do the trip a bit differently. Most people catch the train from the Waipara station. So we take their first return journey and then the first part of the journey on their second trip of the day.

It's always fun watching the engine being turned around.

Trying to get a family photo. Hannah - our little clown.
Just as the timer went off on this shot someone walked in the door and distracted me.
Lovely memories made today.

Watching the engine reverse up to the first coach and get hooked up.

This time I asked someone if she would take a family photo for us. We had a wonderful afternoon.
The trip from Waipara to Hawarden is a bit longer as they stop to let you off so you can take pictures of the train coming around the bend. Very pretty.

My videos were not great this time but if you follow the link given above to our last trip you can watch some video clips there.
On the way back I managed to get a photo of these rocks. They are just after "Frog Rock" and I still remember so clearly our first trip out here when Steve pointed out Frog Rock and then this formation. He first asked us what we saw (and we said nothing). But once he said "Elvis" we had to agree.
Hezekiah having a look in at the engine before we left.

And then all the others having a good look too.

Thank you Lord for a lovely day.