The North Island main trunk line
Learn about the rapid rise and slow decline of passenger travel on the iconic main trunk line. Read about life on the rails and the vital role of the railway refreshment room. more...
Container shipping
Container shipping in New Zealand began 1971 and revolutionised the shipping industry - and containers themselves came to be used for everything from houses to prison cells more...
Rail tourism
From the late 19th century New Zealand’s expanding rail network opened up exciting leisure and tourism opportunities. more...
Railway stations
For many years the railway station was a prominent and familiar landmark in New Zealand cities, towns and rural districts more...
Cook Strait rail ferries
For more than four decades the Cook Strait road/rail ferries have formed a 'floating bridge' linking the North and South Islands into a single national transport system. more...
Oamaru Harbour
Ports were vital to colonial expansion and no town could prosper without one. The story of Oamaru Harbour helps explain why New Zealanders were once so dependent on sea transport. more...
Lyttelton-Wellington ferries
For more than 80 years the overnight Lyttelton ferry, or Steamer Express Service as the Union Steam Ship Company called it, was a vital link in the country’s transport network. more...
Richard Pearse
Was the year 1902 or 1903? Whatever the precise date, Richard Pearse was the first New Zealander to fly - very briefly. more...
