Northern Explorer nears the end of the 680Km (423 miles) run from Wellington as it passes through suburban Puhinui. The carriages were built at Hillside Dunedin and were the first new carriages for many years.
Trains on 3' 6" (1.067m) track from Whangarei to Bluff with virtually heritage rebuilt EMD and GE locomotives still the mainstay power. The network was privatized in 1990's and operated by Toll until 2008 when state owned KiwiRail was established.