Hundreds of visitors, many from all over the world have enjoyed the experience!

Welcome to Awakeri Rail Adventures in Whakatane. Travel along a piece of New Zealand’s rich rail history and experience the natural beauty and adventure from the comfort of a rail-cart, cleverly adapted to be self-driven along the rail tracks. Our rail cars are FULL self drive – you are in complete control of your rail vehicle – you may stop any where you wish to take photographs (or pick up your hat).

Your adventure starts from Awakeri traveling at a leisurely 25 kilometeres per hour with family and friends along a piece of historic railway line. There are 4 bridges, numerous cuttings and bush scenes along the track.

Tours Contact Us

  • star rating  A very entertaining ride then walk thru bush to gumboot fence.Pointing out the very old Kahikatea trees and other native trees in the reserve.
    Enjoyable couple of hours with a... read more

    avatar thumb Tom W
    June 23, 2025

  • star rating  Great Adventure, wonderful host. - Had a great time at Awakeri Rail Adventure, Paul was a excellent host, full of interesting info about the area lots of funny tales, made everyone one the trip... read more

    Sunshine04995212391
    October 30, 2025

  • star rating  A relaxing and fun way to spend the day. Trip starts with the wonderful guide, Paul, giving a humorous safety brief and then off on the track for a unique... read more

    avatar thumb 760cathrinev
    February 22, 2025

  • star rating  We had a fun trip today with Paul as our guide. The carts were easy to operate and the stops were interesting and informative. We enjoyed the chooks... read more

    avatar thumb Alison K
    October 21, 2025

  • star rating  Well worthwhile activity. - What a brilliant day. Very thorough health and safety chat before hand. Good explanation of how things worked. Hand held radios for each rail cart and great communication throughout the... read more

    Vacation32967117061
    March 8, 2025

Travel along a piece of New Zealand’s rich rail history and experience the natural beauty and adventure from the comfort of our rail-cart

Awakeri Rail Adventures offers three types of trips.

The first and most popular trip is the Bush walk and snack run 9am-12:30pm & 1pm-4.30pm. It covers 20 km of track and includes a guided short bush walk, a stop for a relaxing track-side snack and hot drink, as well as the opportunity to feed the chickens, ducks, and geese. This trip takes 2.5 to 3 hours and departs twice daily.

THE TWILIGHT TRAIN IS AN EVENING TRIP OPERATING IN THE SUMMER MONTHS ONLY, FOR VISITORS WHO HAVE OTHER ACTIVITIES EARLIER IN THE DAY. A FANTASTIC TRIP ON A SUMMERS EVENING. IT STARTS AT 5.30 PM AND CONCLUDES AT ABOUT 9PM .   (IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SMALL  CHILDREN.) FARES ARE THE SAME AS THE BUSH WALK AND SNACK RUN.

The third trip is the “Chicken Run.” Covering 10 km of track, it’s ideal for kids under 5 years old. Along the way, feed the chickens, explore an old railway hut, and meet “Pushy,” the 75-year-old bulldozer.

CHICKEN RUN & TWILIGHT TRAIN  ARE BY ARRANGEMENT ONLY BY CALLING – 08005374724
OTHER TRIPS CAN BE BOOKED ON LINE (OR CALL US)  

Conveniently located just down the road from Awakeri Hot Springs

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