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.

  • star rating  The trip was a wonderful experience for me and my parents. It’s an experience for it self to get to know different parts of the region such as about the... read more

    avatar thumb Laura K
    December 25, 2025
  • star rating  This was a great trip. Kids are teens and absolutely loved feeding the chooks and other birds. Bush walk was really educational and the amount of passion displayed... read more

    JessBoydTaupo
    November 15, 2019
  • star rating  We were pleasantly surprised on our 'chill out', Saturday morning trip where we were the party crashers on a large family birthday tour. Whilst Paul (the owner/operator loves what he... read more

    avatar thumb OnAir12067008570
    August 17, 2024
  • star rating  Fun, enjoyable and refreshing - We enjoyed our experience of travelling through nature as a group but also on our own. Paul helped us feel safe, looked after and entertained. The kids seemed to enjoy... read more

    writeactions
    January 1, 2025
  • star rating  Would highly recommend this tour if you want to do something different. Ben was our tour guide and we were the only ones but they still did the tour due... read more

    avatar thumb Nick-Janine
    December 12, 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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