Nau mai, haere mai | Welcome to Tour Wellington
Named for the mighty Haast Eagle — the largest eagle ever to soar over Aotearoa, and a creature of Māori legend — this is a journey built to impress. It blends a gourmet evening aboard the Blue Train with a grand vintage steam ride down the Kāpiti coastline to Wellington, celebrating fine food, heritage travel and the spirit of adventure that defines New Zealand rail at its best.
It’s a rare and remarkable event — and one of the most cinematic ways to arrive in the capital.
Your evening opens aboard the beautifully restored 1952 Blue Train in Paraparaumu. French bubbles and canapés on arrival, live jazz drifting through the carriage, and a three-course dinner of locally sourced flavours served in the warm glow of polished timber and lamplight. It’s old-world elegance done unhurriedly — the perfect prelude to what comes next.
After dinner, board Steam Locomotive 1271 — a lovingly maintained engine from the golden age of rail. Polished wood interiors, vintage carriages from the 1920s and 30s, every fixture a quiet nod to a bygone era. With a whistle and a plume of steam, the train pulls into the night for a journey that feels less like transport and more like cinema.
Your steam journey is expertly crewed by the team at Steam Incorporated — decades of experience in heritage rail, and a genuine love for it that shows in every detail. From the rhythm of the rails to the stories shared along the way, your evening is in the hands of people who care deeply about doing it properly.
The journey ends at Wellington Railway Station — once New Zealand’s busiest, still its grandest. Stepping down beneath those soaring columns at 8:00 PM, with steam still curling from the engine behind you, is the kind of arrival that stays with you long after the evening is over.
Your Haast Eagle experience includes
Pricing: $375 per person · all inclusive
The Haast Eagle Tour is a rare and remarkable event — perfectly suited to corporate functions, milestone celebrations, weddings and large-group gatherings.
Due to the unique nature of running a heritage steam train, bookings require a minimum of 100 guests and at least three months’ notice.
For smaller groups, the R31 Railcar offers an equally charming alternative — same coastal journey, same warm hosting, with flexible group sizing from 48 guests and tailored pricing to suit the occasion.
To plan an evening for your group, get in touch and we’ll walk you through the options.
The Northern Explorer is one of the world's great train journeys — and our tours are designed to make it even better. Both the Tui and Kererū Tours are timed to meet the Saturday arrival at Paraparaumu Station, around 5:30 PM.
Simply step off the train and we'll be there on the platform — taking care of your luggage, walking you the short distance to the Blue Train, and welcoming you straight into the evening. The Tui Tour returns you to Wellington the same night, ready for whatever's next on your itinerary. The Kererū Tour continues into Sunday, with seaside accommodation and onward transport into Wellington included — so you arrive in the capital rested, well-fed, and with stories to tell.
It's a seamless way to turn a great train journey into a greater one. No rebooked tickets, no lost time — just one extra evening (or weekend) of the Kāpiti Coast at its best.
