After leaving Dunedin, the train passes by villages and countryside through the picturesque Taieri River Valley.
Throughout the first part of the journey, we saw this beautiful yellow flower, called gorse, in bloom along the hillsides.
One of 16 tunnels along the route.
The Taieri Gorge Railway takes you across 4 viaducts; this is the first one.
The second viaduct.
And what fun would a train trip be without eating? We enjoyed tea and sandwiches along the way.
The trip affords great views of the Taieri River Gorge.
The gorge gets steeper the farther inland you go.
The train makes several stops along the way. I got out and took a photo of Wes and Tom.
And then a fellow traveler took one of the three of us. The red poppy on my sweater was for Anzac Day.
The train is strictly used for tourism nowadays. The day we went, every seat in all six cars were occupied, probably because it was a holiday (Anzac Day).
After the stop, the train headed uphill through some really steep and beautiful  terrain called "The Notches."
Viaduct across the river in The Notches area.
Throughout the journey, the conductor narrated the history of the train's construction and operation, and provided descriptions of the geography of the area we happened to be passing through. It added a lot to the experience.
Detail from one of the  railroad cards.
Tom in front of the gorge.
And Wes at the same viewpoint.
The last stop before our destination in Pukerangi was long enough for us to pose for photos from the caboose.
One more picture...
The club car on the Taieri Gorge Railway.