Taieri Gorge train trip.

Yesterday, we all -- seriously, I think the vast majority of the international-student contingent was there -- piled into the Taieri Gorge passenger train, an affair rather reminiscent of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We rode out of the city, through the ridge behind it (a longish tunnel), across the very flat and agricultural Taieri Plain, and then picked up the river right where it winds into its V-shaped valley. Frankly, the Durango and Silverton had better scenery, but Taieri has its own charms. Buff-and-bronze Hocking-sized hills, a widely meandering river on the sometimes-flat valley floor, bare trees with reddish new growth, evergreens and ferns dense in other places, sheep grazing the hillside. Common gorse has gotten loose and invaded many of the hillsides, covering them with dense dark growth and galaxies of yellow flowers. According to a Scottish girl I met today, the landscape was very reminiscent of her home.

After about an hour and a quarter of this sort of scenery, we pulled to a stop at another (undistinguished but) pretty section of river and valley, unloaded the train, and had lunch. The university had contracted a food-service company to meet us out there with grills. It took a very long time for everyone to get through the lines, which translated to a fair bit of free time after I'd eaten. I met Claudia and Steph, friends I met during Arcadia orientation, and we decided to follow the gaggle of intrepid souls who'd found a livestock track up the nearest mountainside.The place was already heavily grazed -- we'd been dodging piles of sheep scat while looking for a place to sit and eat -- so I had no real qualms about scrambling off-trail up the steep hill, occasionally grabbing hold of a tough matted plant or a bush to keep upright. I learned quickly not to grab the gorse -- that stuff is spiny! Before too long, we made it to a flatter place where we could turn and admire the view behind us. The valley spread out below, the river snaking silver through it, patterns of sunlight breaking through the clouds to gild it all... ah, it was lovely. Many photos were taken.

We had about ten minutes up there, long enough to explore the crest a bit and consider continuing up towards the actual ridgeline, before a bullhorn from below called us back to the tracks. The train had pulled off to maneuver around; now it came rumbling back to us, and we all piled back on and headed back into town.

It was an enjoyable enough trip. The little climb was fun, and the scenery was fairly pretty. I didn't really meet anyone new, though, and the most exciting discovery I made was that gorse is a) a legume and b) not to be trifled with. (Ow.) Meh.