On the second day we took the TranzAlpine Scenic Train from Christchurch across the South Island to Greymouth and back.  The train followed the Waimakariri River into the Alps to Arthur's Pass, and then into a long tunnel to the east side of the divide.  Out of the tunnel, it slowly descended to Greymouth.  We pretty much stayed on the observation deck for the whole trip, enjoying and taking photographs of the spectacular gorges and valleys.

I've arranged the photos in sequence as the train traveled from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass and then to Greymouth to give you an idea of the 224km journey each way.  (Note: however, I have blended the photos I took on both ways for the sake of completeness.)

Because the ocean was about 15 C (60 F), we all wore an insulated wetsuit.  My traveling companion and I shared the inexpensive underwater camera I had purchased in Cairns.  This time, the photos I took were as good as the ones she took.