The Australian Newspaper has a great article on traveling by train in New Zealand.
Here’s an excerpt:
Most recently I’ve seen seals from a train. It was aboard the Coastal Pacific in New Zealand.
When they say “Coastal”, they really mean it. This train, ostensibly a tourist service, runs for nearly 100km, between Picton and Christchurch on the South Island, clinging close to the Pacific Ocean coastline.
Indeed, so near to the sea along one section of its route does the Coastal run that you can nearly see the whites (or is it blacks?) of the eyes (and the whiskers, too) of scores of fur seals lolling on seaside rocks.