Rob & Arja were very welcoming and the course was awesome. I did full day course so i was available to forge my own kitchenette knife i'm so grateful to have a knife i'll carry for all my carrer. I'll not forget to tanins Arja for the beautiful lunch. (And thank's again for the receipe!!!!) well if you want to spend a good day and learning some blacksmith that's definitly the place to be Cheers Seb

This was such an awesome experience. Blacksmithing is SO HARD! But Rob makes it look so easy, bringing life into steel! So good.

Set high in the hills this workshop is a great place to spend the morning. Very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. With no past experience we crafted a piece of artwork under Rob's skilled guidance. Enjoyed a scrumptious morning tea and left with a great sense of achievement. Even got to keep our prized creation! Amazing to see the skill and passion Rob has for blacksmithing Thanks Rob and family

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. For anyone wanting to learn the ancient art of the Blacksmith or just have a fun day and go home with something you've made and a great story to tell, this experience is well worth it. Rob is always willing to pass on his wealth of knowledge and experience. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious and the full day experience is honestly not enough for any avid fan of crafting glowing hot metal. I could have spent a week there. Arja's authentic, home cooking was phenomenal and really added to the whole experience. You can't learn on an empty stomach. I will definitely be going back to Kowhai Forge.

There are not many most do in Nz but this is definitely one. Just go for it. You wont doubt it. I did it with my father and we both enjoyed it really much. Together with the waitomo caves the two best things on the north island. It is just awesome, Rob is funny, friendly and knows and loves what he does. The food is good and so are the drinks. It came out that the knife in the end was just ,,Das Sahnehäubchen" as we would say in Germany. Hands down that's a 5/5 without any hesitation.

All credit to these owners who have revived this Railway to make it a lovely trip through Bush and views of the lake. The carts are comfortable and make this a journey with a difference. Recommended

This was a fun way for the family (grandparents, son and daughter-in-law and 2 granddaughters) from Australia, to see the countryside and learn some railroad history. The cars are bigger than they looked and we all comfortably fitted into one (although we had the option to have two cars). The staff are really friendly and helpful and the complimentary hot drinks were appreciated.

Loved the train ride, was a little cool but the supplied blankets helped. Got to see so much of the country side and the on train information was very informative.

Enjoyable ride with informative commentary that takes you back in time revealing the history of both the railway and the area.The track weaves its way through scenic bush and farmland,and even under a main road. Friendly, engaged staff make the experience complete.

Absolutely amazing great fun for all ages. Entertaining and interesting . Highly recommend

Once again we had a great experience on the self drive rail cruiser. Great communication and friendly helpful staff. Thanks again Cherie for making this few hours for ourselves and our visitors a memorable experience. You certainly know your stuff and your customer service skills are the best. 💖

This was fantastic our 7yo, 8yo & 22mth old had a fantastic time, the history of the old railway was really fascinating, so if your into that you'll love it. Was alot noisier than expected would recommend taking earmuffs if you have sensitive hearing.

A really interesting way of travelling through the countryside around Lake Roturua in the peace of your own Rail cruiser with only the sound of the birds and track. Such a brilliant way of making use of an old railway track taking us into the hidden depths of the woodland, farms to view the different indigenous species of plants and trees. Perfect for all ages in all weathers protected from direct sun but open at the sides but should it rain you can just drop the sides. The organisers are very welcoming inviting you to have tea,coffee or chocolate before you depart whilst sitting watching a video showing the development of the project.

Absolutely fantastic 😊! Thanks to David for the Hot drinks before the rail cruise. Great job with the Safety talk and History video before the trip! Commentary throughout the journey was brilliant! Shelly .. Many thanks for taking good care of getting us on board safely.. Awesome team ! Friendly ..Ya gotta do this excursion. !!.. you will rave about it 😃 PS.. we went in July ...bundle up warm....it can get quite cold trekking through the forest , although warm throw blankets were provided.😉

This was a really lovely family friendly adventure in unique style. Pack a picnic and dress warm! Great team running this I hope it continues and expands.

Great ride, perfect for the whole family. Informative commentary, friendly staff. Thanks for this experience.

Fantastic activity that lets you see some beautiful country scenes. Shelley was a fantastic host and we were made extremally welcome. Loved the history of the log station also.

My two girls & I really enjoyed this unique mini train adventure, the railcar was comfortable & you have unobstructed views from each seat. We particularly liked the birdlife flying about along the track. Roxy our guide was professional, informative & excellent to deal with. Will bring my parents back next time, they'd love it 😊

The staff are down-to-earth and really friendly and professional. Even on a rainy day it was a lovely trip.

Lovely wee trip, enjoyed the ride. Would be nice if it was abit longer

We thoroughly enjoyed the Railcruising adventure through the Dansey conservation area. Despite a little light rain the journey was fascinating and made all the more special by the onboard commentary and steamy jungle atmosphere. The experience could be improved by offering merchandise and a video history of the line prior to the cessation of service by NZ Railways

Take a scenic drive out to Mamuki railway station- 20 mins from Rotorua. Jump on your rail car and ride through the hills taking in the views. Great fun for everyone! Would absolutely do it again.

Awesome experience almost didn't do it but so glad we did

We thoroughly enjoyed the Rotorua Rail Cruising. It was well run by enthusiastic staff who took very good care of everyone. The scenery was stunning and the commentary informative. A unique experience.

This was an amazing experience. There were 4 of us together and we rode in one cart. The views and the experience was fantastic. We all would highly recommend this trip.

Fun experience. Awesome way to see the scenery. Staff were wonderful and were very friendly.

An experience for the young and young at heart. We had so much fun and the commentary was informative. Thank you Aidan for your wonderful attitude and sense of humour, you put a smile on all our faces.

Visiting from Wellington & Hamilton, we decided to do the tourist thing and experience the rail cart. Very informative and lots to see. The staff were superb, knowledgeable, customer focused & very friendly. The rail cart caters for all ages…so fun for all the family.

Very good experience. Welcome was very friendly, trip was relaxing. Cold, so you should wrap up well, although they supply blankets ( and free tea and coffee before you start.) Interesting audio commentary along the way. Would do again.

We went and booked this on a whim after seeing some road signs on the way into Rotorua, and boy were we glad to do it! Nothing quite compares to the fun of your own little train taking you to unknown places. Staff are so friendly and up for a bit of banter, but are also very organized so everything went smoothly. Highly recommended!

Booked to go Railcruising with my husband and Dad for Fathers Day, arrived and had safety briefing, allocated to our railcruiser for the trip from the Mamaku station out to Tarukenga station, the views were amazing even though the weather was not great, you are in the railcruiser with waterproof drop down sides, so the views are unobstructed whatever the weather. Thoroughly enjoyed by all and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. Would recommend to all, suitable for all age groups.