"This time tomorrow, where will we be..."

Wednesday 23rd March 2011

I'm pretty sick of travelling. I don't mean the concept, just the literal act of travelling. Sick of planes. Sick of coaches. Sick of cars. But one method of transport that I have greatly underused is the train. I had planned to travel some of the US west coast by train, but that didn't materialise. I had planned to travel the Tranz Alpine in New Zealand, but the earthquake prevented that. And I'm sure had I gone to Japan, I would have travelled a Bullet Train at some point. So this morning I decided to relax upon the Puffing Billy, a restored steam train line that travels through the Dandenong Ranges. Getting the 11:10 train, it was like stepping back in time. As I walked along the platform the engine was preparing to go, steam billowing from its funnel, so I got into one of the very old style carriages with it's open plan seating and open windows. I assume they're called windows, though there was no glass, just a piece of tarpaulin to pull down if it rained or got windy. At 11:10 the train pulled away with a chug, chug, chug and a huge release of steam and a deafening whistle. It was bliss. We ventured off through the Dandenong Ranges, passing houses set back in the forest, crossing wooden bridges and stopping at a couple of little stations along the way. I had a ticket to the end of the line, Genbrook, which would take 2 hours, and then there was a 2 hour stop there before returning home. It was turning into a perfect day, the sun was out, the wind rushing at my face as I sat on the edge of the carriage with my feet dangling out. We arrived at Genbrook where I walked to local Bushland Forest where I had my lunch and walked amongst the undergrowth and huge trees. Before getting the 2:45 train back I stopped for a coffee and cheesecake and then boarded the train back. We stopped at Lakeside, where I got off to wait the hour for the final train back, found a great little amphitheatre just a few metres from the lake, and sat to read my book. At 4:15 I got the final train of the day, stuck on my Ipod and the soundtrack to The Darjeeling Limited, took off my shoes and socks, and just sat on the edge of the carriage until we returned to Belgrave an hour later. Well and truly one of the most satisfying days of my journey so far. In a day and age when everything is so rushed, everyone must get from A to B in the quickest time possible, it was great to just let Puffing Billy take his time as we passed through the Dandenong Ranges and watched the world go by. And as the Kinks come on my Ipod, I sat there listening to their words; "This time tomorrow, where will I be, on a spaceship somewhere, sailing across an empty sea"...