Local train travel in Australia is ridiculously cheap so yesterday Paul and I took a train ride from Sydney to Kiama (a journey that cost just $2.81 or £1.75 each). Kiama is a quaint little seaside town, famous for its blowhole and pelicans. More about that tomorrow.
We departed from Sydney Central and travelled through the suburbs of the city, industrial units and scruffy back yards. Then the quieter residential streets, over a large estuary (Georges River) and suddenly we are speeding through the Royal National Park (also known as the Nasho).
Our seats were on the upper deck of the train (Australian trains are double deckers!) and so it felt like we were flying above the forest canopy, gum trees and bush as far as you can see.
About an hour later we went through a series of short tunnels before shooting out onto the coastline track with fantastic views of the ocean.
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| a bad photo but I couldn't resist a crafty snap of this one-armed Crocodile Dundee character |
As we approached Port Kembla and Wollongong the landscape flattened and we left the scenic views behind. Lots of stops and starts before eventually rolling past the dunes of Bombo Beach and arriving at the terminus in Kiama. I was ready to get off the train after two and a half hours; I don’t think I’m ready for the Trans-Siberian yet.
I seem to remember that the fare was quite expensive many years ago from Sydney to Bowral but perhaps that is not classified as "local".
ReplyDeleteMaybe they've changed the pricing structure since then because Bowral is quite close to Kiama.
DeleteTwo and a half hour train ride for less that £2 ? Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest has taken an apartment overlooking the sea in Mermaid Beach. Lady M will join him in March. V du Pd area is almost empty.
Really cheap, unlike everything else in Oz. Don't panic, we'll be back in March to boost the population.
DeleteWow, that is really cheap for that distance and the entertainment trackside. Were you on Senior rates? Blowholes and pelicans... Bring it on.
ReplyDeleteIf we had been on Senior rates I think we might have gone for free!
DeleteThey would have to pay me to do the Trans-Siberian.
DeleteIt looked like a good trip
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely journey - I love the train.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a sweet tooth, Sue, you must go to Lara. There's an old fashioned sweet shop there that sells just about every imaginable "English" sweet. Goodness knows where they get them from, but there are many that haven't been seen in the UK for years. We went years ago, so I hope it's still open.