The train to Broken Hill

The train leaves Sydney at 6:19 am so we stayed in a hotel close to the station.

The Concourse at Sydney Central.

Our train leaving at 6:19 am. 

Our train which is an XPT, similar to the English model. There is talk of eventually replacing them with new models.

Inside before quite a few passengers boarded.

It was still dark when the train left and I think the sun rises an hour later than it does at home in Urangan.

Crossing the Nepean River in Western Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

Signal box at Katoomba. The train windows were too dirty to allow decent photos.

Almost at the western side of the Blue Mountains and finally a bit of sunshine.

Decent looking countryside with a touch of green.

Much further west with rain clouds brewing.

Grain storage.

Eventually, it started to rain, at times quite heavily. The farmers would have been thrilled.

It's flat.

We stopped at Ivanhoe, way out west.

There was a 10 minute stop so most passengers took the opportunity to walk around.

Note the red dirt which goes on and on for hundreds of miles. It soon became dark and it was impossible to see anything.

We had dinner on the train. The wine arrived in these glasses.

The train arrived about 30 minutes late. Our motel is across the street from the station. A fourteen hour ride is very tiring so we were soon asleep.

A frustrating trip to Sydney

Since we have decided that overseas trips have become too long and difficult, we are substituting trips in Oz and NZ. The feature of this trip is the train from Sydney to Broken Hill in western NSW and on to Melbourne.

We took the train from Maryborough to Brisbane where we stayed the night planning to take the train to Sydney the next morning.

Unfortunately a huge blob of rain closed all railways and major roads between Brisbane and Sydney with major flooding. The area around Taree suffered particularly bad flooding. I booked a flight to Sydney but just before we were going to the airport, our flight was cancelled and we were rebooked for the following day.

With a day to spend in Brisbane, we wandered down to the City Hall. This is part of the staircase to the balcony.

Entrance to the Concert Hall.

The hall is circular and sixty years ago it was the home of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

The curved roof resulted in a huge standing wave which did not help the acoustics. Several years ago, a reconstruction made the ceiling acoustically invisible and the acoustics have reputedly improved.

I started University in 1965 and as a fresher at a residential college, I was ordered to line up in a queue to buy season tickets for other college members for the Youth Concert Series of the QSO. I realized that my father would be pleased if I attended so I sat in one of these seats.

The light turned on when I realized I knew all the tunes because my father played classical music all the time. My father was so pleased when he realized I was hooked.

The orchestra now plays in a modern rectangular hall but occasionally they perform in this space. Perhaps I should go.

Years ago, Brisbane had a couple of older worlde cafes where elegant ladies would meet for morning or afternoon tea. Instead of being demolished, the Shingle Inn was reconstructed in a corner of the City Hall building.

To get in, I needed an elegant lady and one was conveniently available.

Morning tea for me was a Citron Tarte accompanied by a delicious lime milkshake.

The City Hall.