Australian long-distance train experience for the first time, stay-at-home mom skipped work!

Of all the means of transportation, I like trains best. It is more than just a magical memory container for me. The article "Memories Hidden in the Green Leather Train" once recorded those past events.

Perhaps it is destiny takes a hand, this time, the train once again came into my life with extraordinary weight, giving me new strength!

I have been a stay-at-home mom for more than ten years, and this is the first time I have skipped work in public, and I have to make a big show of it, for fear that the world will not know my joy.

I didn't live up to my expectations. Completed the first experience of Australia's long-distance train, and combined with the stimulation of skipping work for the first time, this solo became a well-deserved spiritual charging trip!

After returning home, my appetite opened, my insomnia disappeared, I stopped being lazy and procrastinating, and I regained my slowly deteriorating concentration.

It originated from my birthday two years ago. Like every birthday, my husband is worried and doesn't know what gift to give. I said I didn't celebrate my birthday, and it was enough to have it in my heart. But he can't bear it, and I understand.

People who want nothing are the hardest to "buy". Of course I want something, but my taste is not so popular, and it is a waste not to spend money on ideas. Please have a big meal, I have a loss of appetite; I'm not interested in giving jewelry; I can't recognize famous brands. What can people do with this?

In order to help my husband solve his worries, I also think hard: What needs do I have that he can do at the moment?

By the way, I skipped work! I want to slip out of my inherent lifestyle. These days, I am no longer anyone's so-and-so, I am myself, without my own attributes! Dear, give me a chance to travel alone!

The group travel in Married with Children naturally has its excitement and joy, but it is inevitable to worry about food and clothing, but also to take into account other people's itinerary, losing a lot of freedom to follow one's inclinations.

As a stay-at-home mother, there is no opportunity to travel, and children have to be bound everywhere. This kind of fatigue, I am afraid, can only be experienced by people who have taken care of their children for more than ten years and pay attention to spiritual life. What I envy most about office workers is the opportunity to travel. Traveling around the world with dignity, with both salary and reimbursement, is the best thing in the world!

My husband readily agreed to my beautiful gift! There is such a wife with endless new tricks, and he has honed his endurance. Without too much explanation, my husband seems to understand. Being understood and tolerated by people around you is a small happiness.

Raising a baby abroad is no better than at home, and there is no relative to help. I am a stay-at-home mom on vacation, so I must be above my husband.

In fact, the success of this gift is inseparable from the generosity of friends. My husband, a super conscientious employee, never missed a day's work.

In my opinion, this trip is perfect! Because it carries a lot of love and warmth, from family, friends and even former enthusiasts!

So, where to play and what to play? Such a rare opportunity should not be wasted casually. This idea is that two years have passed. Good things are not afraid of late.

When I returned to China last year, I tried to take the high-speed train with great joy, but it was too fast to find the feeling I remembered. I heard that the trains in Australia still have ancient speed, so I wanted to try it quickly, and I didn't want to speed up in a few days.

As for which train line to choose?

Australia is vast and sparsely populated, and it takes dozens of hours for an interstate train. Take it for the first time, start with a short one. Studied the suitable train from Sydney, which can go to Brisbane in the north and Melbourne in the south. Brisbane happened to pass by. Although Melbourne was there a few years ago, it was driving from Sydney, so the focus was on the surrounding area. Melbourne only stayed for one day, and I plan to come back later.

Considering that my daughter is bored by train, she doesn't like going to the city. The combination of my train and the city didn't appeal to her, which somewhat alleviated my guilt. Letting children play alone feels like absenteeism for no reason.

Generally speaking, my first stay-at-home mother skipped the train trip and traveled back and forth from Sydney to Melbourne. Feel the taste, architecture, scenery and people of a city.

Second, the first experience of long-distance trains in Australia

Before leaving, I said goodbye to my daughter, and the baby looked worried and said, "Don't die." So straightforward, adults dare not say, but it is the truest and heaviest concern!

I can't help thinking that when I was a child, I was worried at home if my parents didn't come home. Once the ambulance roared past the window, I was always tortured by all kinds of terrible fantasies.

I haven't enjoyed "freedom" for more than ten years, but I have to leave and suddenly I don't give up. Once a woman becomes a mother, she really can't go back from body to mind!

This is a trip of my own. I don't need to punch in at the scenic spot, and I don't need to work hard to get taller. All I want is the feeling of walking on the road, even if I just observe the people passing by on the road, it is also very interesting. In my eyes, everyone is a thick story book, which is unique.

This observation began as soon as I got on the train.

Go out at six o'clock in the morning, take the local train to Sydney Central Railway Station, platform 2, and someone is already getting on the bus. There is a staff member on the platform to help you find the carriage.

My car is D, but it's not a four-section car. Somehow, the cars are not in alphabetical order.

I didn't check the ticket when I got on the bus, but only after I drove. The flight attendants only ask the names on the list, and some even ask for tickets without showing any identification (print or mobile email is ok).

Flight attendants work in different ways. The return night train is a male flight attendant, who is clever and unsmiling, and wants to check everyone's tickets.

And the stewardess below is on her way, super kind and humorous. She checked the ticket, which was more like a greeting. Shout your name at the list with a big smile on your face, confirm your destination, greet and wish you a pleasant trip, and chat with people who close their eyes. She didn't check anyone's ticket.

At every stop, she has to confirm the new passengers. I also collected garbage back and forth several times, which was quite busy.

Childish fun is really regardless of age, she can harvest garbage happily, and this mood also infected me. I saw her exaggeratedly lay the garbage bag flat and said, "garbage, please give me garbage generously!" " "Naughty tone full of humor.

Later, she took her luggage and got off at a small town more than an hour's drive from Melbourne. I think she went home from work. No wonder people living in remote towns exude a relaxed and casual atmosphere that is rare in cities.

She is the first bowl of chicken soup for the soul that I drank during my trip.

Yes! Things that are originally very tired can become interesting because of a good attitude; Originally bumpy, but because of your good attitude, you found the happiness of "every cloud has a silver lining"!

Like a train in a city, the seat direction can be adjusted, and the flight attendants can also set up small tables as needed. The space is quite spacious.

The second bowl of chicken soup for the soul that I drank on this trip will appear below.

This is a family of five in China, from Newcastle, a seaside town north of Sydney, and a few minutes' drive from the countryside. Occasionally, two sentences of Cantonese will pop up.

When the family first got on the bus, I was inevitably a little worried. With three children in my ear, can we be quiet all the way?

As I expected, the two boys were not idle for a moment. To my surprise, instead of being bored, I like and admire this family.

1 1 hour, they didn't look at the electronic screen for a minute. Several sets of table games, chess, story books, take turns to play. The husband and wife cooperate tacitly, and neither of them commands the other. From beginning to end, they didn't hear a word of impatience, command, blame or complaint.

Especially for the father! I am very dedicated to accompany my child all the time and share his past experiences while playing. Especially the way he reads story books, it's called devotion, vivid and vivid, and you don't have to worry about whether others will make fun of him. Even the flight attendants passing by couldn't help admiring: "What an attractive story!"

Do you feel noisy? I thought I would, but I didn't. On the contrary, because of their existence, I finally found the feeling of a train when I was a child!

In the hard-seat carriage of the green leather train in childhood, people played cards, ate melon seeds and chatted with each other. The carriage shook regularly, and the noise around it seemed to turn into a lullaby, which made me feel practical.

At this time, the appearance of a family of five made the train conform to the local atmosphere. Isn't this familiar sense of sureness that I can't find from the plane?

In the afternoon, I dozed off in their unique lullaby. When I woke up, I found my father holding a sleeping little girl in his arms. He is carefully measuring the round face of his little daughter, and his eyes are full of tenderness. God, I suddenly think this man has become handsome.

Their clothes are particularly casual, even a little sloppy. The little girl's blue sweater is very old. It should be worn by her brother. There is a small hole in the boy's trousers. Mother's face is facing the sky, and her hair is tied casually behind her head, almost half scattered.

However, they behaved naturally without any timidity or posturing. I saw the confidence and atmosphere in their bones from their ugly appearance! These are three blessed dolls.

About eating.

There is a passenger guide behind the seat and a menu. There are no seats in the dining car, only the sales counter. Hot and cold food and drinks are always available. Before dinner, the stewardess will come out and ask who wants to order. If you need it, register directly with the flight attendant and pick it up.

I have no experience, and I don't know if I can order. Before noon, I felt hungry and ran to the dining car to buy food. Because it's not dinner time, only pies and rolls are hot food, and they don't want to eat too much, so they ordered a beef roll. It's hard to swallow in the middle. It was too salty and greasy for me, and my appetite was immediately resisted.

At noon, the flight attendants began to greet everyone to order, and only then did they send out the existing box lunch. Rice was a side dish. I should have eaten this. Unfortunately, my appetite was blocked and I endured it until I got off the bus.

The picture below shows the dining car. I dare not clap around openly, my heart is empty and my hands are shaking. I can only watch it.

On the way, I was lucky. The whole carriage is full, except my side and front.

When the stewardess set the table, she put the list next to me and took a look. The person next to you should get on the bus at a small station half a drive away.

So I took the time to enjoy the treatment of no one around me, lying on my back, half lying, all kinds of fancy changes, for fear of wasting God's kindness. When I got to the small station where my neighbors should get on the bus, I quickly sat up straight and waited for the answer to be announced. Look at the name should be a man, curious about his age, height, height and fat.

The station was small, and the bus left soon, but no one got on. As usual, the flight attendant came to check the tickets and asked me with his eyes when he saw that the seat next to me was empty. I smiled and shook my head to answer. She gave me a naughty look at once. I interpret it privately as: "You are lucky, continue to enjoy your fancy half-lying."

The sunshine in winter is soft and warm through the window. I enjoy the scenery casually, and my ear is the whisper of my neighbor's father telling stories ... only the train can enjoy this!

Are you tired after sitting for a long time?

For me, a code word lover, it is common to sit in front of the computer for more than ten hours. On the train, you don't have to worry about your eyes and brain, and the test to your body is much smaller.

Australia is really vast and sparsely populated. 1 1 hour train actually only passes through 16 town. The largest town is like a small village in China.

The picture below shows a relatively large town on the way. There is a road in the middle of the photo. I'm afraid this place doesn't even need traffic lights. How easy it is to drive. It is cheap to have a big house, but how many people can stand this loneliness?

Want to know if I can accept living in such a place? Loneliness is not, as long as there is internet, there is not enough time every day. But what about my stubborn China stomach?

There is basically no cell phone signal and network during driving, and there are signals in crowded places before and after parking. Ok, force you to get rid of your mobile phone and live in reality wholeheartedly.

Entering Victoria from New South Wales is a process from sunshine to clouds. The farther south, the thicker the clouds.

There is always sunshine in my window, and the camera reflects all kinds of light as soon as it shoots. So there is not much beauty to share.

The scenery of this route is relatively simple, which is a typical eastern Australian scenery. If you want to appreciate different landforms, you can choose a route that runs through Australia from north to south or from east to west. There will be an introduction later in the article.

What excites me most is the lovely animals.

In the early morning and evening, there are groups of wild kangaroos jumping in the shade.

Greedy, I began to look forward to wild koalas, and there were too few eucalyptus trees along the railway, and the hope was slim. You can find the wild koala on the top of the tree by driving with the naked eye, only the precious memories on the ocean road.

Needless to say, the number of cattle and sheep scattered on the vast grassland in Australia far exceeds that of human beings.

What melts my heart most is the lambs, who either follow their mother closely or play in groups of three or five. Brand-new wool is white and transparent, which is particularly conspicuous on the dark green carpet at dusk.

In this way, I entered the twilight in Melbourne from the early morning in Sydney. I haven't reached my destination yet, and I have gained a lot.

The picture below shows the return trip to Melbourne Southern Cross Railway Station 1 platform:

Goodbye, beautiful Melbourne! This time, I fell in love with you! I wonder if it's fate to see you again?

As soon as I got on the bus on my return trip, I made up the concert I just watched in my mobile phone dictionary. At first glance, I found the Korean girl next to me taking notes in the notebook. Her concentration on writing with a pen deeply infected me.

This is what youth should look like, no, this is what life should look like! I always have hobbies, goals and dreams in my heart, and I can enjoy them anytime and anywhere even in a difficult environment.

Simply immersed in your own spiritual kingdom is attractive enough in itself!

However, imagine that if she took notes on her mobile phone, I'm afraid she would lose that appeal. I haven't seen my circle of friends for nearly half a month. I don't know what my friends are doing, but I'm also happy to enjoy this undisturbed silence!

My family and friends are afraid that I will burn the midnight oil and suffer. However, when I think of coming home from college holidays, I took a hard-seat train for two days and two nights, and my memory is full of joy.

Physical hardships are easy to forget. On the contrary, physical hardships can make happiness more vivid and unforgettable!

As it turns out, sitting all night is a piece of cake for me. I felt it after a few naps. After a few days of travel fatigue, sleepiness swept through, and I didn't feel any pain.

I barely opened my eyes until the lights suddenly turned on. Ah, there are many houses outside the window. Sydney is coming.

Seeing the familiar Central Railway Station, I got up and got my luggage. My legs and feet are smooth as usual, there is no edema, and I am alive with blood!

At this time, my heart is full of hope and vitality. This is what high-quality travel should look like!

Third, the train number and ticket information.

Long-distance trains in Australia are not cheap. In many cases, discounted air tickets are cheaper. So most people prefer airplanes.

Who is the train suitable for?

Draw new experiences, such as me; Afraid of airsickness and earache, such as me; People who are willing to enjoy slow time, such as me; Those who can enjoy preferential tickets, such as children with student cards and elderly card holders; There are psychological shadows on the plane; There is no airport you want to go to.

Disadvantages of long-distance trains: long time consumption, sedentary fatigue (except sleepers) and cheap tickets.

Advantages of long-distance trains: you can enjoy the scenery along the way. I'm not afraid of carsickness. There is a lot of free luggage. There is no security check. You don't have to make a lot of appointments, you can arrive before the departure and closing times. Railway stations are generally in the city center, regardless of the traffic to and from the airport. It is more convenient to stay in hotels in the city.

The journey from Sydney to Melbourne is nearly 1 1 hour. Yes, I can fly back to China. But it's much more comfortable than a plane.

The journey starts at Sydney Central Station and ends at Melbourne's Southern Cross Station. There are two classes every day. The morning shift starts at 7:40 and arrives around 18:30. The evening shift starts at 20: 40 and arrives around 7:30 the next day. The return trip is also twice a day. The morning shift leaves Melbourne at 8:30 and arrives in Sydney on 18. The night shift/KLOC-0 leaves at 9: 50 and arrives in Sydney at 7: 00 the next day.

Stop on the way 16 times, as shown in the following figure:

Official website said that he can carry 5 kilograms of carry-on baggage (no more than 30cm x 50cm x 30cm) and check two pieces of 20 kilograms of luggage for free, which is very suitable for moving. In fact, no one was in charge of the scene at all. When I saw a lot of luggage, I took it away without security check. There are special luggage racks at both ends of the carriage, and there are luggage racks above the head.

The train line from Sydney to Melbourne is XPT of New South Wales Railway Company. One-way full-price economy class 130 Australian dollars, first-class seat 183 Australian dollars, the sleeper is nearly 300 Australian dollars, and only the night train has a sleeper.

I bought an economy seat, and the back of the chair can be adjusted backwards at a certain angle. It is said that the backrest of the first-class seat can be put down, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. The sleeper is a bunk bed for two people, and the bed is also adjusted by the seat.

You can get a 10% discount if you buy tickets online. Free tickets for 0-3 years old, and only 1 AUD for traveling with adults for 4- 15 years old, that's right, 1 yuan! Therefore, many children travel by train during student holidays, and the more children, the more cost-effective.

It should be noted that, until this time when I put pen to paper, when I booked a ticket on the newly-launched railway booking official website, the child's fare was not 1 Australian dollar. However, if it is operated on the old booking official website, it can be correctly displayed as 1 AUD. Don't forget to tick "family". The entrance to the old website can be found in official website for new reservations. It should be corrected in the future.

There are also discounts for holding student cards and senior citizen cards. Different railway companies also have package options. For example, for international tourists, they can enjoy a three-month free ride package. For details, please check with the railway companies in official website.

There are discounts on train tickets in the off-season, and student holidays are the peak season. As a stay-at-home mother, I can only choose to skip work during the student holidays, so the fare for my train trip is more expensive than the air ticket.

The following picture shows the timetable for me to take this train line during off-peak hours:

Four. Introduction of long-distance train routes in Australia;

Australia's long-distance trains have the following routes according to different railway companies:

1, three famous interstate lines of the Great Southern Railway:

Indo-Pacific (Indian Ocean-Pacific Line): It is said to be the longest and most spectacular train line in the world, with 4352 kilometers and 65 hours. Cross the Narrab Plain and connect Sydney, Adelaide and Perth from east to west. You can stop in adelaide. All the way to witness the change of Australia from the eastern coast to the western desert.

Gan (Gan Line): This is the legend of Australian trains. Within 54 hours, it connected Adelaide, Alice Springs, Catherine and Darwin from north to south. Enjoy red central Australia and tropical northern Australia.

Land: Travel between Adelaide and Melbourne, 10.5 hour.

2. New South Wales transport train link:

Sydney to Melbourne (CountryLink XPT), Sydney to Canberra, North Shore of New South Wales to all parts of Queensland and all parts of New South Wales. . Arbitrary Unit

4. Queensland Railway Company: There are six long lines of different colors covering Queensland. www.qr.com.au/

5. Western Australia Railway Company: the internal line of Western Australia. www.transwa.wa.gov.au

During the 22-hour train time, I nagged more than 5700 words, and I was drunk. In this era when words are gradually replaced by videos, all I can see patiently is "true love powder".

When is my next long-distance train trip? Where are you going? Expectation, expectation is also beautiful!

(Please look forward to the next part: "Love Melbourne")