On the XPT now blogging ( no one seated next to me all the way therefore I can stretch out & sleep.)
If you recall I mentioned that next time I have time and travel long hual on an XPT train that I would try something from the new food court that replaced the Burger King/Hungry Jacks that caught on fire located on the North Concourse where the intercity and regional trains depart from Central Station. I made a big mistake. Should have grabbed a freshly made and delivered packaged gourmet sandwich and drink instead of buying a hot breakfast from the grill section. Never again will I purchase anything from there. I lodged a complaint by phone. I ordered a ham cheese and tomato toastie without the cheese but with a potato cake and bottle of water. I requested the potato cake to be placed in the toastie. Simple request? It took forever to get my toastie for one thing and there was no tomato in it at all. I had to ask for my bottle of water and someone else got their order before mine ( a more complex order of a burger). 5 minutes I was advised it would take then 7 minutes but more like 15 minutes before I actually received my order. I ran to my train and boarded it - it is a long walk along platform 6 to Car A. I could have missed my train! I did ask if it was too difficult and no was the answer. It's a toastie NOT rocket science! After finding my seat, I bit into my toastie only to find it had no tomato in it at all but too late to return it the train was about to depart.
Lowest rating I have given ever 3/10 - lucky it tasted ok will stick to the cold stuff next time! Charged $8.50 for the incomplete toastie and $4 for the potato cake I felt ripped off. As for the bottle of Mt Franklin water for $3.95 I could have bought a bottle of water on the train!
Upon departing Sydney it was cold and wet but as the morning progressed and the train left metropolitan Sydney the weather cleared up and it became quite hot. The scenery changed from a concrete jungle to the countryside with views of rolling hills green pastures yellow meadows cows sheep horses even heaps of kangaroos hopping madly up the hillsides in the wild. Then there were views of ducks amongst the marshes below in creeks trees and the wind farm in the distance outside of Goulburn. This is why I love train travel. Spot the country stations where trains no longer stop.
photos below of the scenery of the countryside from the train window
Get to Canberra YHA and check in. OK more issues. Not recommended is using e nights unless you have to. I booked Saturday night at Canberra YHA many weeks ago and ended up when I arrived in a 10 share mixed dorm. I don't do mixed dorms and this is the first time it has happened. So I was moved to a 8 share female dorm and got the last bottom bunk when I arrived in the room ( if I arrived and checked in any later I would have ended in a top bunk yet again!) . It is basically pot luck with e night bookings - more like bad luck! The room is pretty messy when I arrived. Yes there were new sets of sheets on my bottom bunk but hair everywhere and the mattress protector wasn't exactly clean. There were stains on it. Doubtful about the pillow as well so I quickly the fitted sheet over the mattress and the flat sheet over the pillow and fitted sheet. I was told by one of the roommates the dooner cover only gets changed once a week too. yuck! will be sleeping on my byo pillow tonight and my own blanket! I sprayed my bunk with OFF bug spray too! Then there was the swipe key issue. Went to the bathroom and what do you know - my swipe key failed to let me back into my room so I had to go all the way down to reception to have it reactivated. Didn't even get offered a map of the city - had to ask the receptionist when I went back down to go to Floriade. Food in fridge in kitchen & bag under my bunk. Time to get to Floriade. YHA Canberra rating : 5/10 worst hostel I have stayed at. The standard has dropped significantly since my last stay. Group of very loud German room mates decide to have drinks and snacks in the room at 10 pm and have very loud conversations waking me when I was trying to get some sleep. By 11 pm the have left to go clubbing thank goodness.
Onto Floriade - beautiful. The sun was out and it was quite hot at times but not boiling . This year's theme was Pop Culture. Angry Birds Marilyn Minons Where's Wolly and Retro Geometric Patterns were on display.
Hungry I purchased a seafood basket which came with far too many chips and a tiny spoonful of green which was salad. After I purchased a bottle of my favourite energy drink sparkling honey drink to take back to Sydney with me.
Towards the end of my visit there was a spectacular acrobatic air show over Floriade with a great view from the bridge over the main road below (Parks entrance to Floriade). Rating 8/10 Although I thought last year's Floriade was better, I recommend half a day at Floriade therefore possible on a day trip from Sydney by coach or train although I chose to overnight it in Canberra. Murrays coaches will get you closer to Floriade in less time then the XPT train. Final weekend of Floriade is next weekend.
Still had time after Floriade to do a bit of shopping at Canberra Centre. I get so lost in that shopping centre - so many buildings to it connected by roads. A quick shop at Coles before returning to the YHA.
Photos below of Floriade & Acrobatic Airshow
Acrobatic Airshow wow the crowds over Floriade
One of the entrances to Floriade a short walk from Akuna Street & Canberra YHA
The other entrance to Floriade where the shuttle buses and other forms of transport stop to pick up or drop off
This was probably my favourite floral display - crocheted poppies embedded into the ground in a display to mark Remembrance Day @ The War Memorial " Honour Their Spirit " it reads
The giant ferris wheel present again @ this year's Floriade. I haven't been on it but maybe one year will.I am sure the views of Floriade are spectacular from up there
The Pub in the gardens was back @ this year's Floriade
Loads of tulips of every colour present at Floriade but very few garden herbs on display - above were the odd wheel burrow of mixed herbs however on floral display did use a lot of parsley as a green bed of contrast
One of several Cafes around Floriade where you can actually sit down relax and enjoy a meal overlooking the floral displays
The Floriade train
One of several Floriade and Canberra stalls around Floriade
2 giant plastic wind fans
What's a garden without a water feature of some type
What's a garden without a gnome or two or even a few hundred. Here is an opportunity to paint your own gnome - look out for the NZ Prime Minister gnome - hint the gnome has a baby attached to its back!
The kids zone @ Floriade
The stalls around Floriade
Even Ikea had a display
Pot Heads like these were present all around Floriade
So many beautiful floral displays although not as exciting as last year's Floriade.
Centre stage @ Floriade provided live multicultural entertainment to the crowds while they sat on the seats and picnic rugs provided to enjoy lunch
A walk around the lake where a pelican, 2 large black swans and a variety of ducks reside
Woke up Sunday morning and forgot it was daylight savings therefore reset my wtch so iIwould not miss my train back to Sydney this afternoon (which will be fully booked!)
Had a shower checked out before the 10 am check out time made myself breakfast and did most of my online training for the coming Wentworth By Elections although I had a lot of technical issues and it says I still have not completed modules of it.
Now 11 am. I am recharging my phone before heading off to The old Bus Depot Markets.
No idea what bus to catch from where but will wing it. I think the 980 is the safest bus to catch. Desperately need cash tissues and recharge my My Way card before catching the bus to the markets.
A little disappointed when I arrived at The Old Bus Depot Markets this time round just after noon. I managed to catch a bus just outside the Commonwealth Bank building which got me to the markets in about 15 - 20 minutes. I did not visit the Glassworks building next to the Old Bus Depot Markets this time round. ( refer previous blog)
I purchased some chewy cherry bon bons for work and a brioche with custard passionfruit & macadamias and had a good look around the ground floor of the markets which was mainly food and drink sampling some products before heading upstairs to the other stalls. The market were not as full of stalls as my last visit there and it wasn't as crowded although the queue to the ladies toliet was a little long.
The photography exhibition entitled "The Spill" was on although I didn't view it. On the outside of the exhibition was the famous grumpy face portrait of Malcolm Turnbull when he was KOed as PM.
Photos below of The Old Bus Depot Markets
Walked to Kingston (Canberra Station) about 1 km away from The Old Bus Depot Markets around 3 pm after purchasing the last box of rice wrapped in vine leaves as a snack on my train trip back to Sydney. They really are delicious. This gave me enough time to fully recharge my phone at one of several power points at the station , have a toliet stop if needed and continue blogging. The Sapphires was on the tv st the station so I watched parts of it whilst waiting for the train. The train arrives a little after 4 pm for passengers to alight however boarding does not commence until around 4.30 pm.
Car A seat 11 a window seat, I am one of the first passengers in first class to board. The first class carriage is not as comfortable as it seems. Leg room is almost the same as economy class and there is very little room for luggage ( very small luggage rack compared to economy). If you like to snack the buffet is situated in First class and takes up most of the carriage. Toliets are in the next carriage entrance therefore not the most convenient. Seats are suppose to recline more however because there were kids seated behind me and wanted to colour in, one of their parents asked me not to recline my seat so they could colour in. How rude.
Back in Sydney on time ie around 9.20 pm. Pouring with rain dark and cold and able to find stand G the 343 bus stop to catch the only way to get home bus due to trackwork, I ended up flagging a taxi to take me home by 10.15 pm costing approximately $35 - gee I hope I didn't get ripped off by the taxi driver as he tapped my visa card and I didn't ask for a receipt. I could have stayed overnight at YHA central Sydney for another night at that price!
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