Saturday 3rd November 2018 - could not make it in time for Louie George's Jazz class today at 10 am which I had planned. Very disappointed - one family member always (spoils is not the word) ruins EVERYTHING I DO! I can't believe they spoilt my birthday breakfast I made for myself this morning as well as making me too late for my class but this is not the first time. I found these gourmet chicken chilli corriander and lime sausages and the first time I purchased them I didn't even get to eat one as it was stolen by the above family member whilst it was still cooking when I turned my back to get a plate and cutlery - they had already eaten it and it wasn't even cooked yet. Take 2 I went all the way back to Bondi Junction and bought a second batch to have on my birthday for breakfast and yet again I turned my back to get a plate and cutlery and the entire batch of sausages which I was cooking and went to check on was totally ruined by the same family member. So no breakfast for my birthday. Enough was enough and I hope they die from food poisoning! So instead of staying in Sydney as planned and going to the zoo on my birthday on Sunday - I boarded an overnight xpt train and headed to Melbourne to visit the Merlbourne Zoo on my birthday.
I went to the Icebergs (Bondi Baths) on Saturday (which was scorching hot about 30 degrees) to go for a swim - I have not been back since I moved North. The water is not as salty as Balmoral Beach and not as clean either - it took forever to get there as there was trackwork over the weekend on the Northern Line and huge lines of people at Bondi Junction waiting for every bus possible to get to Bondi Beach or Tamarama just to see the final 2 days over the weekend of Sculpture By the Sea before it closed. Rating : 7/10 $7 entry fee just for a swim at Bondi Baths , open hot showers available lockers toliets and change room area. No lifts down to baths therefore no prams wheelchairs for example accessible. Lots of stairs - I carried my wheelie bag up and down all the sets of stairs with my backpack as well.
Half an hour in the baby pool was all I had time for as I was trying to make it to an alternative 2 pm JHF class but never made that as again it took too long for public transport to get me back to central - a swim and a shower was all I had time for.
Sushi for breakfast @ Eastgate Shopping Centre Bondi Junction and a seeded vegetarian with pesto roll from Luneburger along with a piece of crumbed fish and a wedge of lemon from The Little Fish Shoppe for Lunch @ Town Hall. Dinner on my long train trip was a breakfast juice, water, a mixed range of prepacked sandwiches, dark kitkat, light cheese and crackers and some fruit - I also purchased some wedges but these were in case I got hungry through the night. Nope ended up having a few cold for breakfast but threw the rest out.
My last minute trip to Melbourne for my birthday on Sunday 4th November 2018. The last bed at YHA Melbourne Central in an 8 share female dorm and a first class seat on the Saturday overnight XPT Sydney to Melbourne train - the Friday overnight XPT train Sydney to Melbourne was completely booked out. Am unsure if I'm flying back on Monday afternoon although I have booked a return day XPT back to Sydney on Monday morning. Will organise when I get to Melbourne. Trying to fit a dance class in on Monday night to make up for the one I missed on Saturday as well. ( ended up not making it)
Planned activities whilst in Melbourne - the Zoo! In all my visits to Victoria the one place I have never been to is Melbourne Zoo. I have prebooked a ticket online already which costs $37 for adult ticket - hope it is worth it! YHA actually offered a discount. too late!
The XPT from Sydney to Melbourne was at least 15 minutes late and at one stage I thought it would never leave Central Station in Sydney because it starting moving forward on time at 8.35 pm but then decided to move backwards back to Sydney Central Station - were we all imagining it? - had someone forgot to turn the seats around? - had someone been forgotten? No there was trackwork ahead on the line the XPT was suppose to be travelling along therefore an all clear had to be given for it to travel along an alternative track.
I had the seat next to me all to myself until Wagga Wagga - I hate window seats but was automatically allocated one. Not with my return trip I believe.
First stop the toliet upon arrival into Melbourne Southern Cross Station then food. Next try to do an early check in and have a shower before finding my way to the zoo. Early check in possible this time round- room 100 but I knew it would be a top bunk. It is only 1 night therefore no worries. Later after my return from the zoo there were quite a few spare bottom bunks so I moved to one below. OK shower time and I took my time. I could not decide what to wear today as it went from cold to warm to hot to warm to cold with a touch of rain in between which did not last long. I told reception it was my birthday today and I received a voucher for a free coffee and a drink - I don't drink coffee and definitely no alcohol but an occasional cider. Still have both vouchers and it is the end of the day almost. Oops forgot to return them both so will keep it for another time when I return to Melbourne.
Back to my trip to Melbourne Zoo. Reception told me to catch a tram up to Elizabeth Street then catch the # 19 tram which will take me directly to the zoo and takes about 20 - 30 minutes. Really? I asked - Isn't there a train from Southern Cross Station that will get me there directly and quicker? I just missed the tram up to Elizabeth Street and the next one wasn't for some time so I walked to Southern Cross Station and went to platform 11 where a train to Royal Park on the Upfield line would take me to the zoo departing at 10.46 am and only 4 stops or approximately 11 minutes - much quicker! However it took me hour to get back for some reason on the same train line ! I left the zoo at a round 4 pm and got back to the YHA after 5 pm. Heaps of people waiting! A few of the kids were tracking when the next train would arrive and kept pressing the information button for updates.
Map of Melbourne Zoo - it is a big zoo with no possums!
Rail Entrance to Melbourne Zoo (one of two zoo entrances)
wild animals
reptiles of all shapes sizes and colours
Inside the Butterfly House - the smell and humidity in there a little unbearable
sleepy pandas all curled up as fur balls
Inside Lima Island
penguin
seal
pelican
giraffes and zebras
another lonely seal looking for food
the cutest animal - meerkats
the loo maze complete a giant roll of toliet paper!
Cat Alley
I got a little lost in this section
The Zoo has its own bakery however none of those chocolate slices were for sale at their shop - must have been reserved for the private functions happening around the zoo's function centres today
Australian native plants were also on show around the zoo.
At 4 pm a final look around the zoo shop before boarding the next train from Royal Park Station across the road back to Southern Cross Station. A quick shop at Spencer Street Outlet Centre then to purchase some groceries for dinner on my way back to the hostel.
Melbourne Zoo Rating : 8/10 recommended time @ the zoo 5 hours to really take in everything and take some good photos.
Repack my bags recharge my phone made dinner and sleep. Decided not to change my travel plans back to Sydney.
Monday 5th November 2018 - 8.29 am 1 minute early we depart Melbourne Southern Cross Station bound for Sydney. An on time departure for once even with a late arriving train into Melbourne this morning.
I made sure before I left this morning after having a shower removing my sheets having a quick breakfast that my phone and charger were fully recharged that my double walled water bottle was fully filled with hot water and that I had enough snacks and cold bottled water for my long train trip back to Sydney not arriving until 8.01 pm tonight. The train was 1 minute early does that mean it will be 1 minute early arriving as well? Fat chance I don't think this train service day or night has ever departed or arrived on time. I booked a bed in a 4 share female dorm room for the night at YHA Sydney Central this time as I don't want to travel all the way home. I didn't pack any work clothes with me but do have a spare towel underwear and leggings so purchased a dress yesterday in Melbourne.
12 noon we depart Albury after a 10 minute change over of crew. Hot meals are on offer however we don't know what is on the menu and you can't pre order your hot dinner menu also unknown. Must put this down as feedback to NSW trainlink. Oh yes - by the time we wete asked if we wanted to order a hot meal seated right at the end of First class Car B, they ran out of chicken hot dinners and only had vegetable lasagne spaghetti bolognese or beef dish of some sort - so I went without. Should gave ordered the hot roast chicken and vegetables for lunch even if I wasn't hungry!
Now past The Rock and it is 12.58 pm still a long way to go - my battery on my phone is down to 70 % - this train alays zaps the power out of my phone!
Nothing to do on this 12 hour day train trip except sleep and snack or drink. Reading or playing on your phone are the only options. No wifi or power points remember it is BYO everything on this 1980's XPT train! yes there is an overpriced limited supply buffet concession and yes there are toliets but you try to limit their usage. Limited licence means you can purchase and drink alcohol onboard this train. So knock yourself out literally!
Must conserve battery power........
XPT Sydney to Melbourne overnight trip Rating : 7/10 - purchasing a discovery pass and travelling first class or sleeper recommended. This service is nearly always late therefore allow enough time to connect onto other forms of transport eg coaches or trains upon arrival into Melbourne or Sydney
XPT Melbourne to Sydney day trip 5/10. What can I say not as many delays arriving and departing Sydney or Melbourne but food runs out therefore have dinner at lunch. No options online to book day sitter seats or preorder meals or seat selection. Need to ring up. Terrible hot meal service! Byo food recommended. I certainly did. Packing vegemite biscuits or sandwiches was a common thing to do amongst passengers on this train! Phone as far in advance as impossible if you want a day sitter seat in car A or better seat in First class car C closer to the buffet concession!
Interesting people travel in first class not the rif raf in economy class. I spoke to a few ladies from the Northern Beaches who were quite educated, they didn't know each other but became friendly enough to share a cab back to their homes which are close by. Meanwhile there was a retired builder seated across from them who sat next to an engineer both becoming friends. I didn't have anyone next to me until Junee who alighted at Yass Junction. I tried to sleep most of the way but did have a brief conversation about politics with her. I was more interested in all the other conversations happening in front of me from the 2 ladies and the 2 men. Then there were the couple that got on and sat behind me who got on somewhere along the train line where the husband was an IT guy who was a train enthusiast then there was the guy who sat in the other asile seat next to me whose friend was travelling in cattle or economy class and giggle at lot at the comments we threw around such as me showing a photo of my first and only train hot meal I ordered of roast chicken and vegetables that I showed to the ladies in front of me that just ordered as the same hot meal for lunch - " This is what the roast chicken and vegetable hot meal should look like!" I declared comparing her meal she had to mine. It looked nothing like mine - the engineer gives me a fake yawn and asked why I took and showed them the photo before explaining that after my many train trips I finally decided to try a hot meal on the train.
Arrival into Sydney Central 8.01 pm exactly.
Overnighted it at the Sydney Central YHA this time round. I try to avoid staying at this YHA as all previous experiences have been unpleasant. Gave it another chance again just as unpleasant. Rating 4/10 - this is where I had my newly purchased 1L tetra pack of milk stolen during one stay and had to back out of the female bathroom full of broken glass and blood. There is also the noise from the bar below on some floors and the slow lifts. There is a newly renovated first floor kitchen and dining area that I didn't get to use - still the same layout as before just renovated. The linen shoot was full and the receptionist was not very nice about it - at least I did the rightthing and took my linen down ith me instead of leaving it on the bed! However the thing that really pissed me off was I arrived late into the 4 share female dorm and there was only 1 bottom bunk left which was reserved for me. If I had arrived any later someone else in that room would have swaped there upper bunk for my bottom bunk. As soon as I entered the room with my suitcase someone was about to take my bed and was sitting on it. I said you can't just swap beds - I wasn't going to sleep in her dirty bed! How rude! The others in the room told her she could swap. I only swaped at the Melbourne YHA because it was an early check in and I had not actually used the bunk so this was ok. All the power points were used up by the 3 girls in the room so I had to recharge my phone which was now down to 40% the following morning before they all woke up.
Woke up at 5 am shower stripped bed final repack no breakfast just waited until my phone was fully charged before heading down to dump my sheets at reception and filling my water bottle up with hot water in one of the kitchens on level 1. 7 am check out and leave for a train bound towards Gordon stopping at 7.30 am at Chatswood TAB to place a bet on the Melbourne Cup - yes "the race that stops the nation" - $25 and I'm done . Back on the train then bus at 8 am to work.
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