Sunday, January 25, 2009

Making tracks

I travelled quite a few kilometres on the road and by rail during the Christmas New Year break.

First the family drove five hours to the in-laws' home in Sydney for Christmas. Then the boys and I travelled from Sydney on the XPT to the NSW mid-north coast for a beachside holiday with my mum and her husband. My partner had to return home to work.

The train trip was good fun. The boys enjoyed it and for me it was much more relaxing than driving. On the way back we even got our our own three-seat cabin which became a twin sleeper.

I was a little daunted at usuing public transport with XY3 and XY7 to manage by myself. XY3 can be quite loud and challenging at times. He was really good on the trip out of Sydney but was more of a problem when we had the cabin - perhaps he realised he needed to be well behaved when we in amongst other passengers but could be his feral self when contained in a cabin!

It certainly added and extra element of interest to the holiday. I'd certainly hop aboard the XPT again some time. The only drawback was the coffee - it was certainly something you'd only try once.

1 comment:

Kate Moore said...

I took the XPT to Canberra. They had a deal where if you booked more than two weeks in advance the tickets were half price. So, my trip was $25 all up. And yes, very comfortable. I took food on with me but the food carriage didn't look too bad or outrageously priced. I thought it would be so took my own. I used to take the overnight coach to Melbourne as a wee thing in love. Never again. The train and a sleeper at that would be my choice if I couldn't come at the price of the flight.

Things I like

  • Being eco-aware
  • Chocolate
  • Generosity
  • Good food and good wine
  • Kindness and courtesy
  • Laughing out loud
  • Openminded people
  • People who are true to themselves
  • Spending time with friends
  • Sunshine and blue skies

Things I don't like

  • Broken promises
  • Pointless arguments
  • Uncontrolled anger
  • Homelessness
  • Poverty
  • War and conflict
  • Lightning and thunder
  • Small minded people
  • Discrimination on any basis
  • Over inflated egos
  • Mean-spirited people