First, the origin of this trip

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

Maybe it's fate. This time, the train once again entered my life with extraordinary weight, giving me new strength!

During my stay-at-home mom career of more than ten years, this is the first time that I skipped work openly, and I made a public announcement for fear that the whole world would not know my joy.

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

After returning home, I have an appetite, no insomnia, no laziness, no procrastination, and regain my slowly deteriorating concentration.

It started on my birthday two years ago. Like every birthday, my husband was very worried and didn'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.

those 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 that money is not spent on ideas. Please have a big meal, my appetite is weak; I'm not interested in sending jewelry; I can't recognize a famous brand. What can people do with this?

in order to help my husband solve his worries, I also think hard: what needs can I have at the moment?

by the way, I'm going to skip work! I want to sneak out of the inherent life mode. These days, I am no longer anyone's so-and-so, I am myself, and there is no attribute of myself! Honey, give me a chance to travel alone!

Traveling in groups in married with children naturally has its excitement and joy, but it is inevitable to worry about food and clothing, take care of other people's trips, and lose a lot of freedom.

As a stay-at-home mother, there is no opportunity for business trips, and children have to be bound everywhere. I'm afraid only people who pay attention to spiritual life who have taken care of their children alone for more than ten years can appreciate this kind of fatigue. What I envy most about office workers is the opportunity to travel. It's the best thing in the world to wander around the world in a dignified way, with both wages and reimbursement!

my husband readily agreed to my wonderful gift! With such a wife with endless new tricks, he has already tempered his tolerance. Without too much explanation, my husband seems to understand very well. It is a little happiness to be understood and tolerated by people around you.

raising a baby in a foreign country is no better than at home, and there are no relatives to help. I'm a stay-at-home mom on holiday, so I have to be on top of my husband.

In fact, the success of this gift can't be achieved without the generous help of friends. My husband, a super conscientious employee, didn't miss a day's work.

in my mind, this trip is perfect! Because it carries a lot of love and warmth, enthusiastic people from family, friends and even once!

So, where to play and what to play? Such a rare opportunity can't be wasted casually. This thinking 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 unfortunately the speed was too fast and I didn't find the feeling of memory. I heard that the trains in Australia still have an ancient speed, so I want to try it quickly, and don't speed up in a few days.

as for which train line to choose?

Australia is vast and sparsely populated, and the interstate train runs for dozens of hours. It's the first time to take it, starting with a short one. Studied the train with suitable distance from Sydney, which can go to Brisbane in the north and Melbourne in the south. It happened that Brisbane had just passed by, and although Melbourne had been there a few years ago, because it was driving from Sydney, the focus was on the surrounding area. Melbourne only stayed for one day, and I planned to come again in the future.

Considering that my daughter is bored by taking the train, she doesn't like to go downtown. My combination of train and city is not attractive to her, which somewhat relieves my guilt. Leaving my children to have fun alone feels like absenteeism for no reason.

On the whole, my first stay-at-home mom skipped the train trip and went back and forth from Sydney to Melbourne. Feel the taste, architecture and scenery of a city, and be alone.

Second, the first experience of Australia's long-distance train

Before leaving, the baby said goodbye to her daughter with a worried face: "Don't die." It is so straightforward that adults dare not say it, but it is the truest and heaviest concern!

I can't help thinking that when I was a child, if my parents didn't come home, I was worried at home. Once an 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'm leaving, and suddenly I don't give up. Woman, once you become a mother, you really can't go back from body to mind!

This is a trip for myself. I don't need to punch in the scenic spots, and I don't need to try to be tall. All I want is the feeling of walking on the road, even if I just observe people passing by on the way, it's interesting. In my eyes, everyone is a thick story book and unique.

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

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

My car is D, but not the fourth section. Somehow, the cars are not arranged alphabetically.

I didn't check the ticket when I got on the bus, but only after I drove. The flight attendants only ask the names against the list, and some will also ask for tickets (printed or mobile phone mail will do) without showing any certificates.

flight attendants have different working styles. The return night train is a male flight attendant, who is well-behaved and unsmiling, and wants to check everyone's tickets.

and the stewardess in the picture below is on her way, which is super kind and humorous. She checked the tickets, more like a greeting. Call your name to the list with a big smile on your face, confirm your destination, greet and wish you a pleasant journey, and chat with those who close their eyes. She didn't check anyone's ticket.

after each stop, she has to confirm the new passengers. I also collected garbage back and forth several times in the middle, which was quite busy.

Tong Qu is really regardless of age. She can harvest garbage happily, and this sentiment also infects me. I saw her exaggeratedly holding the garbage bag flat and saying, "garbage, please give me garbage generously!" " The naughty tone is full of humor.

Later, she took the luggage and got off at a small town more than an hour's drive before Melbourne. It is estimated that she went home from work. It is no wonder that 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 were originally tired can become interesting because of a good attitude; Originally bumpy situation, you can find the happiness of "a blessing in disguise" because of your good attitude!

Like the local train, 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 Chinese family of five, from the seaside town of Newcastle, north of Sydney, and the countryside a few minutes' drive away. Occasionally, two sentences of Cantonese pop up.

when the family just 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 have hardly been idle for a moment. To my surprise, instead of being bored, I like and admire this family.

for 11 long hours, they didn't spend a minute facing the electronic screen. Several sets of desktop games, chess, story books, take turns to play. The husband and wife cooperated tacitly, and neither of them directed anyone. From beginning to end, they didn't hear a word of impatience, command, blame or complaint.

I especially want to praise that father! I am very dedicated to accompanying my child all the way, sharing his past experiences while playing. Especially the way he reads story books, it is called an input, vivid and vivid, without worrying about whether others will make fun of him. Even the flight attendants who passed by couldn't help but praise: "What an attractive story!"

do you think it's 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 about one build and one build. 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 meet 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. Oh, my God, I suddenly feel that this man has become handsome.

They dress casually, even a little unkempt. The little girl's blue sweater is very old and 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 acted naturally, and they didn't shrink back or put on airs at all. I saw the confidence and atmosphere in their bones from their unattractive appearance! These are three blessed dolls.

about dining.

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

I'm inexperienced and I don't know if I can order food. Before noon, I felt hungry and ran to the dining car to buy food. Because it's not dinner time, only pie and roll are hot food, and they don't want to eat much, so they just want a beef roll. It's hard to swallow in the middle. It's too salty and greasy for me, and my appetite is immediately resisted.

at noon, the flight attendants began to greet everyone to order food, only to find that there was a box lunch with rice as a side dish. I should have eaten this. Unfortunately, my appetite has been blocked, and I have been enduring it until I get off the bus.

The picture below shows the dining car. I dare not shoot around openly, but my heart is empty and my hands are shaking. I just have to look at it.

on the way, I was very lucky. The whole carriage was full, but the front and the side were empty.

when the flight attendant set up the table board, he put the list next to me and took the opportunity to have a look. The people next to him should get on the bus at a small station half the drive.

So I took the time to enjoy the treatment of no one around me, reclining and half-lying, and all kinds of fancy changes, lest I waste God's kindness. When I arrived at the small station where my neighbor should get on the bus, I quickly sat upright and waited for the answer to be revealed. Look at the name should be a man, curious about his age, height, height and thinness.

The station is very small, and the bus starts soon, but no one gets on. As usual, the flight attendants came to check the tickets, and when they saw that the seat next to me was empty, they asked me with their eyes. I smiled and shook my head to answer. She immediately threw me a naughty look. I interpret it privately as: "You are lucky, continue to enjoy your fancy half-lying."

The sunshine in winter passes through the window, which is soft and warm. 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 from sitting for a long time?

As a code word lover, it is common for me 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 brains, and your physical test is much smaller.

Australia is really vast and sparsely populated. The 11-hour train actually only passes through 16 towns. The largest town is like a small village in China.

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

wondering if you can accept living in such a place? Loneliness is not, as long as there is a network, 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 is only signal in places where people live together before and after stopping. All right, 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 are.

There is always sunlight coming into my window, and the camera reflects all kinds of light when it takes a shot. So there are not many beautiful scenery to share.

The scenery of this route is relatively simple, and it is a typical scenery of eastern Australia. If you want to appreciate the different landforms, you can choose the route that runs through Australia's north and south or east and west. There will be an introduction after the article.

What excites me most are the lovely animals.

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

Greedy, I began to expect wild koalas. There are too few eucalyptus trees along the railway, and there is little hope. You can find the wild koala on the top of the tree with the naked eye in the driving car, and only the precious memory on the ocean road.

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

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

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

The picture below shows the platform 1 of Melbourne Southern Cross Railway Station on the way back:

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 for the concert I had just watched in my mobile phone dictionary. At a glance, I found the Korean girl next to me taking notes in the book. Her concentration on holding a pen and writing deeply infected me.

this is what youth should look like, no, it's 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 being immersed in your own spiritual kingdom is attractive enough in itself!

However, if she takes notes on her mobile phone, I'm afraid she will lose that appeal. I haven't seen the circle of friends for nearly half a month. I don't know the dynamics of my friends, but I am also happy to enjoy this undisturbed silence!

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

It's easy to forget the physical hardship. Just the physical hardship can make happiness more vivid and unforgettable!

as it turns out, sitting all night is a piece of cake for me. I feel that I have arrived after a few naps. After days of travel fatigue, drowsiness swept through and I couldn't feel any pain.

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

When I saw the familiar Central Railway Station, I got up and got my luggage. My legs and feet were as smooth as usual, without edema, and I was revived with blood!

At this time, my heart is full of hope and energy again. This is what a high-quality trip should look like!

iii. Train number and ticketing information

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

who is the train suitable for?

those who are looking for new experiences, such as me; Afraid of airsickness and earache, such as me; Willing to enjoy slow time