This morning my other half got his wish for a train trip and we boarded the "Overland" Steam Train built in 1919. It was a very crisp morning and a wee bit breezy on the platform I can tell you. Thank goodness for my old trusty blue coat. It is starting to become my uniform for Victoria...
We boarded at the lovely Heritage Maldon Railway Station for a round trip to Castlemaine and we decided to treat
ourselves and travel first class so that we could truly appreciate the beautiful First Class Sleeping Car.
The beautiful old sleeping compartments with their warm carved timbers, vintage lighting and press tin wash basins were so special. I wouldn't have liked to have slept on the bunks though as I think they would have been a tad hard. No innersprings in those days.....we also got to have a bit of bubbly to add to the atmosphere...
I was feeling decidely warmer and cheerier by the next glass...very civilised way to travel I thought. Cheers!
On the way back we opted to sit in the "Salon" which has vintage cane seating and the doors have lovely stained glass panels...not to mention the gorgeous pressed ceilings.
Throughout the train in those scalloped alcoves were old black and white photographs of places of interest around Victoria...the only thing that jaded my return trip was this very unfortunate person in terrible headwear that remained on the outside balcony taking photos of every step of the return journey and sniffing in the train smoke pretending he knew me....most embarrassing!!! I simply ignored him.
What can I say he has steam trains in his blood and I should be used to it by now....some lady had the affrontery to mention to him about another great train ride at Daylesford...oh my! It was however a wonderful experience and well worth the trip. The volunteers are so dedicated, friendly and just amazing. I love people who are passionate about the things they care about and share it with others..we have met quite a few just lately. Lots of wonderful things from our history would be lost without them.
After our train ride we set out for our 'mission destination' for this year's trip and that was the beautiful Grampians National Park. It was a lovely drive up through Maryborough, Avoca, Ararat and Stawell. This rocky outcrop is the very great view from our campsite.
Some of the locals were very friendly and popped in to say welcome...
As we are able to have our very own campfire on our site we did just that.
Nothing like a BBQ dinner and a warm fire....
We are really looking forward to exploring this beautiful region in the coming days.
Catch you later.
Blessings Michelle xxx
good you are getting closer,did you get a chance to catch up with Cheryl.Lots of lovely pics,glad you are having so much fun.xx
ReplyDeleteLovely day Michelle and Mr R sure did enjoy himself and yah you've made it to the Grampians. Will ring you Monday
ReplyDeleteAnother great post Michelle - you are On Fire!
ReplyDeleteSomebody looks quite blissful in that grand old train...and the bubbly looks good too.
btw, loved all the pics from Bendigo - we stayed at the Shamrock Hotel a few years ago, just because I liked the bluestone look of it.
x
The Grampians are beautiful.....when we were there we took a four-wheel drive tour which took us to places we would never have been able to get to otherwise. It was worth every penny!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to spend a day and to see the countryside - pity about the 'man' sniffing the train smoke tho!!lol You scored with your camping company too!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you had another wonderful day. Enjoy the Grampians.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day they knew how to travel in style. Getting there was half the fun!
ReplyDeleteThe Grampians are just beautiful and Daylesford is well worth a trip. I love it there.
another lovely trip Michelle, even if you have to put up with strange behaviour from others!! haha...
ReplyDeleteA lovely area and I adore the big rocks at the Grampians... so majestic..
Hugz
Such a fun post, I did chuckle about the stranger in the hat, I hope he didn't bother you too much :) The train ride looks wonderful. xx
ReplyDeleteLooks like a perfect 3way to spend the day....great photos..
ReplyDeletewhat a great post, the train reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel.
ReplyDeleteOh what a great experience. I'm sure the bubbly would have set the mood and warmed the bones. what great character those old trains have. Hope you do the other train trip too....enjoy..xo
ReplyDeleteSteam trains are awesome! So glad that you both enjoyed the trip. Enjoy the Grampians just look out for those legless lizards!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great day and the Grampians will bring a lot of delights, too. And I think you will appreciate the improved and warmer weather this week.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot of fun , in my teens I traveled a lot by train and loved it , enjoy your trip ! Hugs Sheila
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