Woke up early today. Walked over to the State Library and tried to get in with the laptop bag. The library staff are capricious about letting in that bag - the last time they let me go in, and today they asked me to check it into a locker because it didn't fit the silly frame.
Had a coffee at Starbucks and thought I'd get wireless access there - but found out that you need a Telstra connection to get that. Gave up on checking mail today.
Bought a Zone 1+2 day pass and decided to do some scouting around the area.
First off towards Belgrave - we'd seen a couple of places out in Upper Fern Tree Gully and Upwey and we wanted to see how long it would take to travel there and back. As the train made its way towards the outer suburbs, we were struck by how quiet the suburbs are. Melbourne itself isn't a bustling city - not like New York or London or even Sydney - but the 'burbs are right quiet!
Starting at Boronia, we got views of the mountains and the forests that make up the Dandenongs. The train was mostly empty by now - our carriage had a couple of high-school kids listening to music and making out.
Boronia - Ferntree Gully - Upper Ferntree Gully - Upwey - Tecoma - Belgrave
The views are amazing! The train runs along the flank of a mountain with the tops of trees below it on one side, and more trees towering up on the other. It would be amazing to live here - if only it wasn't an hour outside the city!
Belgrave Station Street is a short stretch of little curio shops and restaurants and real-estate agent offices. We have a Fish 'n Chips lunch sold by a friendly but miserly Greek vendor at one of the restaurants on the street. Walked back down to the station after lunch and took the train back to Richmond.
From Richmond we took the Frankston Line to see that side of the country. It's now around 3:00 and some of the schools seem to be letting out. The train goes on towards Aspendale and the suburbs we think we might to live in.
Aspendale - Edithvale - Chelsea - Bonbeach - Carrum - Seaford - Kannanook
The train runs along the Nepean Highway - we get glimpses of the turquoise ocean and the beach. Again - it would be lovely to live here. There are even a few "For Sale" signs up - we need to call Dan, the real-estate agent we've been in touch with from when we were in India.
The school kids on the train are lively and noisy, and they all seem to live within a few stops of school. There seem to be a lot more people living in these suburbs than on the Belgrave line, I think.
We reach Frankston and it starts to rain. This area has a rugged maritime beauty to it - sand and sea and gray sky pouring with rain.
It's only a 20 minute bus-ride to Dandenong City from here and we take the bus from just outside the station. Acres of quiet green farmland go by and the bus weaves in and out of bus-stops marking out the little streets crossing the highway. We reach Dandenong and get in to the station to get to Berwick.
The 4:20 to Berwick was cancelled - the next one is about 30 minutes later but lands up being delayed a quarter of an hour more. When it arrives it's crowded. Everyone is quite upset with the delays and two school girls on the train are confused about the station they want to get off. The display on the train says that the next station was the one that went by six stations ago! When they finally realize that they needed to get off where we got on, they're hysterical...
We finally arrive at Berwick and wait at the station for our friend to pick us up...
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