@timrichards@aus.social
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timrichards

@timrichards@aus.social

Travel writer living and working on Wurundjeri land in Melbourne, Australia. Rail travel expert, current books on sale include Heading South and Ultimate Train Journeys: World. See my published writing at iwriter.com.au.

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timrichards, to Trains
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Back on the Spirit of the Outback, for the run back to Brisbane. This time I get to enjoy the journey without making notes - always a relief. It's rare to be doing something I'm not making notes about.

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

It's hard to depict this properly, but on this trip on the Spirit of the Outback I have a "twin sleeper" for my sole use. What they've done is remove the partitions between some single compartments to create "doubles" which couples can book. You each have a chair that folds down to a bed, thus sleeping foot-to-foot. :)

Here's an attempt at a panorama shot, not easy to do in the limited space.

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

From 2019, but oh god yes - I hate those narrow hard Tolix chairs so much. (Was suffering on one today, which inspired me to Google its name.)

Dear Restaurants: This Chair Sucks
https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwbppz/dear-restaurants-this-chair-sucks

TheBreadmonkey, to random
@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party avatar

Lot of people very much just saying things on the Internet today

timrichards,
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@TheBreadmonkey

It Happens Season 3 GIF by Portlandia

timrichards, to random
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Taking a break from trains, via a cruise on the Thomson River.

timrichards,
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Well that was an impressive sunset over the Thomson River. Good work.

liquid_clear, to Trains
@liquid_clear@mastodon.social avatar

I have no words for how much I despise trains and the American train system.

#trains

timrichards,
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@liquid_clear Surely trains in general are good. Did Amtrak hurt you?

timrichards,
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@liquid_clear I can't imagine too much trains. I can imagine too much Amtrak.

peterw, to random
@peterw@aus.social avatar

Hello, it’s me. One in eight grown-ups love extreme tartness.

"For most people, biting into a lemon would leave them puckered up and desperate to lose that sour flavor, but a new study revealed that roughly one in eight adults like intensely sour sensations."

I’ve always loved a tart taste; if there’s a lemon or sour flavour to choose from I’ll go no further. Citrus drinks and strong cheeses are my favourite.

My nephew goes one further and eats lemons like they are oranges. No scurvy for him.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240429165812.htm

timrichards,
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@peterw I'm with you. I hate sugary flavours, much prefer the citrus end of the scale.

timrichards, to queensland
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New at my Patreon... Here's my arrival by train at Longreach Station, a fine example of Queensland's long-distance rail terminals. I share a surprising fun fact about it too...

Video of the week: Ideal station at the end of the line https://www.patreon.com/posts/103608522

timrichards, to random
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Creepy town

Paddy Moriarty's Larrimah house to go to auction, more than six years after his disappearance - ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-05/nt-larrimah-paddy-moriarty-home-set-to-be-sold/103800530

timrichards, to queensland
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

I've been on another rail day trip aboard Outback Aussie Tours' shiny old railmotor. This time we headed east to the town of Ilfracombe. Interesting place, with a lot of historic buildings including the best outback pub, the Wellshot Hotel.

jakecoppinger, to random
@jakecoppinger@mastodon.social avatar

Martin Place Metro station displays waiting on an Ubuntu update!

timrichards,
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@jakecoppinger Awkward

timrichards, to queensland
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

I'm at the Wellshot Hotel in Ilfracombe, outback Queensland. Gotta love the pub seating.

camwilson, to random
@camwilson@mastodon.social avatar

I've been thinking about this from mid-2022 recently. Without a lot of people noticing, we've moved on from the social web era

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

@camwilson Ugh, just awful. No control at all over what you see, just a new version of broadcast television for people with attention deficits.

timrichards, to queensland
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Huh, I just discovered that maroon is officially Queensland's state colour.

State colour | About Queensland and its government | Queensland Government

#Queensland #Colour https://www.qld.gov.au/about/how-government-works/flags-emblems-icons/state-colour

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

[ROLLS EYES DRAMATICALLY]
https://flipboard.com/@fastcompany/fast-company-l36v8lfpz/-/a-E9RG1QeATJO6kI-AVrXDYQ%3Aa%3A3199563-%2F0

timrichards, to auspol
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

How depressing. To think Labor once saw itself as the party helping those doing it tough. Unemployment benefits desperately need a big boost, for a start - how about that instead of a surplus?

"Chalmers and Albanese want to reclaim the mantle of Labor being better economic managers – so the focus right now is on handing down that second consecutive surplus. The underlying message is clear: trust us, we are sensible and boring."

Federal Budget 2024: How Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese could signal early election

(maybe paywalled) https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/six-simple-words-that-could-fire-the-gun-on-the-next-election-20240310-p5fb82.html

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

@rood yep usually takes about five minutes from the election of a Labor government to feeling disappointed with it. Sadly.

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

@dallas Agreed. Can't believe they're still pursuing the surplus myth. I assume they know it doesn't really mean anything, but they think it looks good in a tabloid headline.

timrichards,
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@largess I suspect things may catch up with them next time, what with people voting for the Greens and other alternatives. Would love to see them in minority government.

ThermiteBeGiants, to random
@ThermiteBeGiants@aus.social avatar

Lonsdale Street, despite being a major trunk route for buses travelling through the Melbourne CBD, has curbside 2-hour parking on weekends within the designated bus lane along it - and is a loading zone too, apparently. It should be a clearway 24/7, there’s no excuse even if it is paid parking.

timrichards,
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@danielbowen @ThermiteBeGiants The book at the top of this list - Mind the Curve - is a great history of the old cable tram days: https://www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au/shop/books.htm

Kels_316, to random
@Kels_316@aus.social avatar

looking at flights to Cairns for a thing and hilariously the way to get there from the Sunshine Coast is via either Sydney or Melbourne. The travel time is measured in days. Normal country.

timrichards,
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@ThermiteBeGiants @allrite @Kels_316 It is very frustrating that state governments are reducing choice (getting rid of sleepers and first class) just when there are more people interested in using trains. Feels like we need a federal-run sleeper train service with new carriages running Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide, specifically pitched as part of our response to climate change.

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

@ThermiteBeGiants @allrite @Kels_316 Also the Queensland government should lay on more long-distance train services, every time I visit they seem very well used. A regular service twice a day between Townsville and Cairns would be a great idea, for example.

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Off on this gorgeous outback train for an excursion today. They don't make them like this anymore.

#Longreach #train #Trains #outback

timrichards,
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

@eugeneparnell This one's from the 1970s, they called it a railmotor - basically it has diesel engines at each end of the two-carriage train (I think that's right). Old-school but v good-looking.

timrichards, to Trains
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Great to see Amtrak putting on new train services in the USA. Behold the Borealis, a new named train connecting Minneapolis/St Paul to Chicago: https://www.amtrak.com/borealis

timrichards,
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@jedsetter Ha yeah the XPTs were introduced in an era when train names were seen as very old hat.

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