December 8, 2023 – Still Waters

(Sitting in drafts unpublished from last year – took place Saturday 9 April 2022)

‘We can get off at Flinders Street and walk’ he said. ‘How far, how long?’ I asked

‘Not too far’ he said. ‘A couple of kms’. ‘You’re joking’ I replied

’OK, well we’ll get off at Spencer Street, and go over that way. It’s about a 15 min walk’

‘Not sure I can make that after sitting on a hard train seat for 45mins. It’s Saturday, so change at Ringwood then stopping all stations to the city’ I said.

‘Alright then, I’ll forgo my morning walk. We can get off at Flinders Street and take the tram right to the dock’ he said.

Oh the joys of living with a back condition that can impede walking – and a man able to walk an 18hole golf course with no problems at all.

And this was the place to be – at the Melbourne Ferry Terminal
Victoria Harbour
waiting for the ferry to Portarlington

We had the Lady Cutler on our left, the Bolte Bridge in front and the pineapple looking Banksia Apartments along with the leaning Marina Tower to the right

Be prepared- a welcome?? sight as you wait to board

On our way now sailing past some little wooden boats outside The Victorian Wooden Boat Centre. The Enterprize (replica) was docked alongside there as well.

Now we’re all out to sea – well not quite. . .
just dodging the Saturday sailors as we begin our way across the bay
(Port Philip Bay)

Then it was all aboard for a special trip – a gift for a special anniversary.
Sail, Rail & Dine – delayed a whole year because of ‘you know what’.
https://www.theqtrain.com.au

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A stop at Suma Park allowed people to get off and stretch their legs. There was nothing ‘arranged’ there so it was just wander up and down admiring the carriages and the engine if you walked that far forward (plus a very nice bench which I couldn’t resist). We could see staff tidying up the dining rooms preparing to serve desserts when we got back on, so true to form for many of them, when the time came, smokers who’d been asked to stand away from the train all left it as late as possible – puffing away then stamping it out just before they scrambled onboard.

Our girls bought the gift thinking we were going to be pulled by the steam engine – sadly he was booked for a special weekend event .. but we did get a glimpse of him further up the track 😊

Then it was time to get the coach back to Portarlington to connect with the ferry back to Docklands. No sitting outside on the return trip, this is how it was all the way across the bay. Dark clouds and strong winds!

We’d planned to wander round the Docklands area but it was cool, wet and windy when we got off the ferry – the tram and train home to our far eastern suburb sounded like a far better idea.