Category Archives: Transport

Manchester Victoria station roof

Wednesday 26th June 2013, 9.35am (day 671)

Victoria station roof, 26/6/13

Manchester Victoria station is like the down-and-out elder sister (*) of the brash, terribly metropolitan and far better-off sibling, Piccadilly. A backwater in transport terms already, it was further whacked by the IRA bomb which went off nearby in June 1996, and the roof has leaked, as far as I know, ever since. A couple of years ago it appeared on the list of ’10 Worst Railway Stations in Britain’, an accolade that all of us who use it heartily endorsed, I am sure. Still, at least now they seem to be putting a bit of effort into it. It only took 17 years, but let’s hope it helps the old thing.

(*) Well, it does have a girl’s name.

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Coming home, Leeds station

Sunday 16th June 2013, 10.35am (day 661)

Clare's legs, 16/6/13

I took another picture I quite liked this morning, at Leeds station; but it was kinda brown, and the last two have also been very brown. So here is some colour, not to mention shape, on the blog courtesy of the wife’s legs.

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On the Bergen-Oslo railway, near Finse station

Sunday 9th June 2013, 2.30pm (day 654)

Bergen-Oslo railway, 9/6/13

Remember, the rule on the blog is — all photos are taken on the day. So I bet I’ve seen more snow than you today, unless you live in Antarctica or somewhere. This is what Norway looks like, on June 9th, at 1,222m (4,000 feet approx) above sea level, from the train on what must be one of the world’s great rail journeys from Bergen to Oslo. And a bargain at 399 Norwegian kroner: and there aren’t many of those in Norway I can tell you. Particularly in the Voss – Geilo section this is a truly spectacular ride. Do it some day…

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Sotrabrua

Thursday 6th June 2013, 8.45pm (day 651)

Sotrabrua, 6/6/13

‘Brua’ is Norwegian for ‘bridge’. This bridge connects the mainland with the island of Sotra, near Bergen. We sailed under it today on the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a large ship which I occupied with about 300 (mostly drunk) Norwegians, an ambiguous way to spend one’s evening, but the views were good.

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Early morning, Abu Dhabi airport

Monday 27th May 2013, 1.05am (day 641)

Abu Dhabi airport, 27/5/13

The title of this post is used with a mild sense of irony. Because of the role this airport wants to play — a bridge between Europe and East Asia/Australia as well as a destination in its own right — many of the flights seem to land and leave here between midnight and 3am, to fit in with flight schedules to and from countries that have stricter controls on when planes can come in and out. As a result, Abu Dhabi airport was as busy at 1am as anywhere I’ve ever been. I didn’t deliberately get a shot of these two, but was taking something of the decorative pillar in the center of Terminal 1 — as many other people were doing to pass the time — as she turned around. Cropping did the rest, it’s a bit out-of-focus but never mind, I quite like this shot.

And so, thanks to a three-hour stopover, another country, the United Arab Emirates, technically makes it onto the blog, though I don’t consider I visited the place. However, I think this shot is a little more representative than the dull one, technically of Singapore, that I got on the stopover during my flight out just over four months ago. This shot also becomes the earliest on any of the 641 days so far, and one of only four taken before 6am.

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My luggage, at Circular Quay Station

Sunday 26th May 2013, 11.25am (day 640)

Circular Quay, 26/5/13

Here is my luggage awaiting what amounted to the second leg of my 9,000-mile journey home: the train journey from Circular Quay station to Sydney airport. Circular Quay must have one of the best views of any railway station in the world — accepting stiff competition from Durham in the north-east of England (look it up…) – so you’d think they might clean the windows now and again.

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Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sunday 31st March 2013, 4.25pm (day 584)

Sydney Harbour Bridge, 31/3/13

I know I did the ‘crossing a bridge’ thing a few days ago, but no offense to Brisbane, this is one of the world’s truly great bridges so needed to be shown on here (and I like the various lattices on the shot). And it is a very impressive piece of engineering. Eighty years old now but I am sure it will still be looking as good into the next century (though by then, who knows, it might be called the Hancock Westpac News International Bridge or something like that).

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Crossing the William Jolly Bridge, Brisbane

Tuesday 26th March 2013, 12.40pm (day 579)

William Jolly bridge, 26/3/13

Sometimes you see a shot coming just in time to get it lined up, focused and taken. Played for and got. I’m very happy with this one.

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Katoomba Station

Wednesday 13th March 2013, 9.15am (day 566)

Katoomba station, 13/3/13

Start of the first leg of my journey back to Brisbane, where I now reside. (Well, second leg, if you count the walk up Katoomba’s main street to reach the station.) I like the various curves of the platform, and do wonder what the guy in the background is actually up to.

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Dallas, my personal pilot

Saturday 2nd March 2013, 3.55pm (day 555)

Dallas the pilot, 2/3/13

Karamea is not an easy place to reach and as I have to be back in Australia by Monday morning I shelled out a few hundred NZ dollars for a flight out, with Golden Bay Air. This turned out to involve not just one, but two chances to have my own personal pilot, as both legs (Karamea – Takaka, then Takaka – Wellington) involved me being the only passenger on a tiny little Cessna. On the first plane I rather meekly sat in the back but here I am on the second flight, sitting up front next to Dallas the pilot as she flies us both over the islands of the Marlborough Sound. It was really cool to be able to talk to her during the flight and hear her conversations with air traffic controllers. I could become quite a convert to this light plane flying actually. Thoroughly worth the money, a really excellent experience.

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