Tim Richards

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. My book The Kick of Stalin's Cow is a travel narrative about post-communist Poland. I also have a novel out in ebook form, Mind the Gap.

See my published writing at iwriter.com.au, and become a patron of my Patreon at patreon.com/timrichards.

Website: https://www.iwriter.com.au
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards
Heading South: https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/products/heading-south
Ultimate Train Journeys: World: https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/ultimate-train-journeys_-world-by-tim-richards/9781741177350

Public Key

npub12cjl8p20kghhaky42qse4rqq54efygqjfu903yw9f0tk42zc699q4hhqkq

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs9vf0ns48mytm7mz24qgv63sq22u5jyqfy7zhcj8z5h4m24pvdzjspqqjkc42l

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Author Public Key

npub12cjl8p20kghhaky42qse4rqq54efygqjfu903yw9f0tk42zc699q4hhqkq

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Last Notes

2026-07-26 22:26:39 UTC

The outgoing fashion editor of the SMH/Age has amusing things to say about the Sydney/Melbourne rivalry:
"In a Sydney summer, crumpled linen shirts are as common as cabanas on the Port Philip Bay foreshore. Ironing a T-shirt in Kings Cross could be mistaken as trying too hard and putting an iron near some of the barely-there dresses at Bondi is a fire hazard.
"My first purchase in Melbourne will be an iron and a steamer for good measure. It’s not because the locals are more stylish, it’s just that they make more of an effort. Look beyond some of the fancy-dress outfits at the annual NGV Gala and there’s a commitment to a stylish look that disappeared in Sydney when people started turning up to the opening night of the opera in shorts."
#sydney #Melbourne #fashion https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/which-city-is-better-sydney-or-melbourne-i-m-in-a-unique-position-to-decide-20260723-p60i1q.html

2026-07-21 00:12:00 UTC

Right, I think I'll write some more Patreon posts today.
As a reminder, I write three new exclusive travel-related posts each week for my patrons:
- A main post about an interesting travel topic or a memorable travel experience (this week it was trains across Europe);
- A "Dateline" post wherein I talk about what I'm doing right now, wherever I'm located;
- An "Image of the week" list where I tell the story behind a photo from my travels.
Please consider becoming a patron! Patronage starts from $4 per month, and you can cancel anytime.
Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards
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2026-06-30 03:22:01 UTC

The digital rights of my round-Australia rail book Heading South have recently reverted to me, so now I can make some decent royalties from ebook sales!
That's of no interest to you, however - you just want to know if it's a good read. To that I say yes! Here's the blurb:
"Freelance travel writer and Lonely Planet guidebook contributor Tim Richards decides to shake up his life by taking an epic rail journey across Australia. Jumping aboard iconic trains like the Indian Pacific, Overland and Spirit of Queensland, he covers over 7,000 kilometres, from the tropics to the desert and from big cities to ghost towns. Tim’s journey is one of classic travel highs and lows: floods, cancellations, extraordinary landscapes and forays into personal and public histories – as well as the steady joy of random strangers encountered along the way."
You can find out more and buy the ebook at the following links:
Kindle AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0H25VSGR3
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/heading-south-9
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/au/book/heading-south/id6770431038
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=5CDaEQAAQBAJ
Enjoy!
#Australia #train #trains #rail #book #books #travel [@[email protected]](https://a.gup.pe/u/bookstodon ) @npub1q60…kp90
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2026-06-30 03:10:16 UTC

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Do them, they're good for you :)

2026-06-30 01:15:10 UTC

Last day of the financial year here in Australia. And here's a solid French font to mark it.
#australia
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2026-06-26 04:58:58 UTC

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We live near the Bourke/Elizabeth Sts one

2026-06-24 23:42:11 UTC

New at my Patreon... While in Canberra I dropped into Parliament House for an architecture tour and discovered an impressive building, packed with symbolism:
https://www.patreon.com/timrichards/posts/parliamentary-161835007
#Canberra #history #Australia #tour #architecture
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2026-06-22 23:24:03 UTC

That's interesting - Larry the Cat at Number 10 Downing Street has so far outlasted six prime ministers. Next!
#UKpol #cat #cats https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_%28cat%29

2026-06-13 05:02:13 UTC

Talented young bloke with a very strong kick. Interesting profile.
---
He can moonwalk, he can backflip – but most of all, Nestory Irankunda can kick a ball so freakishly hard that he has even broken a soccer net. Meet the Socceroos’ wildcard weapon.
#football #Australia https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-don-t-know-how-to-stop-scoring-bangers-is-this-our-next-football-superstar-20260526-p600sl.html

2026-06-11 09:29:24 UTC

I like how at Perth Airport's Terminal 4 they scroll between the destination name and the relevant First Nation Country. Nice touch.
#Qantas #Flying #FirstNations
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2026-06-10 00:27:47 UTC

Scary thoughts.
"Which to me means it’s vitally important that Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers press on with enacting the budget’s plans to limit negative gearing, end the capital gains tax discount and start taxing family trusts.
"Why? Not just because these changes are vital to making home ownership affordable again, but also because, if Albanese abandons his efforts to fix home ownership or even just waters them down, it will show that, in all practical terms, the economy has become ungovernable."
#Ukraine #Russia #UkraineWar https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/how-a-three-day-invasion-has-surpassed-world-war-one-and-threatens-global-catastrophe-20260604-p6042o.html

2026-06-07 07:08:57 UTC

Putin getting desperate.
#UkraineWar #StandWithUkraine https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-07/russia-embarks-on-plan-to-recruit-soldiers-from-universities/106757174

2026-05-26 06:12:12 UTC

Hmm I would have to take issue with the end of that first para. When you're trying to figure out where/when to meet someone, it is ENORMOUSLY more efficient to talk rather than text.
"There is nothing worse you could do to me than call my mobile. When my phone rings, I feel irritation mingled with fear. Nothing good ever comes from a phone call, and importantly, a phone call does not achieve anything that a text can’t do faster and with less impost."
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-don-t-make-phone-calls-even-in-an-emergency-why-you-should-never-ring-someone-under-40-20260430-p5zsoo.html

2026-05-26 05:57:28 UTC

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Seems a bit exhausting to me, to always be playing the role of the Main Character in your own ongoing drama.
#Melbourne #photography

2026-05-22 06:51:36 UTC

We're watching the final part of Good Omens, and @npub1jrk…mxg8 has popped out to Hareruya Pantry to pick up some Japanese gelati to eat during the second half.
Which two flavours would you choose?
#icecream #gelato #gelati #Japan #Japanese #Melbourne
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2026-05-18 07:11:29 UTC

Crafty @npub1jrk…mxg8 crocheted a stress-relieving octopus and made me promise to give him a hug during the day. Very soothing.
#craft #crochet
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2026-05-16 23:04:46 UTC

BULGARIA WON! Thank god. If Israel won under current circumstances, I think it would break Eurovision.
Anyway Bulgaria deserve it, I don't think they've won before either. Sofia is a great place, will be a fun host city.
#Eurovision

2026-05-12 01:48:42 UTC

I'm glad it's not just me who hates the murky blue-grey colour grading that seems to be applied to everything nowadays. Awful.
"A 'blue-grey' aesthetic has recently taken over our screens, washing out colours in major blockbusters and television. Some said F1 looked clinical, almost as if it were an advertisement for Apple TV. Meanwhile, both Wicked films were criticised for looking flat and homogenous, especially in comparison to the vibrant Technicolor in The Wizard of Oz."
#tv #film #movies https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/the-devil-wears-prada-it-s-just-a-shame-we-can-t-really-see-it-20260505-p5ztsx.html

2026-05-11 22:11:57 UTC

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I don’t think I've ever seen that weather forecast icon before. "Cool with a chance of cotton wool."
#Melbourne #Weather
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2026-05-11 22:05:12 UTC

It is highly misty out there today! Mysterious Melbourne.
#Melbourne #Weather
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2026-05-10 23:38:21 UTC

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What's the song like?

2026-05-10 22:49:17 UTC

Let's be honest, most hotel buffet breakfasts are poor to average; all those trays of horrible scrambled eggs sweating in bain-maries. The best option IMO is the hybrid setup wherein cold dishes are set out as a buffet, but the hot dishes are à la carte.
"The buffet breakfast in a four-star hotel or better has long been theatrical. Buffets aren’t just about food and nutrition, they’re about choice, indulgence and psychological reinforcement. It’s a reminder that you’re away from home, and restraint is off the menu.
"But change is in the air. In many hotels, and especially at the upper end, the breakfast buffet has been reimagined. The offerings are fewer and hot food is cooked to order. It’s not a revolution, but it is telling. In some quarters, the hotel breakfast buffet is being recalibrated.
"Driving the change is an acknowledgement that breakfast buffets are hugely wasteful. Accor chief Sebastien Bazin has argued that the industry needs to rethink buffet-style dining due to the extraordinary amount of food it throws away, as the buffet generates more than twice the food waste of a la carte meals. Bazin has been outspoken about reducing buffets and moving toward more controlled, plated or hybrid formats."
#hotel #hotels #food #breakfast #travel https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/why-hotel-breakfast-buffets-are-shrinking-and-where-to-find-the-world-s-best-20260508-p5zv19.html

2026-05-09 03:27:42 UTC

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Hope you had a fun time in Melbourne :)

2026-05-09 03:10:39 UTC

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All the media should walk out when they do that. That'd stop them very quickly, I imagine.

2026-05-09 03:08:53 UTC

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Definitely a case of "Be careful what you wish for" re immigration. Such obvious scapegoating. We need immigrants, and it's not their fault not enough housing is built.

2026-05-08 00:45:23 UTC

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Congrats! Going out for dinner to celebrate?

2026-05-05 23:20:58 UTC

Now free for all to read... In December I wrote about the opening of Melbourne's new Metro Tunnel beneath the city centre - focusing in particular on the art within its station walls:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/melbourne-art-on-145174317
#Melbourne #train #trains #station #railway
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2026-05-05 23:07:25 UTC

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True because we've never had many Mexican immigrants. But it's getting better.

2026-05-05 23:05:39 UTC

Oh that's *my* story! Now that's more like it.
https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/travelling-solo-is-ironically-the-least-lonely-way-to-travel-20260423-p5zqjy.html
#travel
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2026-05-05 22:59:00 UTC

In that case, could we spend the money instead on a high-speed train between Melbourne and Sydney?
"The final stages of the botched Inland Rail freight link from Parkes in NSW to near Brisbane have been shelved indefinitely after warnings that the cost of the entire 1700-kilometre line would blow out to well over $45 billion and take until at least 2036 to complete."
#train #trains #Australia #railway https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inland-rail-s-final-stages-shelved-after-shock-45-billion-price-tag-revealed-20260505-p5ztxb.html

2026-05-04 23:08:06 UTC

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Useful. I do that too sometimes, I'll be just round the corner having coffee. We have an app connected to the front door intercom so we can see who's there and speak to them, which helps.

2026-05-04 23:04:32 UTC

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Was that the 1/6 tram route? I know the 19 route in Sydney Road gets snarled a lot.

2026-05-04 23:02:04 UTC

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Looks tempting, right?

2026-05-04 22:56:16 UTC

This new Mexican place in Brunswick sounds great.
"When was the last time I had much to say about a bowl of guacamole? I can’t remember. Usually it’s fine but unremarkable, or bad but in a boring, watery, too-salty kind of way. At Mercadito, it’s presented in a bowl topped with lines of chopped red onion, coriander and green chillies; you mix it up and pile it onto chips, the ratio of fatty avocado to onions and herbs just right.
"Quite a few dishes on this menu aren’t yet common in Melbourne, and certainly aren’t done as well as they are here. A shrimp tostada is all bouncy prawns, crunchy lettuce and tart green pico de gallo piled onto crisp cracker-like tortillas. Aguachile made with snapper marinated in lime juice, avocado and cucumber is balanced, zippy fun."
https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/melbourne-eating-out/this-mexican-food-is-so-good-i-want-to-go-out-on-the-street-and-start-dragging-people-in-20260501-p5zt0g.html
#Melbourne #Mexican #food #restaurant cc [@sister_ratched](https://toot.community/@sister_ratched )

2026-05-04 04:18:32 UTC

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No idea. Has to be a May the Fourth thing, right?

2026-05-04 02:14:53 UTC

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Anyway this is our now beautifully sorted kitchen bottom drawer, which contains hardware and related stuff. The neatness won't last, but it's extraordinarily pleasing to get something – anything – in perfect order for a brief span, given the state of the world.
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2026-05-04 01:43:02 UTC

Yesterday I sorted out the bottom kitchen drawer for the first time in 23 years, and discovered we own 19 (!) Allen keys of various sizes. Just imagine how many millions of these must be stashed away around the world.
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2026-05-04 00:55:25 UTC

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Yeah that's it, I'm not interested enough to make an effort. I've noticed recently that cafes whose only online presence is IG seem to have given up too.

2026-05-03 23:37:02 UTC

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It is awful. I maintain my IG account for work reasons but refuse to post more than the minimum as the algorithm hides everything anyway. That's partly why I never want algorithms at work here.

2026-05-03 23:14:07 UTC

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I visited Malacca some years ago, it's a lovely city. Was serially held over centuries as colonial possessions by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, so has an interesting mix of architecture.
#Malaysia #trade #history
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2026-05-03 23:01:05 UTC

Don't know if this is paywalled, but it looks delicious - many recipes for beans, lentils and chickpeas:
https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/18-healthy-meals-to-make-with-a-can-of-beans-lentils-or-chickpeas-20260429-p5zrz1.html
#food #recipe

2026-05-03 22:54:32 UTC

Interesting piece about Malacca and its trading history, connected to modern-day events.
"If you were to stand here for a year with binoculars, you would see a quarter of global seaborne trade pass by. More crude oil comes through here each year than even the Strait of Hormuz.
"For centuries, the 1100-kilometre passage bound by Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia – only a couple of kilometres wide at its narrowest – has been the great maritime link between East and West.
"In this late-afternoon panorama, we count eight container ships near and far, each heading towards Singapore, old Malacca town’s modern-day successor as South-East Asia’s major trade emporium.
"Some of the cargo may be heading to a store or pump near you – more than 40 per cent of Australia’s imports and about two-thirds of its exports pass through the strait."
#Malaysia #trade #history
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-iran-war-has-brought-another-vital-shipping-lane-into-sharper-focus-20260429-p5zsc1.html

2026-05-01 05:56:24 UTC

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Nice pics! Enjoyed showing you around, always fun to ogle some quality transport infrastructure. :)

2026-04-30 05:56:43 UTC

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Seems ironic to be reading 'Life After Cars' in a Fitzroy bar while trams regularly slide past a few metres away. But as I walked here I passed obscenely huge SUV-type cars barely fitting into parking spaces - even in this human-scale, highly walkable neighbourhood. They get everywhere.
Cc @npub1thu…8zxf #TheWarOnCars
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2026-04-30 05:39:48 UTC

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A point made in 'Life After Cars' is that back in the 1920-30s there was a big backlash against the upheaval cars were causing as they took over cities, particularly re the huge road toll.
The authors mention - surprisingly - an early Superman comic book story which had the Man of Steel pitted against irresponsible drivers and dodgy car manufacturers. I had a look in the DC app, and it was there! So here are a few choice panels from Action Comics #12 (1939):
#TheWarOnCars
#Superman #comics #ComicBooks
Cc @npub1thu…8zxf
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2026-04-30 05:33:20 UTC

Interesting read by the people behind @npub1thu…8zxf - I just borrowed it from the library. Lots of good for thought re tackling the automotive scourge.
#TheWarOnCars
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2026-04-29 05:15:43 UTC

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Especially when they're free!

2026-04-29 02:32:18 UTC

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Speaking of writing, how many of Windows' keyboard shortcuts do you regularly use in place of menu icons? I still use several, these ones particularly:
CTRL-A Select all
CTRL-B Bold
CTRL-C Copy
CTRL-F Find
CTRL-I Italic
CTRL-S Save
CTRL-V Paste
CTRL-X Cut
CTRL-Y Redo
CTRL-Z Undo
Where would we be without CTRL-Z? Always using it, and it's easy to type with finger and thumb as the two keys are so close to each other.
#AmWriting

2026-04-29 02:20:36 UTC

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I was being hosted on a Vietnam-Cambodia cruise and it turned out it didn't include an Angkor Wat tour at the end (which was an extra add-on). Only realised just beforehand. These oversights can arise when other people are arranging the bookings.

2026-04-29 02:18:15 UTC

Thank heaven for Shift+F7 (the thesaurus function) in MS Word. Could not for the life of me recall the word "foreshadowed", so typed "heralded", selected it, then used Shift+F7 to find the actual word I wanted. Very handy when you're tired and your brain is having a word block.
#AmWriting

2026-04-29 00:55:49 UTC

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Get up and down the steps? I avoided the really steep steps, and the guide helped steady me on the other steps which tended to not have rails.

2026-04-28 23:45:20 UTC

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Time for a quick jog around Brunswick? ;)

2026-04-28 23:27:25 UTC

Now free for all to read... I arrived at Siem Reap in northern Cambodia around lunchtime, with my flight home leaving the following morning. This meant, I realised, that I would miss out on seeing nearby Angkor Wat - unless I acted swiftly:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/angkor-wat-into-143834176
#Cambodia #travel #AngkorWat
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2026-04-28 22:58:55 UTC

I back the federal government in getting revenue out of the tech giants to help fund journalism in Australia. You can't have a working democracy without journalism, no matter how flawed it sometimes is. And Meta etc are also the prime carriers of misinformation and the chief agents of distraction.
#auspol https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-unveils-2-per-cent-revenue-hit-for-tech-giants-who-shun-news-deals-20260428-p5zron.html

2026-04-28 00:52:34 UTC

Hi all. I would love to have some new patrons join my Patreon... as numbers dip over time, and it's always good to see new faces among the patron gang.
It starts from $4 per month and for that fee you get three new, exclusive posts each week about travel: one a mini-essay or trip report, another about a particular travel photo, and a third about what's happening where I am now.
I often write about rail travel, but topics cover all aspects of travel - from particular destinations to musings on why we travel.
Hope you'll join! You can cancel any time if it turns out not to be your thing. Here's the link for more details and to sign up: https://www.patreon.com/timrichards
#travel #TravelWriter #TravelWriting #writing #writer

2026-04-27 00:10:16 UTC

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Are they the ones with the kind of angled ends? I still have one of those handy to charge my Sony headphones.

2026-04-26 23:59:56 UTC

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Aha you're in Melbourne already. Picked a good week for it, weather should be nice after today.

2026-04-26 05:21:17 UTC

New at my Patreon... I was in North Melbourne, waiting for a tram, when I glanced up to see this colourful mural on the building across the road:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/dateline-of-156406012
#Melbourne #art #StreetArt
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2026-04-22 23:30:27 UTC

Having coffee at Wolf & Hound in Flemington. This is a great place to combine drinking coffee with watching trains, they go by every few minutes. :)
#Melbourne #train #trains #coffee #cafe
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2026-04-22 04:25:43 UTC

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I stayed overnight in Chernobyl just after the 30th anniversary in 2016. Fascinating place, easily the weirdest destination I've written about.

2026-04-20 02:49:28 UTC

The political cross-currents mentioned in this article remind me of the reply attributed to British PM Harold Macmillan, when asked what he was most afraid of:
"Events, dear boy, events."
#auspol https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-20/australias-lucky-country-mantle-has-slipped/106581228

2026-04-20 01:58:52 UTC

Aha this has finally shown up at the library! Have been looking forward to reading it, love his work.
#book #books #biography
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2026-04-20 01:38:06 UTC

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I was wondering if the algorithm was picking up vibes from people you know of the marrying/childbearing age

2026-04-20 00:54:24 UTC

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Do you know a lot of people of that age?

2026-04-20 00:44:17 UTC

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And of course the doctor is running late (kinda saw that coming)

2026-04-20 00:29:50 UTC

Whoa, a bit of cardio exercise on a chilly autumn morning! Belatedly left the apartment at 10.19 for a 10.30 appointment - dived into a passing tram then walked very quickly and arrived at 10.27. Phew!
#Melbourne

2026-04-19 23:21:34 UTC

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Will that link up with the trams in due course?

2026-04-18 02:47:22 UTC

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I haven't actually got there yet but this is the place you have in mind I think - Malaysian canteen-style in an industrial area: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7WuW8tfZuLoh1aay5?g_st=ic. We talked about it here, but didn't actually visit.

2026-04-17 10:53:43 UTC

Had dinner with friends, and a visiting family member of theirs whipped up Crêpes Suzette for dessert! Haven't eaten that for years. Was delicious.
#food #dessert
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2026-04-17 07:10:46 UTC

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I'd do it by train (surprise!). Get a rail pass and go for it. But that's me. :)

2026-04-17 01:46:29 UTC

I've been saving this for #FensterFreitag - a beautful stained glass window in Dunedin railway station, New Zealand.
#NewZealand
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/417/520/321/707/116/original/3885a7da4caf607c.jpeg

2026-04-16 05:00:35 UTC

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I've just been in New Zealand and the surcharges are even worse there, often 2.5%. Annoying all round.

2026-04-15 23:39:52 UTC

I'm warming to the new paint job on the London Stores building.
#Melbourne
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2026-04-15 04:37:45 UTC

Hmm, $100 per hour to lie down doesn't seem that appealing. Especially since it's only for 4 hours. What do you think?
"The bunk beds, which will also be available to premium economy passengers, will start from $495 for a four-hour session during the flight. There will be two sessions per flight initially on board the 16-hour (17 hours on return) haul on board the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners."
#Travel #Flying https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/air-nz-reveals-launch-date-pricing-for-economy-class-bunk-beds-20260415-p5zo28.html

2026-04-15 02:13:22 UTC

This is good - the major parties had a kind of 'financial gerrymander' in these laws which ensured they received more funding than did independents. Now overturned, and no doubt the similar national electoral funding laws will go next.
---
High Court declares Victorian electoral funding laws unconstitutional https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/high-court-declares-victorian-electoral-laws-unconstitutional-20260415-p5znzr.html
#vicpol #auspol

2026-04-14 23:27:47 UTC

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Also, I think you must be deranged to want to be president in your '80s. I'm in my early 60s and I yearn to semi-retire and potter around bookshops and sit reading in local cafes and libraries.

2026-04-14 23:23:21 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@kottke/116403480925631181
The proportion of US leaders in their 70s-80s is quite striking. In Australia, our prime ministers and premiers tend to take office when they're in their 50s.
#USpol #auspol
#note1ew5…uexv

2026-04-14 05:35:52 UTC

Just received my contributor copy of a Lonely Planet book which was published in September: Epic Train Trips of the World (LP tends to be slow at supplying author copies, for some reason).
I wrote the sections about the Eastern & Oriental Express (Singapore-Malaysia) and the Northern Explorer (New Zealand). Must say it's a beautifully produced coffee table book and weighs a ton (well, 1.5kg or so). Lovely glossy thick pages, a pleasure to turn.
Here's the link if you're interested in getting a copy: https://shop.lonelyplanet.com/products/epic-train-trips-of-the-world
#travel #train #trains #book #books
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2026-04-13 23:54:59 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@adwright/116398549365895527
It is remarkable how useless the balancing of powers between the executive and legislature has turned out to be in the USA. This guy is acting like an absolute monarch, and no one is brave enough to stop him. Why is this war even happening, and why isn't Congress reasserting its power?
#USpol #IranWar
#note1695…r6hw

2026-04-13 23:31:42 UTC

New at my Patreon... I haven't always fallen in love with a favourite place straight away; sometimes I've had to get the major highlights out of the way and visit it a second time so the magic could strike. But with some places - yes! I've loved them from Day One:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/love-at-first-153393846
#travel
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2026-04-13 23:28:09 UTC

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We've never had it, find it hard to justify the cost for what you get.

2026-04-13 01:20:08 UTC

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Such a moron. My one request is that we stop electing morons.

2026-04-11 04:35:19 UTC

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Yeah but I understand why they deactivated bookings - if it's free, you'll get people booking seats then not showing up.

2026-04-11 00:23:12 UTC

Aha my article for Traveller about the best train trips to take from Melbourne in this month of free public transport travel is now live online.
Sometimes it takes months to get an article published, sometimes it's just days. I bashed away on the keyboard to write that story in my Wellington hotel room on Easter Monday, five days ago. :)
https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/make-the-most-of-free-trains-10-of-the-best-trips-to-take-from-melbourne-20260407-p5zlwm.html
#Train #Trains #Melbourne #Victoria #free

2026-04-10 21:37:46 UTC

Good morning from Melbourne! Looks like excellent weather coming up today. It's good to be home.
#Melbourne
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2026-04-10 04:21:24 UTC

My flight from AKL - MEL is delayed. So annoying when you're at the end of a tiring trip and just want to get home. [sigh]

2026-04-09 22:05:38 UTC

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Hmm Auckland commuter trains have a set of three steps just inside the doors. Odd, seems like a curious own-goal re accessibility. Must be a reason for it.
#train #trains #Auckland #NewZealand
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2026-04-09 21:57:39 UTC

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I'm glad they renamed the main station, Britomart was such an odd name. I think it was a colonial-era ship, but it sounded like a colonial-era department store founded in London.
#train #trains #Auckland #NewZealand
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2026-04-09 21:53:48 UTC

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Waitematā station even has an ekiben shop!
#train #trains #Auckland #NewZealand
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/376/969/224/822/330/original/910143971f558b03.jpeg

2026-04-09 21:52:37 UTC

Auckland's Waitematā (formerly Britomart) station is certainly looking good. A few years back they remodelled the old main post office to serve as the surface building, very appropriate.
#train #trains #Auckland #NewZealand
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2026-04-09 03:35:56 UTC

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That is interesting, quite different from the rules that applied when we had an e-scooter hire scheme in Melbourne.

2026-04-09 02:43:38 UTC

Aucklanders - are e-scooter riders allowed to ride on the footpaths, sometimes in pairs, and without helmets? Just curious.
#NewZealand #Auckland

2026-04-08 23:02:30 UTC

New at my Patreon... I ride aboard the Northern Explorer from Wellington to Auckland in the new Scenic Plus class, which features a multi-course meal interspersed with scenic highlights of the North Island:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/restaurant-train-155128775
#NewZealand #Train #Trains #Food #Auckland #Wellington cc @npub1rdq…nrum [@seatsixtyone.bsky.social](https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/seatsixtyone.bsky.social )
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/371/581/741/030/537/original/d300b6e027887572.png

2026-04-08 09:55:06 UTC

Forced to frequent a Subway outlet round the corner from my Auckland hotel, given the late arrival of the train from Wellington.
Subway sandwiches are odd. They're *almost* good, but somehow not. I think the bread is the issue.
#food

2026-04-07 04:14:03 UTC

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Now do the Robodebt villains!

2026-04-07 04:00:44 UTC

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About time!

2026-04-06 21:12:28 UTC

Fun pedestrian lights with Māori designs here in central Wellington:
#Wellington #NewZealand
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2026-04-03 21:42:34 UTC

Sitting on trains is about 10,000x better than sitting on buses, discuss.
#NewZealand #Train #Trains
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2026-04-03 19:20:57 UTC

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No it's Saturday

2026-04-03 19:14:35 UTC

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He was fun in Flash Gordon