*poke poke*

Midget · 23 Apr 2015, 3:05 pm

Poking around in this section as phytrix mentioned that buses to Canberra were decently priced...

phytrix · 23 Apr 2015, 4:00 pm

Midget wrote:Poking around in this section as phytrix mentioned that buses to Canberra were decently priced...

Yeah, a round trip from Sydney will set you back somewhere between $50-60, which is pretty reasonable. Will be arranging an expo to be held in a couple of weeks time, so keep an eye out for that. And I'm sure there will be some people coming from/along that route, so you can always arrange a lift down if anyone plans to attend. Details will be posted in the next few days.

Echo · 23 Apr 2015, 4:53 pm

Someone make a Canberra random meet up thread.

phytrix · 23 Apr 2015, 4:57 pm

Echo wrote:Someone make a Canberra random meet up thread.

It's not necessary with such a small memberbase in Canberra (just me). If any new members want to meet up I'll get in contact with them, but a thread probably wouldn't get any action sadly.

Midget · 23 Apr 2015, 5:25 pm

Echo wrote:Someone make a Canberra random meet up thread.

Lol, it would be a source of depression for anyone living in Canberra.

I looked up buses, and wow, it's actually quite quick to get to Canberra. I can actually go there and back in a day. So.... explores???

dodger · 23 Apr 2015, 5:30 pm

Lol I am happy to give you a ride if we organise a trip down! Probably helps to have a car down there also.

phytrix · 23 Apr 2015, 5:33 pm

Midget wrote:Lol, it would be a source of depression for anyone living in Canberra.

I looked up buses, and wow, it's actually quite quick to get to Canberra. I can actually go there and back in a day. So.... explores???

Hopefully you can make it to this expo we're planning

And yeah it's really quick and no bullshit; just rock up to the place, buy a ticket/give them a surname if you've pre-booked, and get on the bus. There is a toilet as well which is nice.

And you're right about the depression factor

Echo · 23 Apr 2015, 5:51 pm

Isn't there a train from Sydney to Canberra?

phytrix · 23 Apr 2015, 5:56 pm

Echo wrote:Isn't there a train from Sydney to Canberra?

Yes, but it's far inferior to the bus system. Costs more (I think it's about $40 per way, which is $10-15 more than the bus), takes longer and also takes you to a relatively obscure location (as in, it's not walking distance to the city).

Echo · 23 Apr 2015, 5:59 pm

phytrix wrote:
Echo wrote:Isn't there a train from Sydney to Canberra?
Yes, but it's far inferior to the bus system. Costs more (I think it's about $40 per way, which is $10-15 more than the bus), takes longer and also takes you to a relatively obscure location (as in, it's not walking distance to the city).

Canberra really is a terrible city. How do you stay sane?

phytrix · 23 Apr 2015, 6:01 pm

Echo wrote:Canberra really is a terrible city. How do you stay sane?

I agree.

Who said I was sane?

cool_guy85 · 23 Apr 2015, 10:26 pm

Most Canberran's like interstaters thinking it's a s*** hole. Truth of the matter is it's a very convenient and well serviced city to live in. Not to mention its beautiful round drains.

blakjak · 24 Apr 2015, 12:25 am

phytrix wrote:
Echo wrote:Isn't there a train from Sydney to Canberra?
Yes, but it's far inferior to the bus system. Costs more (I think it's about $40 per way, which is $10-15 more than the bus), takes longer and also takes you to a relatively obscure location (as in, it's not walking distance to the city).

Sorry but the train nerd in me has to challenge this.

I wouldn't say inferior. The train is a bit slower (less direct route and stops more), and it is more expensive unless you're a student or concession and then it's cheaper. And you are right, Canberra station is not in the city centre. But it's very convenient for people that live around there, and there are connecting bus services from the traino to the city. Same for the bus, if you live miles from Civic you still have to get a cab or another bus to get home.
Either way the train is undoubtedly way more comfortable, you can walk around and stretch your legs, you can get away from the smelly mongrel next to you (there are always spare seats or you can stand in the vestibule). The seats are wider on the train and you have far more leg room. You can get a few hours sleep if you find a double empty seat on the train, the bus seats are way too small to stretch out and snooze even for a short arse guy like me. The toilets in both are crap, but the dunnys in the bus are even more atrocious and very small, and Lord help you if you're seated next to one.
And there's a canteen on the train where you can buy a cold/hot drink or an overpriced snack, and they don't mind you eating in your seat unlike in most buses where they do (mind).

Trains and buses both have their purposes, each to their own. But for me it's train all the way or I'll just drive. You wont ever catch me in a coach unless I had no other choice, too cramped for my liking.

And if you go down to Canberra to explore you're gonna need wheels. The good locations are spread out all over the shop, and Canberra has crappy public transport.

cool_guy85 · 24 Apr 2015, 5:11 pm

Yep, you're right about a car. The locations you can explore comfortably using the bus are the majority of drains around Belco and the ones around manuka. Both areas have regular buses running to them over the weekends.

There's a trick to improving the odds of getting a seat to yourself on Murrays (the bus service that runs between Sydney and Canberra). And no it doesn't involve dressing like an unkempt pedophile and smelling like a mixture of semen, stale urine and decade old mothballs.

Line up early aiming to be first in line. You head for the very last seat at the back of the bus. This seat has more leg room, a nice space behind you to put your bags and you're also a couple of inches higher than any other seat. By the time the bus fills up and strangers have to start sitting next to each other people will notice there's already someone sitting up the very back. No point walking all the way up there and turning around like a gimp, is there? They generally give up hope and choose to sit in the closest spare seat to them once the horrible realisation that they have to sit next to a stranger for the next 3 1/2 hours sinks in.

Dressing like a kiddy fiddler and emitting a scent of human waste and passed used-by-date deli meats probably does improve your chances though.

phytrix · 24 Apr 2015, 5:17 pm

Decimalz wrote:-

Great tips, and I thought I was the only one who sat up the back for that reason

Only problem with sitting up the back is that you have to close the bathroom door when people inevitably leave it open after finishing, else it flails around wildly and is a real distraction, as well as telling people there is someone in the bathroom, as in my experience, very few people recognise that the said door has a lock. Like seriously, the lock is ridiculously hard to find, so most people just assume that there is no lock and hence it reads unoccupied. Worthy sacrifices imo though

tugges-pat · 26 Apr 2015, 10:36 am

Canberras not that bad...we have trees lol

Anyone wanting to do a ACT/QBN area expo, hit me up! I'll come & bring a few mates.

blakjak · 28 Apr 2015, 7:39 pm

Another way to get a seat on your own is after booking your seat you log back in and book a few more seats in other names and since they can only re-sell those seats to other people (if there's a no-show) an hour or so before departure the chances of the bus filling up are lessened.

I sometimes do that when booking a sleeping berth on the XPT (to Melb); I book 2 berths (in the same cabin) and then only pay for the one. You don't have to confirm/pay till a day or so before travel. I usually fly to Melb but sometimes I'm carrying tons of gear and things that can't be taken on a plane. You're also allowed more luggage on the train (80kgs I think, but they don't weigh it) and you can take take pushbikes and surfboards and even kayaks on the train at no extra cost.

Booking seats that you don't intend using is technically not illegal, but they don't like people doing it.

In saying all that, public transport and urbex don't mix well, in our hobby it pays to have a car.

Midget · 30 Apr 2015, 5:24 pm

Wow. Seat hacks. Never thought of that before.

theedge · 05 May 2015, 10:04 pm

I thought transport options in the UK were bad with all the train delays between counties and a bit more expensive

At least the UK has better high speed connections - London to Cardiff is the same distance as Sydney to Canberra but takes 3 hours on the high speed First Great Western. Not only that, there are very frequent services of 1 train per hour on the weekend. 3 trains between Canberra and Sydney a day is a joke.

UK transport makes Australian transport look like a 3rd world country.

You wonder why we are so addicted to cars.

blakjak · 10 May 2015, 2:18 pm

theedge wrote:I thought transport options in the UK were bad with all the train delays between counties and a bit more expensive

At least the UK has better high speed connections - London to Cardiff is the same distance as Sydney to Canberra but takes 3 hours on the high speed First Great Western. Not only that, there are very frequent services of 1 train per hour on the weekend. 3 trains between Canberra and Sydney a day is a joke.

UK transport makes Australian transport look like a 3rd world country.

You wonder why we are so addicted to cars.

Yeah there are more people living between London and Cardiff than live in the whole of Australia. No one doubts that European rail is far superior to Australian rail which has been neglected by successive govts over the last 25 years. And Great Britain having over 60 million people in the same space as NSW (which has 7.5 million) makes it viable. I travel on a fast train between Brussels and Amsterdam last year, according to the in cabin indicator the fastest we hit was 257kph but apparently it goes over 300kph in France.
They have been talking about a VFT/HSR line from Sydney to Canberra and beyond since I was in primary school, which is before most of you were born. With cheap an abundant air services between capital cities, I just can't see it happening in my lifetime.

Midget · 10 May 2015, 2:24 pm

blakjak wrote:Yeah there are more people living between London and Cardiff than live in the whole of Australia. No one doubts that European rail is far superior to Australian rail which has been neglected by successive govts over the last 25 years. And Great Britain having over 60 million people in the same space as NSW (which has 7.5 million) makes it viable. I travel on a fast train between Brussels and Amsterdam last year, according to the in cabin indicator the fastest we hit was 257kph but apparently it goes over 3000kph in France.
They have been talking about a VFT/HSR line from Sydney to Canberra and beyond since I was in primary school, which is before most of you were born. With cheap an abundant air services between capital cities, I just can't see it happening in my lifetime.

Whoah, 3000KPH???

The capital to create a faster service is probably too high for anyone to bother.

blakjak · 10 May 2015, 5:27 pm

Midget wrote:Whoah, 3000KPH???

The capital to create a faster service is probably too high for anyone to bother.

Concorde.

And if they did, the fare would be more than an airline ticket.

Midget · 10 May 2015, 5:49 pm

blakjak wrote:
Midget wrote:Whoah, 3000KPH???

The capital to create a faster service is probably too high for anyone to bother.
Concorde.
And if they did, the fare would be more than an airline ticket.

Trains to Gold Coast are already more expensive than a plane ticket, not to mention slower. :/

blakjak · 10 May 2015, 11:28 pm

Midget wrote:
blakjak wrote:
Midget wrote:Whoah, 3000KPH???

The capital to create a faster service is probably too high for anyone to bother.
Concorde.
And if they did, the fare would be more than an airline ticket.
Trains to Gold Coast are already more expensive than a plane ticket, not to mention slower. :/

I thought all you guys were uni students (who pay half fare). And not all airline fares are cheap, you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $200 on a Friday or Monday or any day during school holidays. And when you add in luggage fees and a taxi/train/bus to the airport and back it starts adding up.
Don't get me wrong, I fly when it suits my schedule and budget, but there are also good reasons to catch the train.

Midget · 11 May 2015, 5:34 pm

blakjak wrote:I thought all you guys were uni students (who pay half fare). And not all airline fares are cheap, you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $200 on a Friday or Monday or any day during school holidays. And when you add in luggage fees and a taxi/train/bus to the airport and back it starts adding up.
Don't get me wrong, I fly when it suits my schedule and budget, but there are also good reasons to catch the train.

That's true. I only ever book a plane ticket when it's at its cheapest. Train would indeed be cheaper when booking closer to the date.