2024-09-26 -37 144

Location

At a crossroads a few kilomtres north of Lara, southwest of Melbourne.

Participants

Stevage

Expedition

Beginning

Recently returned from two months of travel in the -stans, I have a day with no plans, and a month with no successful geohashes. The point near the V/Line station of Lara wouldn't normally catch my eye, but I'm feeling open-minded, and the alternatives are worse.

I work out which train I need, and start trying to remember how to prep for an expedition. Get the bike, pump the tyres, get some snacks.

But when I leave the house, I immediately turn the wrong direction. It's been a while! I take a confusing route down Lygon St, Blyth St, the Upfield bike path. The train is in 25 minutes and I'm about 23 minutes away. How did this happen?

I'm racing down into the city but catching every red light. I scramble into Southern Cross Station with six minutes to spare. Cocky, I spend a precious minute buying some sushi.

Then to check the train board - but I can't see my train on it! Is it the Melton one? Is Melton even on the same line as Lara? All my train knowledge feels like a half-forgotten distant memory.

I run up two flights of stairs towards line 15A, carrying my bike. I'm trying to read the maps app on my phone with one hand. I change my mind, run back down the stairs, check the board again. Where is the train I'm looking for?

Back up the stairs. Through the ticket barirers, down the escalator, ask the conductor - no, Lara is definitely not on the Melton line. Back up. Check the board again. There's another train to Lara, but it's in 20 minutes. Down the escalator again.

I walk along the train. But something's wrong. There's nowhere to put my bike. Normally there are a couple of carriages with spaces for bikes, with big velco straps to hold them in place. This has none of that, just a place where you can fold up some seats for mobility scooters. It will have to do.

We depart. The conductor makes a beeline for me, asks with a glare if that's my bike. Apologetically, I ask where I'm meant to put my bike because I couldn't figure it out. Now his tone softens, it's one of only four trains on the whole network that doesn't have any bike spaces. Meant to be used for rush hour, for maximum capacity, but here we are, midday and it's in service. I'm not in trouble.

During

We arrive. The next train back is in 25 minutes, and it's about a 15 minute ride to the point. Theoretically doable, but why bother?

It's a really pleasant ride, quite back streets. There are horses and cows. And rabbits - one suddenly dives out from the bushes straight in front of me, before bolting back again.

The point turns out to be right in the crossroads. It's a nice spot, with the You Yangs in the distance. Easy.

After

I've been riding alongside the "Serendip Wetlands Education Facility" with signs calling it a wildlife sanctuary. I loop around so I can ride back through it, but it's no go - locked gates, "private entrance". I don't have any good reason to break in, but it's a little bit sad.

Still, it means I get to see a lot more of Lara than I have before. The backstreets are pretty nice, a few parks and lots of trees. I stop for a quick snack and somehow wind up with a very expensive chocolate cheesecake. It's good, but very rich.

The return train journey is as straightforward as could be. A few seats away, I can just hear someone watching some kind of video. There's something familiar about the intonation, the accent. Suddenly I recognise it: Levy Rozman, host of the most popular YouTube channel, GothamChess. As I get off, I say to the young guy watching it: "GothamChess?" and we share a little moment. It's nice.