An epic journey from New Zealand to Spain, celebrating the enduring romance of travel by train.
The journey of The Antipodean Express takes in 89 days of travel, on 33 trains, through 19 countries. It begins in New Zealand's North Island, weaves past the volcanoes of Java, through East Asia and on into Europe. From hilarious miscommunications in China to cultural immersion at the Bolshoi Ballet, there are stop-offs with half a worlds worth of impressions, people, history, food, music and culture. Hill also describes most of the great trains of the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealands Northern Explorer to the Eurostar, and everything in between.
The culmination is a day spent in the obscure Spanish village of Alaejos, locating the exact antipode of the authors living room. The perfect end to a vast adventure.
A railway adventure tracing a journey from the authors home in New Zealand to its exact antipodes in rural Spain. The narrative recounts 89 consecutive days of travel with 33 trains through 19 countries. It describes most of the great trains of the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealands Northern Explorer to the Eurostar and everything in between. Full of people, memories, history, and places anyone interested in travel, trains, food, music and cultures will love taking this armchair journey.
An epic train journey from New Zealand to Spain, across 19 countries in 89 days on 33 different trains. From New Zealand's Northern Explorer to the Eurostar, the book captures the romance of rail travel, exploring cultures, cuisines, history and people along the way.
Recenzijas
Enjoy travelling vicariously with some quirky companions? How about a journey from New Zealand to Spain undertaken almost entirely by train? Meet amusingly eccentric French horn player Gregory Hill and his German violinist wife Anne. Well-illustrated with maps and photos, this is a fun armchair journey with Gregory and Anne with musical interludes including the Bolshoi Ballet and the Paris Opera. - Gourmet On The Road Inspiring and unexpected, The Antipodean Express is a delightful account of a New Zealand couples extraordinary adventures to reach the other side of the globe. - Kristen Rabe, Foreword Review The Indian Pacific and the Ghan are like luxurious cruise ships on rails
-ABC Melbourne Afternoons with Trevor Chapel (Broadcast Statewide in Victoria) A railway adventure tracing a journey from the authors home in New Zealand to its exact antipodes in rural Spain. The narrative recounts 89 consecutive days of travel with 33 trains through 19 countries. It describes most of the great trains of the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealands Northern Explorer to the Eurostar and everything in between. Full of people, memories, history, and places anyone interested in travel, trains, food, music, and cultures will love taking this armchair journey. -
Our Generation Magazine For lovers of train travel its all about the journey. And what a journey Gregory Hill and his wife Anne Loeser took 89 days of travel, on 33 trains through 19 countries.
The journey is chronicled rather beautifully in Gregorys book The Antipodean Express which is subtitled A Journey by Train from New Zealand to Spain.
To my mind this trip is right up there with some of the great rail journeys I have followed involving Michael Portillo, Paul Theroux, Joanna Lumley, and, among others, Michael Palin. -InReview Well written and a thoroughly enjoyable story. Gregory Hill has a most wonderful sense of humour as he describes situations and people's foibles that they met on this epic journey. There were many times that I laughed, smiled or was sitting on the edge of my seat. It certainly is an enjoyable page turner. - School Days Magazine The most interesting book I have read for a long time. -
Flax Roots Well illustrated with maps and photos, The Antipodean Express is a fun armchair journey with Gregory and Anne, with musical interludes, and a vivid travel chronicle filled with surprising global insights and fascinating railway anecdotes. A captivating travel log has been converted into an expressive reminder of the privilege and enjoyment that can be derived from setting out on a grand railway exploration. Always making sure to keep on the right track(s) so to speak! - Public Service News Hill displays an infectious enthusiasm and engaging wide-eyed innocence. The Antipodean Express provides an amiable dollop of armchair travel with a genial companion who ends his long expedition with... what else but a refreshing sangria and victory dinner in Salamanca. - NZ Listener Hills book is well illustrated, and he writes in a highly engaging and descriptive style with a wonderful irreverence for which the word flippant might be generously mild, of the numerous towns and villages one would never see any other way- The Otago Daily Times "Gregory Hill accurately details a truly epic railroad journey from New Zealand to Spain. As a celebration of rail travel "The Antipodean Express" is a fun, informative, and inspiring read from start to finish. Ideal reading for the armchair traveler, and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Travel Guide & Railroading History collections."- Kirkus The trip was not about getting to the destination. It was about the journey itself,- author Greg Hill
Contents
Dramatis personae 1
Introduction 4
Sunday, 31 March Wellington to Auckland 6
Monday, 1 April Auckland to Sydney 11
Tuesday, 2 April Sydney and the Blue Mountains 13
Wednesday, 3 April Sydney to Bogan Gate 15
Thursday, 4 April Broken Hill to Adelaide 18
Friday, 5 April Adelaide and Hahndorf 20
Saturday, 6 April Adelaide and Kangaroo Island 22
Sunday, 7 April Adelaide to Mabel Creek 24
Monday, 8 April Marla and Alice Springs 26
Tuesday, 9 April Tennant Creek to Katherine and Darwin 28
Wednesday, 10 April Darwin 30
Thursday, 11 April Darwin to Denpasar 32
Friday,12 April Denpasar to Banyuwangi 34
Saturday, 13 April Banyuwangi and Kawah Ijen 38
Sunday, 14 April Banyuwangi to Surabaya 41
Monday, 15 April Surabaya to Borobudur 44
Tuesday, 16 April Borobudur and Yogyakarta 46
Wednesday, 17 April Yogyakarta 50
Thursday, 18 April Yogyakarta to Jakarta 53
Good Friday, 19 April Jakarta 55
Saturday, 20 April At sea 59
Easter Sunday, 21 April Bintan, Singapore and Malacca 61
Monday, 22 April Malacca 65
Tuesday, 23 April Malacca to Kuala Lumpur 68
Wednesday, 24 April Kuala Lumpur to George Town 72
Thursday, 25 April George Town 75
Friday, 26 April George Town to Hat Yai and beyond 78
Saturday, 27 April Bangkok 83
Sunday, 28 April Bangkok to Siem Reap 86
Monday, 29 April Siem Reap to Phnom Penh 90
Tuesday, 30 April Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City 93
May Day, Wednesday, 1 May Ho Chi Minh City 97
Thursday, 2 May The Unification Express, Vietnam 101
Friday, 3 May Hanoi 104
Saturday, 4 May Hanoi and Ninh Bģnh 107
Sunday, 5 May ōng ng to Hong Kong 110
Monday, 6 May Hong Kong 115
Tuesday, 7 May Hong Kong to Hangzhou 119
Wednesday, 8 May West Lake 122
Thursday, 9 May Hangzhou to Xian 125
Friday, 10 May Xian 128
Saturday, 11 May Xian to Xining 131
Sunday, 12 May Xining to Lhasa 136
Monday, 13 May Lhasa 139
Tuesday, 14 May Lhasa 142
Wednesday, 15 May Lhasa to Shigatse 145
Thursday, 16 May Shigatse to Rongbuk 149
Friday, 17 May Rongbuk to Shigatse 153
Saturday, 18 May Shigatse to Lhasa 155
Sunday, 19 May Lhasa to Tongtianheyan 158
Monday, 20 May Tongtianheyan to Liangzhen 161
Tuesday, 21 May Beijing 163
Wednesday, 22 May Beijing to Erenhot 166
Thursday, 23 May Erenhot to Sukhbaatar 171
Friday, 24 May Naushki to Irkutsk 174
Saturday, 25 May Irkutsk to Listvyanka 181
Sunday, 26 May Listvyanka 187
Monday, 27 May Listvyanka to Nizhneudinsk 190
Tuesday, 28 May Nizhneudinsk to Tatarsk 193
Wednesday, 29 May Omsk to Kirov 197
Thursday, 30 May Kirov to Suzdal 200
Friday, 31 May Suzdal 205
Saturday, 1 June Suzdal to Moscow 210
Sunday, 2 June Moscow 214
Monday, 3 June Moscow 220
Tuesday, 4 June Moscow to Smolensk 225
Wednesday, 5 June Orsha to Gotha 228
Thursday, 6 June Eisenach to Paris 233
Friday, 7 June Paris 237
Saturday, 8 June Annes birthday in Paris 240
Sunday, 9 June Paris to Figueres 243
Monday, 10 June Figueres to Cadaqués 246
Tuesday, 11 June Cadaqués and Far de Cala Nans 250
Wednesday, 12 June Cadaqués and Cap de Creus 253
Thursday, 13 June Cadaqués to Barcelona 256
Friday, 14 June Barcelona 259
Saturday, 15 June Barcelona to Salamanca 263
Sunday, 16 June Alaejos 267
Monday, 17 to Salamanca to Wellington 275
Friday, 28 June
MAPS
Route of the Antipodean Express viii New Zealand North Island 9
Eastern Australia 16
Central Indonesia 35
Singapore 62
Peninsular Malaysia 69
Thailand 79
Cambodia 91
Vietnam 100
China and Mongolia 111
Hong Kong 116
Central Russia 177
Primorsky Slyudyanka 179
Western Russia and Belarus 196
Poland 230
Germany 232
France 234
Spain 247
Index 279
Gregory Hill, born in Auckland, diverted from his country's obsession with sport to pursue a passion for the French horn, which eventually led to his career in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Despite living in a country with a basic passenger train service, he nurtured a fascination for long-distance train travel, which he finally indulged in after his retirement.
In the year between ending his career and the world coming to a standstill, Gregory undertook an epic journey by rail from New Zealand to Spain. He now lives in Wellington with his violinist wife Anne, cherishing his two adult sons and two grandsons.