I’m in Newcastle all week, meeting up with some colleagues from around Australia. While some will fly in directly, and a few will drive up from Sydney, the train’s my preferred way of getting here. Although it takes almost three hours, and the trains no longer go right to Newcastle Central, I love the fact it’s pretty inexpensive, and the fact you go through the beautiful Hawkesbury area, getting quite close to the water in places, and you get to see some rather gorgeous views.