Newcastle and Wondabyne

This little adventure up the Central Coast almost didn't happen but for a last-minute rearranging of my entire holiday—apparently not even leaving Melbourne is enough to avoid buses replacing trains. The stop at Wondabyne station had long been on my railfan mind; it can't be reached by road, its platforms are barely long enough to fit one door of a single carriage, and trains only stop there on request. The combination of oppressive heat, steep walking tracks and ear-splitting cicadas ensured I wore myself ragged in my two hours there, but it was more than worth it to tick it off the bucket list.