Huffin Puffin Bill's Railway is the selfie stick travelling tourist's go to place for those instagram likes.
The train departs from Belgrade Train Station, easily accessible by the Melbourne Metro. It's very popular, so in a constant state of being fully booked, plus once you buy the ticket online, you also get to queue again at the station to get your physical ticket, good to go early, but you'll end up spending your time standing on the platform instead of standing in the ticket queue.
As we set off on our journey, we got the impression that all the local residents received the same memo that requires them all to smile and wave at each passing train. From motorists waiting at rail crossings to cyclists, pedestrians and home owners spending time in their back gardens.
We bought return tickets to Emerald which is the shortest journey you can really do. There are a handful of stops in between but Emerald has a purpose build complex to take your tourist money from you. In fact, the station is so far outside of the centre of Emerald, it feels like they just moved the station out of the way.
It's good they went with the traditional train station design to match the aesthetics of the train itself....
The adjacent Lake Treganowan
A couple of hours until the return train journey, we had a quick lunch at the Visitor Centre and then with nothing else to do, we decided to have a go at the Miniature Rail Museum, which isn't even listed on Google Maps, but was surprisingly impressive.
On our journey Belgrade to Emerald City, we were on the left or port side of the train, on the return journey we did the same, and if I were to do it again, it would definitely be starboard out, port home.
The big ticket item for this journey however is just as you're leaving Belgrade or just as you come back, where the train travels across Puffing Billy Railway Trestle Bridge. Just try to ignore the engine pointing the 'wrong' way.
We got to see the bridge on the way back, just a shame the engine was pointing the wrong way!
The trip was an hour each way and tickets are between $30-150ish and get you a seat on a 28 capacity carriage, but most people will sit on the sill with their legs hanging over the edge, make sure you sit on the platform site! Didn't get a seat and don't want to share? You can hire a whole carriage for only $1700.
