Latest news with #XPT
The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
The bush tax that dampens travel euphoria and complicates logistics
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by Daily Advertiser deputy editor Daisy Huntly. Last year I made a decision: I was going to do more in 2025. Off the back of the COVID years, the never-ending crunch of the news cycle, an increasingly miserable state cost of work, family and paying the bills, I wasn't really factoring myself in. We spend so much of our lives doing what we think we should do, or what others expect of us, rather than finding the balance when and how we can. So as long as the bills were paid and I was squirrelling even a little bit away, I should have some things to look forward to, right? Great plan. The limitations and logistics of public transport in regional NSW have made for some creative travel plans for the sake of efficiency and stretching a buck. Wagga is absolutely not alone in this - in many ways, it's ideally-placed geographically - and those in regional centres and rural communities know the angst well. I also wasn't expecting the surge of musicians and comedians I love making long-awaited visits Down Under. The cost of live gigs aside, it is increasingly expensive to be a music fan while living anywhere outside a capital city. The tickets are nothing compared to what having one incurs. For a one-way flight out of Wagga, you rarely see change from $200 unless it's booked well ahead of time. As I type this, there are just 12 days of July 2025 you could fly to Melbourne with Qantas for less than $219 - and some days it's almost $500 - and if you were organised and got in now you could get to Sydney for $179 in August. Rex is also in the mix, but with similar challenges. Without a concession, the cheapest train ticket out of Wagga to Sydney or Melbourne is around $67 one way. For what it's worth, I quite enjoy the XPT and it's my preferred way to get to Melbourne (if I was heading to Sydney, different story). But it's obscene the difference 130km and a state line can make - the alternative for a Melbourne journey is to drive to Albury and jump on the V/Line for about $15 return. It's easy to see why many Wagga families choose this option. For solo travellers by the time you factor in driving time, fuel, vehicle wear and tear and leaving the car for a night or two, the XPT's siren song is singing. I've turned everything I was already doing into frequent flyer points, for the times I can't make anything else work transport-wise. I've boosted every supermarket rewards offer that hit my inbox and watched for accommodation deals like a hawk. I've boarded the XPT to Melbourne at 2.30am, carpooled to Canberra, scored last-minute lifts to the V/Line, cashed in those points. I've fit in NRL games, wrestling, the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Tyler Childers, Randy Houser, Chris Stapleton (what a birthday present), Luke Combs, and at least Bliss n Eso, Oasis and Usher to come. The Oasis purchase in particular racked me with guilt. Yet I'd paid utilities bills and didn't feel a twinge of regret. No one ever beats themselves up about that. The feeling of being in the crowd - whether it's from the pit, a seat or the nosebleeds - is unquantifiable and something everyone should be able to enjoy. Even if it takes a bit more planning than it should. I'm chronically aware many others face this travel dilemma constantly, and for more than just one person, for far more serious reasons. For me, it's all short-term, it's only for a year or so, and looking back on who I've seen in the last eight months alone, there's not a single regret - other than not having done it sooner, and maybe not all at once. It's just a shame the regional tax that comes with it is so harsh. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by Daily Advertiser deputy editor Daisy Huntly. Last year I made a decision: I was going to do more in 2025. Off the back of the COVID years, the never-ending crunch of the news cycle, an increasingly miserable state cost of work, family and paying the bills, I wasn't really factoring myself in. We spend so much of our lives doing what we think we should do, or what others expect of us, rather than finding the balance when and how we can. So as long as the bills were paid and I was squirrelling even a little bit away, I should have some things to look forward to, right? Great plan. The limitations and logistics of public transport in regional NSW have made for some creative travel plans for the sake of efficiency and stretching a buck. Wagga is absolutely not alone in this - in many ways, it's ideally-placed geographically - and those in regional centres and rural communities know the angst well. I also wasn't expecting the surge of musicians and comedians I love making long-awaited visits Down Under. The cost of live gigs aside, it is increasingly expensive to be a music fan while living anywhere outside a capital city. The tickets are nothing compared to what having one incurs. For a one-way flight out of Wagga, you rarely see change from $200 unless it's booked well ahead of time. As I type this, there are just 12 days of July 2025 you could fly to Melbourne with Qantas for less than $219 - and some days it's almost $500 - and if you were organised and got in now you could get to Sydney for $179 in August. Rex is also in the mix, but with similar challenges. Without a concession, the cheapest train ticket out of Wagga to Sydney or Melbourne is around $67 one way. For what it's worth, I quite enjoy the XPT and it's my preferred way to get to Melbourne (if I was heading to Sydney, different story). But it's obscene the difference 130km and a state line can make - the alternative for a Melbourne journey is to drive to Albury and jump on the V/Line for about $15 return. It's easy to see why many Wagga families choose this option. For solo travellers by the time you factor in driving time, fuel, vehicle wear and tear and leaving the car for a night or two, the XPT's siren song is singing. I've turned everything I was already doing into frequent flyer points, for the times I can't make anything else work transport-wise. I've boosted every supermarket rewards offer that hit my inbox and watched for accommodation deals like a hawk. I've boarded the XPT to Melbourne at 2.30am, carpooled to Canberra, scored last-minute lifts to the V/Line, cashed in those points. I've fit in NRL games, wrestling, the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Tyler Childers, Randy Houser, Chris Stapleton (what a birthday present), Luke Combs, and at least Bliss n Eso, Oasis and Usher to come. The Oasis purchase in particular racked me with guilt. Yet I'd paid utilities bills and didn't feel a twinge of regret. No one ever beats themselves up about that. The feeling of being in the crowd - whether it's from the pit, a seat or the nosebleeds - is unquantifiable and something everyone should be able to enjoy. Even if it takes a bit more planning than it should. I'm chronically aware many others face this travel dilemma constantly, and for more than just one person, for far more serious reasons. For me, it's all short-term, it's only for a year or so, and looking back on who I've seen in the last eight months alone, there's not a single regret - other than not having done it sooner, and maybe not all at once. It's just a shame the regional tax that comes with it is so harsh. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by Daily Advertiser deputy editor Daisy Huntly. Last year I made a decision: I was going to do more in 2025. Off the back of the COVID years, the never-ending crunch of the news cycle, an increasingly miserable state cost of work, family and paying the bills, I wasn't really factoring myself in. We spend so much of our lives doing what we think we should do, or what others expect of us, rather than finding the balance when and how we can. So as long as the bills were paid and I was squirrelling even a little bit away, I should have some things to look forward to, right? Great plan. The limitations and logistics of public transport in regional NSW have made for some creative travel plans for the sake of efficiency and stretching a buck. Wagga is absolutely not alone in this - in many ways, it's ideally-placed geographically - and those in regional centres and rural communities know the angst well. I also wasn't expecting the surge of musicians and comedians I love making long-awaited visits Down Under. The cost of live gigs aside, it is increasingly expensive to be a music fan while living anywhere outside a capital city. The tickets are nothing compared to what having one incurs. For a one-way flight out of Wagga, you rarely see change from $200 unless it's booked well ahead of time. As I type this, there are just 12 days of July 2025 you could fly to Melbourne with Qantas for less than $219 - and some days it's almost $500 - and if you were organised and got in now you could get to Sydney for $179 in August. Rex is also in the mix, but with similar challenges. Without a concession, the cheapest train ticket out of Wagga to Sydney or Melbourne is around $67 one way. For what it's worth, I quite enjoy the XPT and it's my preferred way to get to Melbourne (if I was heading to Sydney, different story). But it's obscene the difference 130km and a state line can make - the alternative for a Melbourne journey is to drive to Albury and jump on the V/Line for about $15 return. It's easy to see why many Wagga families choose this option. For solo travellers by the time you factor in driving time, fuel, vehicle wear and tear and leaving the car for a night or two, the XPT's siren song is singing. I've turned everything I was already doing into frequent flyer points, for the times I can't make anything else work transport-wise. I've boosted every supermarket rewards offer that hit my inbox and watched for accommodation deals like a hawk. I've boarded the XPT to Melbourne at 2.30am, carpooled to Canberra, scored last-minute lifts to the V/Line, cashed in those points. I've fit in NRL games, wrestling, the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Tyler Childers, Randy Houser, Chris Stapleton (what a birthday present), Luke Combs, and at least Bliss n Eso, Oasis and Usher to come. The Oasis purchase in particular racked me with guilt. Yet I'd paid utilities bills and didn't feel a twinge of regret. No one ever beats themselves up about that. The feeling of being in the crowd - whether it's from the pit, a seat or the nosebleeds - is unquantifiable and something everyone should be able to enjoy. Even if it takes a bit more planning than it should. I'm chronically aware many others face this travel dilemma constantly, and for more than just one person, for far more serious reasons. For me, it's all short-term, it's only for a year or so, and looking back on who I've seen in the last eight months alone, there's not a single regret - other than not having done it sooner, and maybe not all at once. It's just a shame the regional tax that comes with it is so harsh. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by Daily Advertiser deputy editor Daisy Huntly. Last year I made a decision: I was going to do more in 2025. Off the back of the COVID years, the never-ending crunch of the news cycle, an increasingly miserable state cost of work, family and paying the bills, I wasn't really factoring myself in. We spend so much of our lives doing what we think we should do, or what others expect of us, rather than finding the balance when and how we can. So as long as the bills were paid and I was squirrelling even a little bit away, I should have some things to look forward to, right? Great plan. The limitations and logistics of public transport in regional NSW have made for some creative travel plans for the sake of efficiency and stretching a buck. Wagga is absolutely not alone in this - in many ways, it's ideally-placed geographically - and those in regional centres and rural communities know the angst well. I also wasn't expecting the surge of musicians and comedians I love making long-awaited visits Down Under. The cost of live gigs aside, it is increasingly expensive to be a music fan while living anywhere outside a capital city. The tickets are nothing compared to what having one incurs. For a one-way flight out of Wagga, you rarely see change from $200 unless it's booked well ahead of time. As I type this, there are just 12 days of July 2025 you could fly to Melbourne with Qantas for less than $219 - and some days it's almost $500 - and if you were organised and got in now you could get to Sydney for $179 in August. Rex is also in the mix, but with similar challenges. Without a concession, the cheapest train ticket out of Wagga to Sydney or Melbourne is around $67 one way. For what it's worth, I quite enjoy the XPT and it's my preferred way to get to Melbourne (if I was heading to Sydney, different story). But it's obscene the difference 130km and a state line can make - the alternative for a Melbourne journey is to drive to Albury and jump on the V/Line for about $15 return. It's easy to see why many Wagga families choose this option. For solo travellers by the time you factor in driving time, fuel, vehicle wear and tear and leaving the car for a night or two, the XPT's siren song is singing. I've turned everything I was already doing into frequent flyer points, for the times I can't make anything else work transport-wise. I've boosted every supermarket rewards offer that hit my inbox and watched for accommodation deals like a hawk. I've boarded the XPT to Melbourne at 2.30am, carpooled to Canberra, scored last-minute lifts to the V/Line, cashed in those points. I've fit in NRL games, wrestling, the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Tyler Childers, Randy Houser, Chris Stapleton (what a birthday present), Luke Combs, and at least Bliss n Eso, Oasis and Usher to come. The Oasis purchase in particular racked me with guilt. Yet I'd paid utilities bills and didn't feel a twinge of regret. No one ever beats themselves up about that. The feeling of being in the crowd - whether it's from the pit, a seat or the nosebleeds - is unquantifiable and something everyone should be able to enjoy. Even if it takes a bit more planning than it should. I'm chronically aware many others face this travel dilemma constantly, and for more than just one person, for far more serious reasons. For me, it's all short-term, it's only for a year or so, and looking back on who I've seen in the last eight months alone, there's not a single regret - other than not having done it sooner, and maybe not all at once. It's just a shame the regional tax that comes with it is so harsh.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Billions to be spent on regional roads, trains and bridges: see the full list
Regional roadways, broken bridges and flood recovery on some of the busiest highways have been flagged for major upgrades, with funding either announced or recommitted in the NSW state budget. Roads to ruin: delays, damage and near-misses as readers share horror road story Released on June 24 total funding included a $2.3 billion boost for local and state roads damaged in major flood events, alongside $48 million to address mobile coverage cut-outs and blackspots on highways. The Regional Roads Fund will also share in $214.5m over four years across 10 projects, including $15.2m for approaches at Wallendbeen Bridge, on Burley Griffin Way, as well as $20m to improve the Golden Highway near Merriwa and $32.7m to place signals at the roundabout for Yass, Bungendore and Ellerton Drive, in either announced or recommitted budget funding. Road safety funding will also see a boost, with the state confirming it will spend $1.2b across four years, with additional funding from federal government to bring the fund up to a total $2.8b. Money will be allocated to improve road safety with intersection upgrades, barriers, medians and support safety trials, as part of the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan. An estimated total $214.5m will be spent on the regional roads fund, bolstered by joint federal and state funding of $1.2b across four years on road safety. Freight and rail upgrades were also listed for a sweetener, with $53.3m in the budget set aside across four years to improve regional rail and freight transport options across the regional rail network. An additional $843.1m was also pencilled in for a regional rail fleet upgrade, replacing the decades-old XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains across the regional rail network. Although the region has been left waiting years to see one of the new fleet on track across the region. Transport for NSW says testing is still being conducted on the new trains, and a definite date for operation is yet to be confirmed. Major regional road upgrades funded in the budget across the next four years, with funding supported from the federal government include: Regional roadways, broken bridges and flood recovery on some of the busiest highways have been flagged for major upgrades, with funding either announced or recommitted in the NSW state budget. Roads to ruin: delays, damage and near-misses as readers share horror road story Released on June 24 total funding included a $2.3 billion boost for local and state roads damaged in major flood events, alongside $48 million to address mobile coverage cut-outs and blackspots on highways. The Regional Roads Fund will also share in $214.5m over four years across 10 projects, including $15.2m for approaches at Wallendbeen Bridge, on Burley Griffin Way, as well as $20m to improve the Golden Highway near Merriwa and $32.7m to place signals at the roundabout for Yass, Bungendore and Ellerton Drive, in either announced or recommitted budget funding. Road safety funding will also see a boost, with the state confirming it will spend $1.2b across four years, with additional funding from federal government to bring the fund up to a total $2.8b. Money will be allocated to improve road safety with intersection upgrades, barriers, medians and support safety trials, as part of the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan. An estimated total $214.5m will be spent on the regional roads fund, bolstered by joint federal and state funding of $1.2b across four years on road safety. Freight and rail upgrades were also listed for a sweetener, with $53.3m in the budget set aside across four years to improve regional rail and freight transport options across the regional rail network. An additional $843.1m was also pencilled in for a regional rail fleet upgrade, replacing the decades-old XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains across the regional rail network. Although the region has been left waiting years to see one of the new fleet on track across the region. Transport for NSW says testing is still being conducted on the new trains, and a definite date for operation is yet to be confirmed. Major regional road upgrades funded in the budget across the next four years, with funding supported from the federal government include: Regional roadways, broken bridges and flood recovery on some of the busiest highways have been flagged for major upgrades, with funding either announced or recommitted in the NSW state budget. Roads to ruin: delays, damage and near-misses as readers share horror road story Released on June 24 total funding included a $2.3 billion boost for local and state roads damaged in major flood events, alongside $48 million to address mobile coverage cut-outs and blackspots on highways. The Regional Roads Fund will also share in $214.5m over four years across 10 projects, including $15.2m for approaches at Wallendbeen Bridge, on Burley Griffin Way, as well as $20m to improve the Golden Highway near Merriwa and $32.7m to place signals at the roundabout for Yass, Bungendore and Ellerton Drive, in either announced or recommitted budget funding. Road safety funding will also see a boost, with the state confirming it will spend $1.2b across four years, with additional funding from federal government to bring the fund up to a total $2.8b. Money will be allocated to improve road safety with intersection upgrades, barriers, medians and support safety trials, as part of the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan. An estimated total $214.5m will be spent on the regional roads fund, bolstered by joint federal and state funding of $1.2b across four years on road safety. Freight and rail upgrades were also listed for a sweetener, with $53.3m in the budget set aside across four years to improve regional rail and freight transport options across the regional rail network. An additional $843.1m was also pencilled in for a regional rail fleet upgrade, replacing the decades-old XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains across the regional rail network. Although the region has been left waiting years to see one of the new fleet on track across the region. Transport for NSW says testing is still being conducted on the new trains, and a definite date for operation is yet to be confirmed. Major regional road upgrades funded in the budget across the next four years, with funding supported from the federal government include: Regional roadways, broken bridges and flood recovery on some of the busiest highways have been flagged for major upgrades, with funding either announced or recommitted in the NSW state budget. Roads to ruin: delays, damage and near-misses as readers share horror road story Released on June 24 total funding included a $2.3 billion boost for local and state roads damaged in major flood events, alongside $48 million to address mobile coverage cut-outs and blackspots on highways. The Regional Roads Fund will also share in $214.5m over four years across 10 projects, including $15.2m for approaches at Wallendbeen Bridge, on Burley Griffin Way, as well as $20m to improve the Golden Highway near Merriwa and $32.7m to place signals at the roundabout for Yass, Bungendore and Ellerton Drive, in either announced or recommitted budget funding. Road safety funding will also see a boost, with the state confirming it will spend $1.2b across four years, with additional funding from federal government to bring the fund up to a total $2.8b. Money will be allocated to improve road safety with intersection upgrades, barriers, medians and support safety trials, as part of the 2026 Road Safety Action Plan. An estimated total $214.5m will be spent on the regional roads fund, bolstered by joint federal and state funding of $1.2b across four years on road safety. Freight and rail upgrades were also listed for a sweetener, with $53.3m in the budget set aside across four years to improve regional rail and freight transport options across the regional rail network. An additional $843.1m was also pencilled in for a regional rail fleet upgrade, replacing the decades-old XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains across the regional rail network. Although the region has been left waiting years to see one of the new fleet on track across the region. Transport for NSW says testing is still being conducted on the new trains, and a definite date for operation is yet to be confirmed. Major regional road upgrades funded in the budget across the next four years, with funding supported from the federal government include:
