An epic journey from New Zealand to Spain, celebrating the enduring
romance of travel by train. When Gregory Hill set out to travel from his home in Wellington, New
Zealand to its antipode - the furthest point from it on the globe - he knew it
would be an incredible adventure. What he didn't anticipate was that his
journey would be one of the last of its kind, as the places he travelled
through, and travel itself, would shortly be devastated by war and pandemic.
This turned what could simply be a captivating travel log into a meaningful
reminder of the joy and privilege of setting out on an epic adventure.
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, passes over the volcanoes
of Java, through Southeast Asia and on into Europe. From a hilarious
miscommunication in China to cultural immersion at the Paris Opera, there are stop-offs with half a world's worth of impressions, people,
history, food, music and culture. Hill also describes most of the great trains of
the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealand's Northern Explorer to the Eurostar,
and everything in between.
The grand finale is a day spent in the obscure Spanish village of
Alaejos, locating the exact antipode of the author's
living room. The perfect end to a vast adventure, and a last look at an era of
such ambitious journeys.
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