Emerald Springs Revisited

This roadside stop and roadhouse / highway inn about halfway between Darwin and Katherine has been around for 40 plus years. There has always been competition between the 'Tank and Tummy Station" aka Hayes Creek roadside inn, and Emerald Spings roadhouse. This competition has waxed and waned between the two, depending on the current state of the facilities. Afterall, they are about 20km apart!!

Over the past few years, both have seemed to progressively decline in appeal, with Emerald Springs moving further and faster, while Hayes Creek did improve a little, more recently. Then.... new owners arrived at Emerald Springs, with plans and a few $$$.

Emerald Springs has had a makeover.........big time! And is now significantly better than the somewhat run down facilities at Hayes Creek Roadside Inn. And it has more room to expand, whereas Hayes Creek Inn is somewhat constrained being on a hilltop.

It is clean, staff are pleasant, the bar is air conditioned, and there is a big breezy cool verandah with a view, as well as a pleasant grassed outdoor area.

To top it off........meals are top notch, and the range available is excellent. Not necessarily super cheap, but a first rate scotch fillet steak and salad for around $20+ is excellent value. And the steak is GOOD.

Their prime market is the transport sector, and there is ample parking for road trains, and with a lot of road trains hauling both long distance freight as well as minerals for processing, they would seem to have found a clientele that does want a bit more than a crappy "burger and a beer". Plenty of drivers there having a meal on my recent visits.

Coffee is also a bit better than nescafe and hot water too, with a good expresso machine and a decent range of coffees - long black to latte and capuccino are the go. And the barista does a good job!

There is also an air-conditioned meeting room for maybe about 10 - 12 people. Not sure about any fancy technology, but hey.......a meeting halfway between Darwin and Katherine might be a very convenient spot for people from both locations and / or local Douglas or Pine Creek areas, especially in both the resources and primary industry sectors, and that need can be very common here in the Top End.

Accommodation is also available in modest but new, very clean self contained a/c rooms at a respectable price. Ask them!

No doubt time will tell if the quality continues, but at least for now........it is a good place to take a break while driving between Darwin and Katherine.

Highly recommended.

But a note of warning.........freeloaders are not especially welcome. To use the facilities, including toilets [ which are very clean] the owners would like to think you might spend some money there - coffee, drinks, ice creams.....something.

That is probably fair and reasonable. You would not be disappointed stopping here for a short break in the journey.

Age

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
~ Mark Twain

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 3

At Kluang there was a large group of elderly Japanese golfers waiting when we pulled into the station. They came aboard, with much noise, confusion and enthusiasm; assisted by several guides. One of the guides insisted that we were sitting in their seats. We consulted our tickets, which showed we were in the correct seats; and as all travelers know, possession is nine tenths, so we stayed where we were. Much confusion ensued, but finally everyone appeared to have a seat. Then the picnics were delivered to the golfers. Rather typically Japanese; very neatly and organized presentation, many choices of fruit, sushi and drinks.

Did I mention drinks? There was just about every choice they could possibly want. The gentleman across from us very swiftly polished off two cans of Japanese beer, water, but dispensed with the can of oolong tea and offered us a can top jar of saki. Pull the lid off and you have a full glass to drink. It is a long time since I have drunk any of it, but the taste memory returned with a bang and I remembered why I had previously named it rocket fuel!

Ah .......the last time 'canned" liquor was consumed by me on a train was on the Trans Siberian Railway, many years ago, through a swap deal with Russian [ sorry USSR] troops, who were keen to taste better quality scotch whiskey. In this case the cans were about the same size as a condensed milk can - two quick holes in the top of the can - hey presto - vodka, army issue! and you drank it neat, too. At least the sake was branded and obviously Japanese.

It wasn’t too much longer and we were approaching Johor Bahru. Since our last trip by train, the new Immigration and Customs hall at JB had opened, so we were interested to find out if the transition from Malaysia to Singapore would be any less painful. We had previously done a reconnoitre from Singapore to JB by bus to check out the transition but had not been able to see how the train transition worked.

We didn’t use the new station on this trip as it was not yet operational. The officials came on the train and we were cleared out of Malaysia with little time taken.

Then it was on, across the causeway to the Woodlands Immigration facility for clearance into Singapore. Everyone disembarks with their luggage and proceeds through immigration and customs and when everyone is cleared, the doors are opened, you can re board the train and proceed to Singapore. Or, you can clear immigration and customs and exit the station there, and catch a taxi, train or bus direct to your destination in Singapore. This was the course we chose. It was the first time we had tried this tactic. This decision was taken, mainly because the supposedly short trip to Singapore railway station had taken such a long time last trip. There can also be a long wait for taxis at the somewhat isolated station when you arrive. If you haven’t seen the station, it is worth the visit, as it has recently had a clean up and is quite a historic building (with traditional malay food available, particularly late at night), but that is another story …

Would there be a taxi readily available or would we be left standing at Woodlands while the train chugged on to Singapore without us? So we made the decision not to reboard and once we were out the sliding doors we were committed and could not change our minds.

Through the doors, up the escalator and directed out to the taxi rank, we found three taxis waiting, and within 20 minutes we were settled into our hotel room and having a fresh cup of coffee. Successful comfortable transfer from Kl to Singapore; and that is the way we will do it next time too!

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 2

A while into the trip I realized that the carriage seems rather quiet, no-one wandering up and down to the restaurant car. Later on, during further discussion with the English couple, I find out that there is no restaurant car this trip. OK, so the donuts are now going to look a lot more appealing further down the line! Industrial dispute or technical issue? That may have something to do with why there was no First Class Lounge open at KL Sentral too.

The train is travelling along quite quickly. On the previous trip there had been many stops and the general speed of the train was a lot slower. At that time, there had been a lot of work on the line for much of the distance. It would appear that it has been completed.






















We have one little stop on a side line while a couple of other trains travel past in the opposite direction. It is single line for a lot of the journey, so this is to be expected.

I find train travel quite civilized. It always seems a lot less hassled than a bus trip and even less so than most short hop air travel these days. What with the trip from a major city to the airport being long, the need to be at check-in so long before the departure time and then the wait for actual departure, some journeys can be accomplished in not a lot longer and with a lot less hassle.


















There are several short stops at tiny stations along the way. The train line, and the main highway also, for that matter, run the length of peninsular Malaysia, so there are lots of roads running from the costal areas in to the rail line. There is an old carriage on the side of the line at Gemas.

























Glad they have upgraded to the one we are in! This station is the start of the “Jungle Line” trip to Khota Bahru. I am told the daytime 3rd class slow train from Gemas to Khota Bahru (Wakaf Bahru) is worth the trip, as the scenery is superb. We have “thought” about it several times, but as yet the trip hasn’t eventuated.

After Gemas we decided to have lunch. This consisted of two donuts each and a drink of water (which we always carry with us). More sustenance than nutritious, but it filled a gap.

to be continued ...

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 1

Mention at checkout from the Le Meridien KL that you are leaving the city by train and you are immediately offered (well, it is insisted on actually) assistance to the railway station. This is not a long distance but you can feel a bit like someone out of an old movie being followed across the road to the station by a bellboy with a typically large hotel “trolley” with just your bags on it. The feeling of importance is quickly dashed when it is discovered that the First Class Lounge is not open prior to this trip. Hmmm, is this a warning of things to come, as it has been open for the morning departure on our previous trips. We find a seat in the departure area and assure the bellboy that we will be OK. Nothing else in the station is yet open in the way of food establishments. I had planned to perhaps forage and gather some sustenance for the journey. Ah, wait a minute; Maccas is open. Why did that not surprise me? An orange juice and a McMuffin will do while we wait and we will get lunch on the train.

An attempt to buy two donuts, for a bit more junk food on the train, accelerates into a major negotiating business deal. They don’t have their cash register working yet, the shop assistant who does that has not arrived and no-one else can set it up. Can I just leave the money with them and take the donuts? No, they are not sure how to calculate the ++ and the amount may not be correct. Hmmm. Ah, but there is a nett price on the menu for six donuts and can I just pay that? Consultation takes place between the staff, and at that stage I almost totally loose the inclination to eat a donut. However, it is decided that I can do that if I choose six donuts. OK, six donuts are selected, placed in a box, I hand over the correct money, and then there is a long search for an appropriately sized plastic bag to carry them in. I escape with just the box of donuts, wondering what himself is going to say when I turn up with six donuts! It is all said; I won’t spell it out!

Soon there is an announcement that we can board and there is a rush for the entry. Eventually we settle into our seats and find that the carriage is only about one third full. We find that a bit unusual, as we thought, when we booked that we had got the last two seats. A brief chat with an English couple who are settling in a few seats from us, and the train pulls out of KL Sentral on its way towards Singapore.

to be continued ...