Konted's Make My Day 2: Footscray

Barber Shops in Victoria, Australia

With the proliferation of unisex hair salons and beauty parlors offering hair grooming services among others, classic barber shops have been threatened. While there is a scarcity of traditional barbers who offer limited services, these salons and parlors provide the basic hair cut, skin care, facial aesthetic, massage, spa, mud bath and other services. Barber shops have been relegated into the background, so it seems.

But not in the state of Victoria in Australia. Most towns have barber shops at their designated town centers. Clients may have the customary Barber' s Cut, Crew Cut, Head Shave, Beard Trim, Hair Outline, Hot Towel Face Shave. Prices for hair cut vary from $15 to $49. There is one barber shop in Footscray, a suburb of Greater Melbourne, offering hair cut at $10. One barber shop still uses Old Spice shaving cream and lotion. Another shop gives free beer.

Southeast of Melbourne City and on the Frankston line, there is one barber shop at Mordialloc in Victoria. It is about 23 kms from the city proper. There is another one at Mentone, a seaside village. Here, the barber sells hair grooming products. One barber shop in Pakenham, which is north of Melbourne Central Business District, employs a lady barber. Some barber shops require clients to make appointments while others allow anyone to just walk in, take the barber's seat and have his haircut. Certainly, barber shops have remained popular in Victoria as made evident by the numerous barber poles one sees when passing through the towns of Victoria.

- Konted

Barber shop at Mentone, Victoria in Australia

Barber shop at Sunbury, Victoria in Australia

Barber shop at Mordialloc, Victoria in Australia

Barber shop at Pakenham, Victoria in Australia

Barber shop at The Emporium at Melbourne City proper

Barber shop at Melbourne Cental Mall

Barber shop at Footscray, a suburb of Greater Melbourne

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Melbourne's Railway Network

I took the train one early morning. It was bound for Hurstbridge, a suburb of Greater Melbourne which is about 26 kilometers away from Flinders Street Station at Melbourne city proper. As the train reached Diamond Creek, the second to the last station, there were only two of us left on board the train. The other passenger, a scholarly looking man, was telling me that Hurstbridge is one of the remotest stations of the Metro Railway Network.

The Hurstbridge Line is one of 17 railway lines of the Metro Train network. The train network is arranged like the rays of the sun, with lines diverging from one common center, and that is Flinders Street Station in the city. Other lines end in places like Sandringham, Frankston, Belgrave, Lilydale, Pakenham, South Morang, Werribee and Cragieburn. More than 228 million passengers take the different train lines in one given year.

Flinders Street Staion, at the heart of the city, is the focal point of Melbourne's railway network. Most lines begin and end at Flinders Street Station. Systematically operated and managed, Flinders Street Station have 14 platforms where commuters embark and disembark. For a look at the various train schedules, there are several electronic boards in key areas of the station. There are four exit points. There is a customer service office at the main lobby of the station.

In one of my trips to the southeast part of Greater Melbourne, I chanced upon this tall man who was only a few meters away from where I was seated. He was telling me that a commuter is allowed to take along his dog when using the Metro train. And he was patting his Jack Russell. Then he asked: "Do you intend to take your dog with you when riding the train? BTW, how many dogs do you have?" Without batting an eyelash, I replied: "I have 15 dogs back home. 8 Chihuahuas, two Jack Russell terriers and 5 others. I want them to experience a train ride. Do you think that is possible?" At the next station, Rosanna if I am not mistaken, the man stood up, looked at me and said: "Walk your dogs around the park which is nearest your place. Taking the train would be troublesome. And how do you feed 15 dogs?" My eyes were still trained on the man as he touched off at Rosanna and boarded a bus waiting outside. The train proceeded to Flinders Street Station and in 20 minutes I was back on familiar grounds.

- Konted

Flinders Street Station is the focal point of Melbourne's railway network.

Main entrance & exit/ There are three other entry points.

Customer service booth near the main entrance

/This is where you buy tickets for regional trips.

Electronic board at the lobby showing schedules of train departures

Customer service office at the main lobby

A few tables and benches where one can have a light meal.

Clean toilets

Platforms 4 & 5. There are 14 platforms at Flinders Street Station.

Kiosk where commuters can buy refreshments.

Arriving and departing passengers

An authorized Metro Train officer makes a surprise check on the validity of Myki cards.

Footscray Train Station

V Line regional train stops at Footscray Train Station

A Metro train stops and picks passengers bound for Williamstown, Newport, Spotswood, etc.at Footscray Train Station.

Williamstown Train Station

Waiting area at Williamstown Train Station

Watergardens Train Station in Sydenham, Victoria

Lady waits for the train bound for the city proper.

Train arrives at Watergardens Train Station in Sydenham

More than enough seats for commuters

A regional train is about to stop at Watergardens Train Station

Train arrives at Sunbury Train Station. Sunbury is a town which is about 25 kms away from Melbourne's Central Business District.

Sunbury Train Station

Sunbury's bus station is only a few meters away from the train station.

As the train nears Hurstbridge, the train is almost empty.

View from the train bound for Hurstbridge

Train arrives at Hurstbridge Train Station.

This is the end of the Hurstbridge Line.

There is a customer service office at every train station.

Train terminal at Belgrave, Victoria. Belgrave is about 35 kms. away from the city proper.

Belgrave Train Station is very near the famous Puffing Billy Heritage Train Station.

South Morang Train Terminal

Entrance to South Morang Train Station

Railroad crossing at Pakenham, Victoria. Pakenham is 35 kms east of the city proper.

Train arrives at Pakenham Train Station. Pakenham is a suburb pf Greater Melbourne.

Lady waits for the next train at Pakenham Train Station.

Man boarding at Cranbourne Train Station with his Jack Russell.

Missing my Chihuahua dogs

Train bound for Frankston

There are about 24 train stations on the Frankston Line.

Mordialloc Train Station.

Mordialloc is a suburb of Greater Melbourne.

Railroad crossing at Mordialloc, Victoria

Aspendale Train Station which is on the Franston Line

Parkdale Train Station is also on the Frankston Line

Authorized Metro Train Officers conduct surprise checks on the validity of Myki cards.

Train arrives at Frankston Train Station. It is the end of the Frankston Line..

Frankston Train Station. Frankston is a suburb of Greater Melbourne that is facing Port Phillip Bay. It is about 41 kms. south of the city proper.

Train bound for Sandringham, Victoria

Brighton Beach Train Staion. Brighton is famous for its bathing boxes.

Southern Cross Train Station at Melbourne's Central Business District.

You touch on, touch off here.

Southern Cross Train Station is also the terminal of V/Line regional trains.

Southern Cross Train Station is only a few meters away from Etihad Stadium.

Melbourne Central Station is one of five train stations that form the City Loop. A great part of the City Loop is underground.

Most trains start and end at Flinders Street Station.

This is what you see the moment you step out of Flinders Street Station. The station is at the heart of Melbourne's Central Business District.

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Konted's Make My Day 2

Friday, 28 August 2015

Barber Shops in Victoria, Australia

Sunday, 5 July 2015

Melbourne's Railway Network