G529-A79-X49 race #9102 Merbein to Melbourne 'Fruit Flyer' south along the edge of the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in Victoria's semi-arid 'Mallee' region not long before sunset. 'The Fruity,' as it is popularly known, is currently the only regular service on this line and makes a round trip every 48 hours, with much of the running time at night. This is the only substantial section of Victoria's railway network that runs within a National Park, and as I have a strong passion for nature as well as for railways, I had been waiting for a chance to take this photo for quite some time! Several previous visits to this location over a number of years had given me the opportunity to witness the train not turning up, turning up after dark, or turning up shortly after I'd got bored and left. On this occasion the train came flying around the corner not ten minutes after I'd arrived, in perfect Mallee afternoon light, just like I'd always imagined. Isn't it great when waiting pays off!
