Travelling Soul Sister

Being a Victorian, I feel very lucky to have so many beautiful destinations and experiences right at my fingertips, Regional Victoria offers amazing food and wine, activities and stunning scenery and if you live in Melbourne or are planning to visit, I highly recommend adding The Q Train to your itinerary.

The Q Train departs from Drysdale which is located approximately 90 mins drive from Melbourne. Alternatively there is a ferry that leaves from the Docklands, followed by a short bus transfer which takes you direct to the Drysdale train station.

The Q Train Degustation menu is a delight for your tastebuds, taking you on a gastronomic journey as you slowly make your way through the region. The soft clickity clack, gentle sway of the train and locally sourced produce makes the experience one to remember.

Upon arrival we were greeted by smiling faces, advising us which section we would be seated in. For our Q Train adventure we were in a private dining cabin for two, and after being offered a welcome drink we were shown to our cabin.

The space is well designed with plenty of room and comfy padded bench style seating. I was very excited to read the degustation menu, which was accompanied by a matching wine, beer or mocktail option. Our host Georgia was amazing and provided us with incredibly attentive service throughout the entire journey, a big thankyou to Georgia!

We slowly made our exit out of the Drysdale station taking in the scenery whilst enjoying our fresh bread and garlic butter spread. It was a wonderful way to start our onboard adventure, taking in the beautiful scenery of Regional Victoria with a glass of bubbling Prosecco in hand. Cheers!

Shortly after departure, our first course arrived which was ‘Lonsdale Tomato’ – kasundi with a cinnamon myrtle lavosh, the flavours were amazing and the perfect starter to our 5 course meal.

Next on the menu was ‘MeatCrew Lamb’, a marinated lamb cutlet served with bush tomato kimchi & pickled vegetables, this was the most flavourful, moorish and mouth watering lamb cutlet I have ever eaten, perfection!

Our third course, a Bellarine smokehouse smoked salmon & lemon myrtle risotto was exquisite, the flavours complimented each other perfectly and I was sad to look down and see my empty bowl once it was finished, this risotto was so amazing that I would have happily licked the dish!

By this stage I had enjoyed many a matching wine, so please excuse the photos if they start getting a little wonky!

The Q Train makes its way to Queenscliff for a brief stop. Queenscliff is approximately 20 minutes by car from Drysdale and is a great location to stay if looking for a scenic getaway.

It’s time for the fourth course – can we handle more food….oh yes, we absolutely can! We are presented with ‘Dama Dama Venison & Barongarook Pork’ – a honey, rosemary, pork & venison sausage served with pomme puree, broccolini & a venison / pepper berry veloute. The flavours are rich and robust and the honey adds the perfect hint of sweetness. By now I am starting to feel quite full, you certainly won’t go hungry on The Q Train!

The train makes a second stop along the way at Suma Park, it’s great to stretch our legs and prepare ourselves for the fifth and final course and yet another round of drinks. Can we fit it yet another course? Well, it’s dessert and we all know there is always room for dessert!

A beautifully presented pear which has been poached in local white wine and rosella is our final chapter to this wonderful gastronomical story. It is served with LardAss ( yes you read that right) vanilla creme fraiche, and by this stage I was feeling very much a LardAss myself! The pear is finished with a Wattle Grove honey, walnut & river mint crumble. The dessert was the perfect dish to finish off a wonderful meal that took us on a food, wine and scenic adventure.

I was a little sad when the train pulled back into Drysdale station. I would have happily stayed on for many more hours and this journey has certainly given me the bug for more train travel experiences.

The Q Train is approximately 3 hours in duration and there are two dining options available, first class in a private cabin – this option comes with matching beverages and tea / coffee and Q Class which is seating in an open dining style cabin with drinks available for purchase during the trip.

The Q Train operates on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays and on the first weekend of every month The Q Train is pulled by the Steam Locomotive 3620 which is an absolute must for train lovers!

For more information you can visit www.theqtrain.com.au