Mystery Train comin’ ’round the bend
Let me tell you what the PARKES ELVIS FESTIVAL means to me – I absolutely love it!!!
From the moment you arrive to Sydney Central Station you are entertained on the platform by Elvis tribute artists and dancers. You can’t help but smile and get into the crazy fun of this festival. There’s so many great outfits, smiles, familiar faces and television cameras. It’s soooo exciting!
The first year I went I had a ball travelling on the XPT – ELVIS EXPRESS and thought this festival couldn’t get any better but it did! After all, it already felt like the festival was just for me. My birthday is the day after Elvis’ which of course would have been the same day if I was born in the US so yep – this whole festival is for me and Elvis – thanks Parkes 😘
I loved the train trip to Parkes so much I booked a heritage train called THE BLUE SUEDE EXPRESS. This is where it gets even more amazing. The heritage train is made up of carriages from THE SILVER BULLET – THE SOUTHERN AURORA (night train) and THE SPIRIT OF PROGRESS (daytime) that used to run from Melbourne to Sydney. My late mother scrimped and saved so she could send us to Sydney every year. I can remember travelling on the Southern Aurora. They were my most exciting memories of my childhood.
When I had a daughter of my own, guess what I named her? Yep, Aurora! Yes, my child is named after a train 🤣. We used to tell her she was named after Sleeping Beauty though 😉
The train trip is about eight hours, or there abouts, and its non-stop fun from start to finish. Onboard entertainment from the ETAs, everyone’s excited and chatting. It’s great getting to know the other passengers. After a drink or two I start to dance. It’s the best fun!
As the anticipation of arriving in Parkes builds and this beautiful piece of history on tracks pulls in to the station, you are greeted like a rock star with what seems to be the entire population of the town and it’s visitors on the platform.
I know it’s hard to believe that you’ve had that much fun and you’ve only just arrived. There are plenty of volunteers there to help and point you in the right direction for your shuttle bus.
You can’t wait to get unpacked and get out there again to soak up the fantastic atmosphere of the festival. There’s free and affordable entertainment everywhere. Everything is oozing Elvis, venues are close and easy to locate and get to. The hardest part is deciding what to go to because you don’t want to miss anything!
I’m crossing off everything including my Elvis fingernails (see in the pics below). Thank you to my other daughter Alyx for helping me with those itty bitty transfers on my nails. Not bad for a home job! I hope we will have the chance to celebrate again in 2021.
I tell everyone it’s the most fun you can have that’s legal! You’ve gotta go at least once and I guarantee you’ll be back 😜
TCB 🕺💜⚡️
Margy X
