By Opal Card

From March 2021 we nominally meet on the fourth Monday each month (previously the third), generally commencing by train from Epping (NSW) Station about 9.00 a.m., for a relaxing and enjoyable trip by Public Transport from Epping to somewhere in Greater Sydney, lunching together and maybe including visit to a museum, a presentation by a local historian, or similar.
From 2021 Col Short is the leader, replacing founding leader Keith Robinson.
Note: from Maech 2021 this activity is on the fourth Monday of the month..

• Monday 24 July 2023: 10 folk caught the 10:05 V-set train from Epping to Central Station to view the Grand Concourse and the new North-South Concourse before taking the 10:54 train to Sydenham for a view of the new Sydenham Metro platforms and a distant a view of Sydney Metro Train Facility South, thence the Route 358 bus to Randwick for lunch at the Royal Randwick Shopping Centre before travelling by Light Rail form Randwick back to Central Station and the train. Gorgeous weather and a great day out.
• Monday 28 April 2023: a small By Opal Card group (two intrepid members) travelled by train from Epping to Maitland to see the arrival of steam trains (Garrett 6029 and Pacific 3801) from Sydney for the Hunter Valley Steamfest 2023 [delayed by a week]; two others travelled on one of the steam trains but due to various factors only got as far as Broadmeadow. The two in Maitand enjoyed watching the trains and steam traction engine displays, lunched at a nearby café and walked around a historic part of the town before returning to Sydney. Perfect weather and nice day out despite some frustrations.
• Monday 27 February 2023: four members set off on a By Opal Card cook's-tour to Budgewoi for lunch: train to Wyong Station, thence by bus to Lake Haven and thence Budgewoi for lunch at the nearby hotel before returning — a lovely and relaxing day out.
• Tuesday 29 November 2022: (postponed from 18 October due to wet weather): our By Opal Card saw seven members and one spouse travelled to Kurrajong for lunch: assemble on Epping Station’s Platform 1 by 9.00 a.m. for the 9.16 a.m. train to Strathfield Station, thence the 9.48 a.m. train to Richmond to examine the former platform which served the 1926-1952 train to Kurrajong, thence the Route 682 bus to Kurrajong for lunch at The Village Kitchen, 83 Old Bells Line of Road. After visiting the Kurrajong Station site we catch the 1.47 p.m. Route 680 bus back to Richmond for the 2.41 p.m. train to Schofields, thence the 3.32 p.m. Route 748 bus to Tallawong station for the 3.45 p.m. Metro service back to Epping, reaching there at 4.08 p.m
• Friday 29 July 2022: our planned trip to Maitland to see the arrival of steam locomtives (Garrett 6029 and Pacific 3801) for the delayed Hunter Valley Steam Festival was stymied by floods: the 2022 Festival was cancelled. In lieu an amended trip will start on Epping Staion's platform 3 at 8.30 a.m. to join the 8.40 a.m. train to arrive at Broadmeadow at 10.43 a.m. for the Route 21 bus to High Street Newcastle, arriving there at 11.23 a.m.; we will then walk over to Strzelecki Scenic Lookout and commence a walk along the Centenary of World War I Memorial Walkway opened in 2015 down to Bar Beach, where we will again join Route 21 bus in Parkway Avenue at about 12.16 p.m. to Newcastle (Custom House Terminus) for lunch at the nearby historic Great Northern Hotel; after lunch we will catch the Light Rail back to Newcastle Interchange and join the train back to Epping.
• Monday 27 June 2022: our 'By Opal Card' trip took a look at work being done on the Bankstown Line to convert it to Metro as have a ride on the Citadis XO5 trams on the L1 Dulwich Hill line: five members assembled at Epping Station and took a Metro train to Chatswood, thence normal train to Bankstown via Town Hall and Sydenham, returning to Dulwich Hill for the Light Rail to the Fish Markets for lunch before taking the Light Rail back to Central and thence train home to Epping via Strathfield.
• Monday 30 May 2022: our first By Opal Card trip for a while was a trip to Narellan for lunch, starting at Epping's Platform 1 for the 08:56 train to Rhodes, alighting to catch the 09:15 Route 533 bus to Olympic Park Station to join the 09:32 train to Lidcombe, thence the 10:03 train to Leppington to board the 11:12 route 841 bus to Narellan Town Centre (a 43-minute “Cook’s Tour” through Leppington, Emerald Hills, Gledswood Hills and Gregory Hills), arriving at 11:55 where they had a very enjoyable lunch at The Arthouse Café. Afterwards the 13:10 route 895 bus to Macarthur Station for the 13.44 train to Town Hall Station to cross to the 15.12 train back to Epping.
• This Activity was suspended from July 2021 until April 2022 inclusive while Leader Col Short recovered from an injury; the Activity was also impacted by further government COVID-19 health guidelines, and by major flood events related to La Niña, Indian Ocean Dipole and Southern Oscillation oceanic and atmospheric phenomena.
• Monday 21 June 2021: [in conjunction with our June "Day Outing"]: a good crowd assembled on Epping Station Concourse for the 08:40 Newcastle express train to visit Fort Scratchley. See our "Day Outings" webpage for further details..
• Thursday 20 May 2021: (date changed from the 4th Monday so as not to clash with the Proud Mary cruise).
  A very unusual trip to Moss Vale, starting by boarding the Sydney Metro train at Epping Station at around 9.00 a.m. to Tallawong for the Route 751 bus to Schofields Station at 9.36 a.m to the board the 9.52 a.m. Leppington train, alighting at Glenfield’s Platform 3 at 10.50 a.m. to join the train to Campbelltown on Platform 4. At Campbelltown the Endeavour 2-car train awaits to take us to Moss Vale, arriving there at 12.40 a.m. Lunch was at the Porterhouse Bistro at the Moss Vale Hotel before heading back home at 2.02 p.m., alighting at Macarthur Station to join the train to Glenfield, alight there to board the waiting train to Strathfield, arriving there at 4.34 p.m for the 4.45 p.m. train back to Epping, arriving there at 5.02 p.m.
• Monday 26 April 2021: five members and two ladies used their Opal Cards on a fast trip to Lithgow and return on the vintage V double-deck intercity trains which will soon be replaced by new sets. Lunched at the Vanilla Café. As they approached Lithgow Station there sitting in the yard was the replacement interloper, a 10-car D set (comprising a 4-car set + a 6-car set). It is not known when the new
  fleet will take over due to the current dispute between the State Government and the Union over the function of the guard.
  This trip was origonally scheduled for 22 March 2021 but was postponed due to excessively wet weather in NSW.
  
• Monday 15 February 2021, 08:50: eight members and one guest travelled on all three of Sydney's current Light Rail system.: Epping Station by train → Strathfield → Lidcombe → Dulwich Hill, thence by L1 Light Rail → Capital Square, where we switched to the nearby L2/L3 Light Rail at Chinatown for the L2 tram → Randwick. At Randwick, we took a short walk to Clara Street for a Route 400 bus → the Light Rail Terminus stop for lunch at Churchills Sports Bar Bistro, Kingsford, after which we walking back to the L3 Light Rail Terminus and catch the L2 Light Rail → Central (Chalmers Street) Station for a train back to Epping. Health and Public Transport guidelines enforced.
• This Activity was suspended from July 2020 to January 2021 inclusive due to government COVID-19 health guidelines.
• Monday 18 May 2020, 09:40: Epping → Maitland (train); lunch at Maitland; return → Epping.
• Monday 20 April 2020, 09:35: Epping → Strathfield → Bargo (train); lunch at Bargo Hotel; return → Epping (train).
• Monday 16 March 2020, 09:35: Epping → Circular Quay (train), Circular Quay → Kingsford (L3 light rail); lunch at Kingsford South's Juniors Club; Kingsford → Little Bay (rte 393 bus); Little Bay → Central; Central → Epping (train). Cancelled - L3 light rail opening delayed.
• Monday 17 February 2020, 09:04: Epping → Strathfield → Leura (train); lunch at Bygone Beauties teapot museum; return → Epping (train, arriving approximately 16:29).
• Monday 20 January 2020, 09:30: Epping → Circular Quay (train), Circular Quay → Manly (ferry), lunch at Ivanhoe Hotel, Manly; Manly → St Leonards (bus); St Leonards → Epping (metro).
• Monday 16 December 2019, 09:47: Trip on new Light Rail to Randwick: met at Epping → Circular Quay (train), Circular Quay → Randwick (newly completed L2 light rail), lunch at Randwick; return → Epping (train).
• Monday 18 November 2019, 0h:mm: Trip on soon-to-be-closed Carlingford Railway Line. Epping → Carlingford (bus), Carlingford → Clyde → Lidcombe → Olympic Park (train); lunch at Café in heritage listed old Abattoirs Buildings, Olympic Park; Olympic Park → Rhodes (bus); Rhodes → Epping (train); three members rode the newly trialling Navya driverless shuttle bus around Olympic Park.
  The Carlingford Railway Line opened from Clyde to Subiaco (later renamed Camellia) in January 1885, then across the Parramatta River to Carlingford in April 1896: it closed on 5 January 2020 with much of the line to be converted to light rail as part of the Parramatta Light Rail network set to open from 2023.
• Monday 21 October 2019, 09:47: Epping → Redfern → Kiama (train); lunch at Stonewall Café, Kiama; return.