Book excerpt: An epic journey from New Zealand to Spain, celebrating the enduring romance of travel by train. The journey of The Antipodean Express takes in 89 days of travel, on 33 trains, through 19 countries. It begins in New Zealand's North Island, weaves past the volcanoes of Java, through East Asia and on into Europe. From hilarious miscommunications in China to cultural immersion at the Bolshoi Ballet, there are stop-offs with half a world’s worth of impressions, people, history, food, music and culture. Hill also describes most of the great trains of the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealand’s Northern Explorer to the Eurostar, and everything in between. The culmination is a day spent in the obscure Spanish village of Alaejos, locating the exact antipode of the author’s living room. The perfect end to a vast adventure.