Can Sydneysiders reclaim their lunch hour? Four reporters put the metro to the test

Too often, lunch breaks are a rushed affair, with food taken back to desks and shovelled into mouths so we can return to work as quickly as possible. With the arrival of the metro, we thought there couldn’t be a better time to test the speedy system and get in some lunchtime adventures. Thanks to the shortened travel times, we donated blood, went for a swim, visited a gallery and even met some penguins.

Ricky Blank at Lifeblood.Credit: Nikki Short

Ricky Blank’s visit to Lifeblood

Victoria Cross to Martin Place

After years of political toing and froing, construction and setbacks, the new beating heart of Sydney has opened, and I’m about to pump out half a litre of my own blood within the hour – roughly 8 per cent of my total.

It’s 11.07am and Victoria Cross station, located a stone’s throw away from the Herald’s newsroom, is the departure lounge for my journey. Down the lengthy crystal-clean escalators, people are admiring the interior of the stations – like tourists in their own city.

How’s the ride? Clean, fast, efficient, effortless – all things you want in the middle of your working day.

Ricky Blank leaves Lifeblood following his donation.Credit: Nikki Short

After a quick stroll from Martin Place, I arrived at the Red Cross blood donation centre. The staff were smiling and accommodating, the snack table filled to the brim, and the needle found my vein immediately.

Fifteen minutes in the chair, squeezing a red foam ball that assists in circulating the blood, and the donation was over. The needle was removed (without any pain), and the snack table is all mine – chips, chocolate, meat pies, juice – bon appetit!

A hop, skip, and a jump later, the newsroom was in sight and my donation was on its way to a person in need.

All within 68 minutes, folks!

Emily Kaine’s swim at Marrinawi Cove

Victoria Cross to Barangaroo

I may have been the only swimmer at Marrinawi Cove on a grey, chilly Monday, but I was fully committed to our lunch break experiment. Don’t the wellness gurus wax lyrical about the benefits of a cold plunge?

I left the office just after 11am and in five minutes, the sleek, high-speed train delivered me to Barangaroo station.

I walked to the Cove, stripped off and made my way down the mossy rocks. The atmosphere was only slightly dampened (pun intended) by some routine cleaning of the rocks, making a comical racket for the duration of what would otherwise have been a peaceful, solitary dip.

Emily Kaine swimming on her lunch break at Marrinawi Cove at BarangarooCredit: Nikki Short

On the walk back, I couldn’t help but cast my imagination forward to summer. I’ll definitely be returning when the water is warmer and the sun is packing a little more punch.

While Bourke Street Bakery is known for its legendary pies and sausage rolls, their toasties deserve some serious recognition. For lunch, I grabbed the chicken toastie with perinaise and mixed cabbage slaw and was back at my desk within the hour (56 minutes).

I had to remind myself not to be upset with the sprinkling of rain here and there – after all, I signed up to get wet.

Cindy Yin’s trip to Ochredfern art gallery

Victoria Cross to Waterloo

Although attempting a 13-minute metro ride to the gallery and back may have been ambitious for just an hour’s break, I was determined to try.

Ochredfern, a salon-style art gallery shop, is aptly named after the earthy natural pigment used by artists for several millennia. Although tucked away on a semi-busy road, on stepping inside it becomes a quiet, intimate space. The first thing I noticed was a small alcove at the back with sky-blue walls, a stark contrast to the light grey paint that marked the rest of the space.

The gallery made creative use of the cosy space, with realism oil paintings criss-crossing the walls, and some, tucked away in nooks and crannies. The current exhibition by artist Pleasance Ingle revolves around individuals’ rich inner worlds and is her attempt to poke at existential questions on the human condition.

If you’re travelling five stations like me, this activity requires food on the go without the luxury of a sit-down lunch! I opted for a no-frills lunch: an IGA ham and cheese roll.

It was a welcome opportunity to immerse myself and momentarily jog my mind from work, it left me feeling more energised afterwards. Total time? 68 minutes.

Frances Howe’s penguin expedition at Sea Life

Victoria Cross to Martin Place

Bored of the monotony of an office lunch, I took the metro to the furthest place I could think of: Antarctica.

Despite the speed of the metro, my journey to a different biome was delayed by a waft of school groups and the single-file subaquatic tunnels that led to my destination: the penguin expedition boat ride at the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium.

I did not pack for the cold temperature but that wouldn’t be too much of an issue as the two-minute boat ride spat me out before the fishy smell got to me. I marched my way through the rest of the aquarium without stopping to so much as look at a shark or buy a souvenir and ran back to Martin Place.

The speed of the metro did not pair nicely with the minor sea sickness I’d suppressed minutes earlier nor with the light jog I had to do to get back to my desk before my editor noticed how long I had been missing. I went to Antarctica, took a boat ride, saw some penguins, and made it back to my desk in exactly one hour and 10 minutes.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.