Speaking of trains....

I've done Geelong from Melbourne a couple times, a nice trip out for the afternoon. They have a pier there out over the water, and have just spent a small fortune remodeling the waterfront, including a merry go round in a pavilion. There's plenty of surf shops along the main street, if you're looking for backpacks, surfboards, of anything related.

In Sydney, I always head up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Went over to Leura, nearby, and bought a stack of Christmas presents at one of the small shops there this last trip.