Great Train Adventures

Ride the famous Indian Pacific or The Ghan and watch the splendour of the Australian Outback unfold before you.
by Marjorie Crowley

Australia is a vast country to explore, and our great rail journeys offer such a splendid way of covering those daunting distances, that it is no wonder the magic of train travel continues to lure travellers. Australia boasts some of the world's top train journeys, such as Great Southern Railway's Indian Pacific, between Sydney and Perth, and The Ghan, between Sydney and Alice Springs. The Indian Pacific, linking Sydney on the Pacific coast with Perth on the Indian Ocean coast, has a place among the world's great train rides, as its 4,352-kilometre run puts it among the longest in the world. All going according to plan, by early 2004 it will be possible to travel by train from Sydney to Darwin, via Adelaide and Alice Springs, on an extension of The Ghan service. After decades of discussion it's now all systems go for the new Australasia Railway which involves constructing 1,410 kilometres of track between Alice and Darwin.

Add this track length to the existing 2,856-kilometre link between Sydney and Alice via Adelaide, and we shall be offering the world another epic train journey. Out of Sydney, the Indian Pacific and The Ghan take the same route west through the Blue Mountains to Broken Hill, then south to Adelaide. Here, the Indian Pacific heads west across the Nullarbor to Perth to complete its three-day/three-night journey, while The Ghan takes a northerly route to the Alice on its two-night trip from Sydney. Victorian travellers can link with both great trains in Adelaide using The Overland rail service between Melbourne and Adelaide. Before your train has quietly slid away from the departure platform you will have found cupboards, nooks and crannies to stow your lightly packed suitcases.

While the First Class sleeping accommodations appear very compact at first glance, they are most comfortable, with private facilities for each cabin. It won't take you long to be ‘trainshape’ for the journey and ready to sit, relax and gaze out the train window at the ever-changing scenery. We were a mixed group which gathered in the lounge to share the first kilometres over an aperitif: senior citizens from around Australia, honeymooners, overseas visitors of all ages including eight-month-old Christoff from Germany who made friends with the aplomb of a veteran traveller. The easygoing atmosphere on the train was quickly established by a laidback crew, ready to do anything to make your journey more pleasant, all with that touch of egalitarian Aussie humour.

The first stage of our journey took us up through the glorious tableau of the Blue Mountains, out onto the wide plains of central New South Wales, golden in the evening light, where hundreds of kangaroos stood to watch our passing. By the time we had enjoyed a more than tasty three course dinner in the elegant dining car the daytime compartment setting had been converted to sleeping mode. The rhythm of your holiday on wheels is set. Read a book, watch the scenery, enjoy hearty and tasty meals, chat to travelling companions, listen to the interesting and informative commentaries which are relayed over the train's PA system, and above all, relax. The train makes lengthy stops at Broken Hill, Adelaide and Kalgoorlie. In Perth, a city tour awaits those who may be on their first visit.
The last stage of the journey to Perth takes you across the Nullarbor Plain, through many small settlements with musical Aboriginal names: Coondambo, Kingoonya, Ooldea, Loongana.

One could almost think Nullarbor another Aboriginal word, but no, it's a bit of Latin thrown in by early explorers who found no trees. Don't believe it if someone tells you there is nothing to see on this treeless expanse of land 692 kilometres long by 402 kilometres wide. I found its sheer emptiness beauty alone, with rainwashed bluebush as far as the eye could see, a lone wedge-tail eagle soaring above, and over all, the huge bowl of blue sky. The Ghan earned its name from the camel trains of another era worked by Afghans. The original train track, built in the late 1920s, followed the Afghans' trails and that of explorer John McDouall Stuart, making the early Ghan's journeys fraught with all the dangers and hiccups that an inhospitable land could throw at them: fire damage to the wooden sleepers, flash flooding washing away the tracks.

Legend tells that the train was once stuck for two weeks in one spot because of flooding and the engine driver kept his passengers fed by shooting wild goats! The passing parade of Australian landscape is magnificent. It's the outback in all its grandeur, from the bulky Flinders Ranges, desert scenes, and the craggy mountains of the MacDonnell Ranges, to the colourful beauty of the soil which gives its name to the Red Centre. Whether you choose the Indian Pacific journey to Perth or Sydney, or take The Ghan to Alice, by the time you reach your destination you will have experienced the wide diversity of Australia, both in its landscape and the differing lifestyles of its peoples, and enjoyed it all in relaxed comfort.

FACT FILE

Sightseeing: Off-train sightseeing tours are available at various stops along both the Indian Pacific and The Ghan routes. They cost approximately $17 to $25 for an adult, are purchased en route and usually last about one hour. Holiday packages: In conjunction with these epic train journeys, Trainways also offers a variety of holiday packages to explore once you have reached your destination, such as a 10-day option including the Indian Pacific to Perth, three nights and time to explore in Perth, then a flight to Broome with three nights accommodation, and the chance to discover this famous pearl town. Other options outlined in the colourful, 40-page 2002/2003 Trainways brochure include exploring the wine regions of Margaret River in Western Australia or the Barossa Valley in South Australia; the magic of Uluru, The Olgas and Kings Canyon in the Red Centre, the fascinating opal town of Coober Pedy, and much more. Contact your travel agent for a copy of the Trainways brochure which is packed with information and new package, tour and accommodation options. Concession fares: Pensioners travel at concession rates on Great Southern Railways; recently, these concession fares have been extended to holders of Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) for travel on the Indian Pacific, The Ghan and The Overland. Concessions range from 32% to 55% depending on the level of service chosen. To give an example of savings on a concession fare, a CSHC holder travelling one-way on The Ghan from Sydney to Alice Springs would pay $540 compared to $899 previously. The train concession fares also apply to the rail component of Trainways holiday packages. Information: For more information on these train services and holiday packages, contact Trainways on 13 21 47, or see your travel agent.