Solo Summer Sojourn
The Great Southern puts you on track for the ultimate slow travel experience, even if you’re on your own.
WORDS Carolyne Jasinski
It’s not often that solo travellers find an experience that is tailor-made to suit their sense of adventure and self-discovery. But sitting in the Outback Explorer Lounge on board the Great Southern, listening to the noise levels go up, and watching the cocktails go down, I realise that many of my fellow passengers are also travelling solo. It’s not obvious that they’re on their own. In fact, the opposite is true. Conversations are flowing. No one looks awkward. No one is isolated. That’s the beauty of train travel.
We’re all part of a new group, and we’ve only just met. We’re an eclectic bunch from all over the world, chatting about who we are, where we’re from and what we’re looking forward to on this four-day journey from Brisbane (Meeanjin) to Adelaide (Kaurna). Helen, a fellow traveller, and I instantly bond over a glass of Grant Burge bubbles and sauvignon blanc as we share how our partners’ work commitments were not going to stop us from boarding the Great Southern. At 2,885km long, we decide this train trip could prove to be Australia’s longest wine-tasting trail. Maybe it’s the wine talking, but I love that I can say “we”.
As the train crosses the border from Queensland to New South Wales, lunch is called in the regal Queen Adelaide restaurant – the focal point for our mobile gourmet feast, and an even more intimate opportunity to get to know everyone.
Here, old-world charm meets a modern menu, with chefs sourcing inspiration and ingredients local to the destinations experienced on the journey. Lemon myrtle is the flavour focus today – perfect with grilled swordfish and Asian greens. So intrigued by the flavours, I can’t help but inspect the upcoming menus, noticing that the focus changes by region. Beach succulents, blood orange, quandong and bush honey flavour notes are all in my future.
As the world rolls past our windows, so too does a tropical storm. Our planned beachside dinner at Coffs Harbour (Gumbaynggirr) is quickly swapped for tranquil ponds and watching sea dragons rest on rocks at the local golf course. Despite the change in plans, it’s obvious that no storm could dampen this group’s dinner. The fresh seafood and produce is eagerly devoured, and of course the matching wines provide an excellent talking point.
With full stomachs we reboard the train, where Helen and I discover we are neighbours in the Gold Single carriage. Our cabins are little cocoons of space-saving ingenuity – perfectly designed for solos. By day, the comfy lounge chair is a front-row seat to the world gliding by outside. By night, it’s transformed into a single bed. Complete with a tiny wardrobe, sink and mirror, they are our private hideaways when we need seclusion – though it’s not often you find doors closed.
REASON TO RIDE SOLO
“I always find, especially with the dining, that you get to meet different people – especially from overseas. It’s so interesting and relaxing. This is a special birthday present to myself so I have splurged on a twin cabin just for me.” Susan Dewar from Sydney.
SIP AND SOCIALISE
With each new day comes a new experience, and on day two travellers choose between a 4WD sand dune adventure, a catamaran cruise at Port Stephens (Worimi), exploring Newcastle (Mulubinba), or a Hunter Valley (Wonnarua) wine tour. Enamoured by the prospect of tasting grapes from one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, I can’t say no to the Hunter Valley experience. My new friend Helen agrees.
Home to more than 150 cellar doors, it’s a full day touring the best of the area. With each new tasting, new friendships become as full as Brokenwood Wines’ star Semillon. At Tulloch Wines, the group is treated to wine tasting paired with local handmade chocolates. Mouth-watering mixtures like 2021 Cellar Door Prosecco with orange chocolate, or a smooth NV 88 Red Shiraz Cabernet with a raspberry heart chocolate. The saying “Over a glass of wine, many a good friend is found” is running through my head. I have made a lot of new friends today.
The lounge and dining room are even more lively tonight, with guests excited to share their day’s adventures and some special celebrations. There are a lot of “significant” birthdays and wedding anniversaries being toasted. Even a few divorces among our solo set. Espresso Martini nightcaps are ordered after dinner and as the train crosses into Victoria, I retire to my cabin, where the motion of the train sends me to sleep like a baby.
REASON TO RIDE SOLO
“You make friends as soon as you step on board and I feel like I can interact more with people because I’m on my own. And I don’t have to share with a stranger so it doesn’t matter if I snore.” Leslie Binns from New Zealand.
FROM GREAT HEIGHTS
On day three, we awake in regional Victoria, taking in its beauty while enjoying our on-board breakfast as the train travels to its next destination: Melbourne (Naarm). At this point, Helen and I are bonafide travel companions and we spend the morning delving into history. We learn about the famous bushranger Ned Kelly at the Old Melbourne Gaol, leaving the coffee-lovers and sports nuts to tour the city laneways and Melbourne Cricket Ground.
But the highlight – literally – is Melbourne Skydeck. At 285m (88 floors) above the ground, it’s the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest public observation deck. Lucky heights don’t scare me, because the ultimate challenge is stepping into the Edge, a glass room that extends from the building and leaves us hanging with only a clear floor between us and the footpath way below.
With appetites still intact, the group heads even higher to fine-dining restaurant Eureka 89 for lunch. You are met with breathtaking views of Melbourne, and the menu (and of course the wine) is just as impressive.
Reboarding the Great Southern after lunch is a bittersweet feeling – a mix of excitement as we head into our final leg across the four states and sadness that our time together is ending. We have ventured across plains, along the coast, through ranges and cities and now we’re heading west into South Australia.
The ultimate mountain conquered at the end of this trip is the confirmation that solo travel is good for the soul. I’ve made new friends, spoken to people I might not otherwise have spoken to and realised I’m not alone… unless I want to be.
All Aboard
The Great Southern runs from December to February, with bookings open for the 2023/24 season. Gold Single prices start at $3,285 pp, with no additional single traveller supplement charged.
The Great Southern also runs from Adelaide to Brisbane, stopping at Halls Gap in the Victorian Grampians for dinner. Day two is spent in Canberra with lunch at Parliament House and a tour of the Australian War Memorial. During the final leg into Brisbane, it stops in Coffs Harbour.