Iconic Rail Travel
These iconic journeys invite you to slow down, soak in breathtaking landscapes and savour gourmet meals. From outback bonfires to vineyard long lunches, each journey promises unforgettable moments, captivating Off Train Experiences and an opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of the country – all while enjoying the comforts of a moving luxury hotel.
WORDS Justin Meneguzzi
Much like our daily lives, we tend to travel in a rush. We race to the airport for check-in, board the plane and then fly over the country, reducing our storied landscapes to red and green smudges far below. At the other end, we dash to the hotel hoping for an early check-in. A journey aboard The Ghan, Indian Pacific or Great Southern is a masterclass in the art of slowing down, of focusing on the here and now. Stepping aboard and being greeted by attentive train crew all you need to do is unpack once and then settle in for the ride, ideally by the biggest window you can find with a good glass of red. Australia is the true star of the show aboard these specially curated train journeys, with captivating experiences to be found off the train. It might be a languid river cruise along the Nitmiluk Gorge in Katherine, a sumptuous lunch among the vines in the Barossa Valley, or simply stories around a bonfire deep in the outback. No matter which tracks you choose, a soul-stirring odyssey awaits.
THE GHAN
Campfires blaze, camels bellow, corks pop – who knew there could be so much life in the desert? It already seems a lifetime since The Ghan pulled into Alice Springs (Mparntwe), a frontier city in Australia’s sunbaked Red Centre, and everyone stepped off the train in search of adventure.
Now, wandering through the crowd loosely gathered at the historic Telegraph Station just outside town, with a glass of champagne in hand, stories from the day can be overheard. There are the eager cyclists from Melbourne (Naarm) who hopped into the saddle of an e-bike and zipped off to explore the colossal MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja), and the Perth (Boorloo) couple sharing their close encounter with koalas and dingoes at the wildlife park. But no matter what everyone did today, they all ended up here beneath a blushing sky exactly in the middle of nowhere. It should feel remote, isolated, but it doesn’t. How could it when the staff are so charming in their Akubra hats and visibly well-loved R.M. Williams boots? No, this feels like a homecoming.
Sitting down at the table with new friends, the cool evening air is fragranced with the delicious smell of dinner cooking, and the promise of some extravagant dessert to cap it all off. The first stars are beginning to pop against the twilight and soon a guide will articulate the cosmos with an astronomy lesson.
It’s only the second day of this four-day voyage across the country, but there is still so much to look forward to before disembarking in Adelaide (Tarndanya). Soon the train will arrive in Coober Pedy (Umoona), the Mars-esque mining town where more residents live below the ground than above it thanks to the baking heat. You’ll need to go down and see what all the fuss is about, taking a seat at the table of a subterranean dining room, for a special lunch where peals of laughter and snatches of conversation reverberate down stony corridors.
But that is for another time. Right now, there is live music, livelier conversation, an attentive hand and a smiling face offering a top-up of your flute, and in a few hours, when the sky is festooned with twinkling lights, a private cabin that will rock you to sleep as The Ghan slips further south.
INDIAN PACIFIC
Stretching from the west coast to the east, the 4,352 kilometres of train tracks connecting Perth to Sydney (Warrane) look like braces across the face of Australia. For over 50 years, the Indian Pacific has gracefully cruised one of the longest transcontinental crossings in the world, passing through a kaleidoscope of deserts, rocky valleys, goldfields and lush mountain ranges.
Over the past two days, the backdrop in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, where breakfast is served, has been filled with sprawling stretches of red desert, occasionally punctuated by throngs of stunted scrub or distant ghost towns that stand as relics of Australia’s gold-mining past. But today the anticipation in the air is palpable and the carriage is buzzing with excited chatter.
Outside, the hulking red shoulders of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges relax into manicured vineyards as the Indian Pacific approaches South Australia’s Barossa Valley (Peramangk, Ngadjuri and Kaurna Land). The renowned wine-producing region is home to some of the world’s oldest continuously producing shiraz, grenache and semillon vines. Here, generations of expertise earned over centuries are decanted into a glass of fruity, vibrant reds or zesty whites.
The afternoon sun is beating down during a tour of Seppeltsfield Estate, and thankfully there’s the cool vintage cellar to retreat to where Executive Chef Owen Andrews has laid out a banquet of share plates and salads starring only local produce. Things heat up again when a master cooper enthrals the room with a theatrical firing of the barrel.
As the still-smoking barrel is rolled away, all that’s left to do is taste your way through a parade of riesling, shiraz and Moscato, but there’s still one surprise left in store for platinum guests. Beckoning is a 100-year-old vintage tawny, opened and poured just for you, with a sommelier guiding you through this very special drop.
Later, after retiring to your contemporary cabin, the Indian Pacific pulls out into the night sky. Over the next two days, she’ll carry her cargo across regional New South Wales, through the Blue Mountains (Colomatta) and on towards Sydney.
Stepping off the train, the last five days feel like a fever dream of vivid colours, flavours and sounds that linger long after the Indian Pacific blasts her horn and draws away from the platform.
“A journey aboard The Ghan, Indian Pacific or Great Southern is a masterclass in the art of slowing down.”
GREAT SOUTHERN
It takes a moment to get your bearings. Is this the Sahara? Perhaps Wadi Rum or the sandy outskirts of Dubai? Precipitously perched on the edge of a giant sand dune with a sandboard in hand, with the vast expanse of the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes stretching far ahead, the only place left to go is down. But this isn’t the Middle East. It’s a local secret just a short distance from Port Stephens (Worimi nation) in New South Wales, only a day’s train ride from Brisbane (Mian-jin). A thrilling ride down its sandy slopes seemed out of the question until the cheeky host suggested it at breakfast as the Great Southern arrived at the Hunter Valley (Wonnarua). With sand in your pockets and wild hair, it’s time to temper the adrenaline with a soothing glass of sauvignon blanc at the Nelson Bay Golf Club.
The east coast of Australia is a well-worn summer road trip, but a four-day voyage aboard the Great Southern from Brisbane to Adelaide via Melbourne is an opportunity to hand over the steering wheel and simply let the journey unfold wherever it may go. Today, it’s sand dunes and dolphin cruises, tomorrow it’s steaming through Victoria’s High Country, wandering around the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or sampling cool-climate wines.
Back aboard the Great Southern, it’s time to shake off the sand, freshen up and join your fellow explorers in the dining carriage, where a three-course dinner awaits. As the sun melts into the horizon, someone suggests a toast and the tinkling of champagne flutes chimes with the rattling of the train as it edges south towards tomorrow’s adventure.
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a hospitality attendant aboard The Ghan? Take a sneak peek into Alice’s life in our Day in the Life.