Something Old,
Something New
Journey Beyond’s collection of iconic Australian experiences now includes Vintage Rail Journeys, a nostalgic train adventure with Off Train Experiences and a focus on local connections, making each journey unforgettable.
WORDS Katrina Lobley
To the outside world, the Aurora Australis is a lovingly restored, iconic train that transports passengers back in time on three different five-day adventures across regional New South Wales. But the train – Southern Aurora, as it was originally known – has quite the backstory. It began its life plying the route between Sydney (Warrane) and Melbourne (Naarm) as a luxury overnight intercity passenger service that ran from 1962 to 1986.
It started after the standard-gauge line between Wodonga and Melbourne was completed, removing the need for passengers to change trains at the state border. Its early success, though, soon buckled under the pressures of air and road competition, and rising costs. In 1986, the Southern Aurora merged with another service and its carriages were scattered among rail-preservation groups.
When one of those groups went into receivership, some unlikely heroes stepped up. Canberra couple Simon Mitchell and Danielle Smith don’t have tourism or hospitality backgrounds – he’s a former accountant, she’s a former public servant – but they couldn’t bear the idea of the carriages scattering around the country, perhaps languishing as sheds in farm paddocks or being turned into AirBnB properties. So in 2017, they snapped them up, becoming private rail preservationists. The couple, along with volunteers at regional railway workshops, put in countless hours of work to scrub away layers of diesel soot to reveal the carriages’ original splendour. Each also had to be returned to running order. Mitchell estimates that the restoration cost about $300,000 per carriage.
In 2020, they launched Vintage Rail Journeys, putting their train – now branded the Aurora Australis – back onto rural and regional New South Wales rail tracks and freight corridors. They’d also cherry-picked the best regional attractions to ensure guests would enjoy captivating Off Train Experiences. “We ended up learning that New South Wales has so much to offer,” says Mitchell. Smith says guests discovered that “not only is it good – it’s great”.
After clocking up 29 train tours (and welcoming many repeat guests), the couple has now passed the baton to Australia’s premier rail journey provider, Journey Beyond, to continue Vintage Rail Journeys’ fascinating story. Guests can expect the same charming experiences that proved firm favourites over the past few years as they jaunt around the Riverina, the Central West or up to the North Coast, perhaps while being “papped” by rail enthusiasts who sometimes drive alongside the photogenic train in the hope of capturing the perfect shot.
On-board meals also showcase the best of NSW’s regional produce - think slow-cooked Cowra lamb, Gilgandra chicken, Borenore strawberries, Trunkey Creek bacon and Dubbo honey – while excellent regional wines are sold at the bar. At night, the train is stabled at a regional station, ensuring a peaceful night’s sleep. Guests will find themselves snoozing in either a heritage twin cabin – a double-occupancy room with an upper and lower bunk, a fold-down toilet and shower – or a heritage single cabin. These rooms, featuring a basin and a chair that converts into a bed, face an atmospheric zig-zag corridor. Shared modern bathrooms are installed at the end of these carriages.
Life aboard the train is sociable, with guests often leaving their doors open to encourage conversation or meeting in the lounge or dining cars for convivial catch-ups. “The thing we really wanted is connection ... and with these trips, you’re getting that connection back,” says Simon, while rattling off the names of passionate producers in the Riverina region that guests will meet. Danielle says: “We learnt early on that everyone has a story and we really took that on board. We wanted to showcase those stories but also provide a direct link to the consumer.”
Then there are the heartwarming stories of onboard guests and the countless “small world” moments that the pair witnessed. Danielle says: “We had people who went to school together who found each other on the same train, we had romances that continued on ... because it wasn’t just about connection with us and connection with the suppliers. It was the connection between guests as well.”
Simon says: “Our mission was to save the train – to save a complete set of Southern Aurora carriages – and Journey Beyond is now the very best custodian.
THE DETAILS
TOUR
Explore the delights of regional NSW aboard one of Vintage Rail Journeys’ three five-day itineraries. The most popular route takes guests through the Hunter Valley to the state’s North West Slopes and Central West. Another option travels through the Southern Highlands and onwards to the ‘food bowl’ of the Riverina region before circling back to Sydney via the Central West. The third trip zips up to Byron Bay and back, with stops at Maitland, Port Macquarie and Kempsey. Prices start at $4,195 per person in a Heritage Twin cabin during the shoulder season.