37. The Ghan

Sunday.

Sunday morning dawned grey, cold and wet in the city....well, for the locals it was cold as they were dressed in sweaters and jackets whereas we were in tee shirts.

The Ghan is undoubtedly one of the world's great train journeys running from Adelaide, across the continent, via Alice Springs, to Darwin. It's been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, so at 10.30 am we stepped out of our taxi at the Adelaide Parklands terminal ready for the 12.15 departure to Alice. We were met on arrival with a swift and personalised check in service and then listened to some relaxing live music whilst sipping champagne and freshly squeezed orange juice as we waited for the remaining 250 or so passengers to gather.

Forty five or so minutes before the departure time we were all invited to board the train and shown the way to our cabin in carriage J. Our attendant explained the facilities, services and mealtimes and then as the train began to roll out of the station and with the rain lashing down, we sat in the Outback Explorer Lounge with our all inclusive wine, beers and coffees. The narrative that follows is a sort of running commentary as our journey begins.

We headed northwards out of the city, ironically passing through Parafield, Chidda and Salisbury stations where we had been just 24 hours earlier and the the clouds were starting to break. Not long afterwards our lunch was served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car...a perfectly cooked fillet steak and a delicious passion fruit tart for afters. Once finished, we took after lunch coffee in the lounge. Some people seem to prefer sitting in the privacy of their cabins, but many have now joined us in the lounge and it's a very convivial atmosphere as travel plans are discussed and adventures told over endless beers and glasses of wine.

As the afternoon progressed the landscape began to change, firstly from general suburbia, to vast wheat fields and then more to bush and scrub, but interspersed with the occasional farm and small town. By mid afternoon we were following the coast of the Spencer Gulf for a short while before stopping for a short break in Port Augusta. The port is a fairly sizeable town and a crossroads and transport hub for much of Australia's north/south and east/west traffic and as I write we are waiting in sidings whilst kilometre long freight trains rumble slowly past on either side of us.

Moving onwards out of Port Augusta the scenery quickly became the quintessential bush land of Australia. The terrain is totally flat, the soil between the vegetation is rust red and in the evening sunlight with the rain clouds long since left behind there is a certain beauty about the outback. We cross the occasional dirt road and follow the occasional water pipeline and once or twice there have been people in the middle of nowhere who seem to have come out just to watch the train go by.

The train's guidebook says that the best times to spot wildlife is at dusk and dawn...and it is not wrong. We were freshening up before dinner and looking out of the window of our cabin we spotted several kangaroos, some bounding along and some just standing and watching, and also a solitary emu. Just fabulous...what could be more symbolic of this country!

After dinner in the company of a very pleasant young Aussie couple it was time to turn in as we were scheduled to have an early stop in the morning.

Monday.

Sleep was at best fitful as the train continued northwards during the night. Although the beds in the cabin were comfortable the train was noisy and rocking and rolling. Breakfast was scheduled for 6am, so it didn't help when I missed my alarm and woke with a start at ten minutes to! No matter, we dressed hurriedly and the train was stopped at Marla, a one shed and no platform town in the middle of nowheresville, still 100 miles from the Northern Territory state line. However the reason for the stop was to disembark for an hour and stretch our legs. Stepping down onto the red soil, the full moon was setting in the west and the sun was just rising in the east. Sunrise in the outback is one of those unforgettable magical moments, especially so as the sky was cloudless and the atmosphere crystal clear. 

The train staff brought out steaming hot coffee to help warm us against the early morning chill, followed by bacon and egg butties and vegemite rolls. We were told not to stray off the paths as various critters and reptiles would be stirring as the sun rose, but all we saw was a flock of bright pink coloured galas setting off for a morning feed. 

All too soon the hour had passed and it was time to reboard the train and this gave us the opportunity to get properly washed and ready for the rest of the day. Taking a hot shower on board a moving train is a new experience and definitely not one to be missed!

The train trundled on throughout the morning. There were no other stops as such although the slowing down/timing points tend to be at radio mast stations. The outback scenery varies from time to time, sometimes just grassland with few trees and at other times dense bush and shrub, but all the time the soil remains a deep red colour giving rise to the most apt description, the red centre of the country. A rough unsurfaced road follows the track....there are no vehicles, only markers designating every passing kilometre. We pass the state border in the blink of an eye and then over a bridge spanning the dried up River Finke.

Then soon after lunch we pull slowly into Alice Springs station, our most memorable journey complete. The train staff, who have been absolutely superb throughout, bid us goodbye and we take a taxi for the short ride to our hotel and a most refreshing and welcome dip in the pool.