MY FIRST memory of travelling by train was when our school teacher and assorted parents boarded our class on the last train out of Boonah, bound for Ipswich.
I remember the rattling and swaying of the carriage, the noise of the train on the tracks and strangely, the views out the dusty windows must have been impressive as some remain in my memories.
My next experience of train journeys was the jolting and the stop and start nature of the trip between Ipswich and Indooroopilly during my boarding school years.
But the most memorable was when my third year university class hitched a ride on the Sunlander from Brisbane to Cairns. Our living, dining and sleeping carriages were shunted on and off along the way as we undertook a bespoke ‘grand tour’ of an array of properties where innovations in horticulture were underway.
The luxury of sitting on comfortable seating and watching the countryside go by while chatting with friends has remained with me.
So, when I was asked to write a travelogue for this feature, I thought I would look at one of the celebrated train journeys.
As I hadn’t experienced a trip on The Ghan, the Indian Pacific or the Great Southern, I turned to The Travel Temple website for inspiration.
And there I found a comparison of the three great Australian train trips and happily pay due deference to their writer’s advice and review.
The Travel Temple writer reviews the trio on the basis of “which is the best”.
“It all depends on your interests, itinerary and overall travel budget,” they wrote.
“We have done all of these iconic Australian train journeys.
“Perhaps surprisingly given all of these trips are operated by the same company, Journey Beyond Rail, each of these train journeys is quite different.”
In outlining the trip opportunities: “The Ghan travels from Adelaide to Darwin, via Alice Springs, in two nights.
“From May to October, there is also a three night journey which includes a stop at Coober Pedy and time to visit Uluru.
“You can also travel on The Ghan for one night, from Darwin to Alice Springs or Alice Springs to Adelaide.
“The Indian Pacific travels between Perth, Adelaide and Sydney on a 4,352km transcontinental crossing across the bottom of Australia.
“The longest trip from Sydney to Perth takes three nights, there’s a two night journey from Adelaide to Perth and a one night journey from Sydney to Adelaide.
“The Great Southern train takes you along the east coast of Australia from Brisbane to Adelaide on a three night trip or from Adelaide to Brisbane, a journey which only takes two nights.
“As the two Great Southern itineraries are different, some passengers do both back-to-back which creates a week long trip once you factor in one night at a hotel between train trips while the Great Southern is cleaned and restocked for the next lot of passengers.”
On the off-train tour offered: “A selection of excursions on The Ghan, Great Southern and Indian Pacific are included in the cost of your fare.
“These range from bus tours to nature walks, cruises, city tours and food and wine experiences.
“Additional excursions are also available at an ‘add on’ cost, such as camel riding in Alice Springs and a helicopter trip over the gorge at Katherine.”
On the food: “You will find identical Queen Adelaide Restaurant dining cars on every Journey Beyond train.
“This restaurant has tables for four and serves breakfast, a two-course lunch and three-course dinner. Menus focus on regional flavours and produce from the surrounding area. Native ingredients such as kangaroo, saltbush and wild rosella also feature, offering a delicious taste of Australia.”
In an overview of the pros and cons:
The Ghan pros: Great choice of active and relaxing excursions, the longer Ghan Expedition itinerary includes time to see Uluru and alternate arrival and departure cities and journey lengths available.
The Ghan cons: Darwin and Adelaide aren’t considered ‘must see’ cities by many travellers, off train excursions can be extremely hot in the warmer months and some must do excursions are not included in the fare.
Great Southern pros: Excursions visit some of Australia’s best food and wine regions, there’s a choice of two completely different journeys which can be combined and it is one of Australia’s newest luxury rail journeys.
Great Southern cons: Train only runs a few months each year, long days spent touring can be tiring for older passengers and the focus on food and wine may not suit some travellers.
Indian Pacific pros: Includes the chance to cross the Nullarbor Plain, plenty of time for gazing out the window and enjoying the view and alternate arrival and departure cities and journey lengths are available.
Indian Pacific cons: Passengers come and go regularly during the journey, long days spent on the train could be ‘boring’ for some travellers and some stops are in the ‘middle of nowhere’ with nothing much to do.
