Day 13 : Australian Great Train Journeys

We LOVE trains. Especially old ones. And I'd love to love luxury trains, like the three we are showcasing today. I'm working on the other half to consent to an extended journey via trains.

You can start your own great train journey by visiting Great Southern Rail. Here you’ll find information ( and can book) on some of the world's greatest train journeys: The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and The Overland.  The Ghan has been serving Australia for over 80 years! Great Southern Rail has just released the latest  Journey Schedule, including the launch of an exciting new four-day three-night Ghan journey as part of its 2015/16 schedule of epic Australian rail holidays. The new, extended journey is pretty cool, adding  an extra day and night to the standard Ghan journey from Darwin to Adelaide, taking guests through the heart of the Australian Outback on a 76-hour adventure that includes Katherine, more time in Alice Springs and a new excursion at Coober Pedy.  This extended service is available as a full Darwin-Adelaide journey during the 2015 peak season between 23 May and 22 August.

  The four-day Ghan includes:
• Day and night Off Train Excursions in Alice Springs, including a dinner under the stars at the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges
• The option to undertake a fly-in visit of Uluru (at extra cost), getting back in time to rejoin The Ghan
• A full day to explore underground at Coober Pedy, the opal mining capital of the world.
Price for 2  adult passengers  from Adelaide to Darwin (one way) on the Platinum service in June is around $7000, but check with http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au  first.

The Indian Pacific offers travellers four days and three nights of indulgence, from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific . Travelling Perth – Adelaide - Sydney, you will watch the passing backdrop of Australia’s magnificent landscapes.  In 2015/16, all westbound Indian Pacific journeys feature extended touring time in beautiful South Australia, where you can join the hustle and bustle of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest fresh produce markets, or immerse yourself in the internationally-acclaimed Barossa Valley wine country.

Included in the itinerary is an off-train dining experience in Australia's food and wine capital, Adelaide. New to the Indian Pacific is a remote “short stop” where guests can disembark from the train to enjoy a glowing Nullarbor sunset at Rawlinna. The Indian Pacific is one of the world’s longest train journeys.
Finally, the Overland, which takes you  on a daylight service both ways between Adelaide and Melbourne, twice a week. It  provides a comfortable, relaxing journey between the cities and a
great way to ease into a holiday in either Melbourne, Adelaide or surrounding regions.<br>
Other train journeys can be found on http://www.australian-trains.com/. These include Queensland Rail’s Tilt Train (Brisbane to Rockhampton), the  Sunlander (Brisbane to Cairns), Spirit of the Outback (Brisbane to Longreach ) and the NSW TrainLink (Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne).<br>

If you are in Queensland and are really lucky, the driver of a Banana Train might let you hop on board. We spied this train north of Cairns. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to ask for a ride.
If you like steam trains like us, there are also many opportunities to visit steam museums and join in short expeditions.


There are lots of steam train enthusiasts and often you’ll see the big engines out for a jaunt.  This carriages on this  train were all classic clerestory roofed 'E' cars, built between 1908 and 1910.

Or if you are over Cairns way, take the skyrail to Kuranda. It's a short journey but go first class and drink bubbles and enjoy the scenery. The only downside is it's over too quickly.