Gain with the train

Today we leave south austrailia and head up to the northern territory on The Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs.  Four wheels not in use today, which is good news after covering some 1260 kms in a car and then 800 kms in the van so this morning's plan of just pitching up at the train station to cover the next 1500 odd kms north has made us both smile very much indeed.


We are booked into red class which gets us a spacious reclining sleeper seat for the next 25 hours. Once we jump off at Alice Springs the train then continues north up to Darwin, with a journey total of 54 hours and 2979 km! You can kinda see why she only runs in one direction once a week and she's only completed this journey, Adelaide to Darwin, in one go since 2004.

 

The original Ghan line followed the route of explorer John MacDouall Stuart. The first train left Adelaide on 4 August 1929. The train's whistle pierced the silence of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding Alice Springs 2 days later. The train was steam hauled and had to contend with extreme conditions including flash flooding and intense heat. Once getting stranded in one spot for two weeks, the engine driver shot wild goats to feed his passengers!

In 1980, the Old Ghan's narrow wooden sleeper style rail track was abandoned in favour of the new standard gauge track. This was mounted on concrete sleepers to provide a termite proof rail system,
thankfully.  The service, old and new, has now been running for 81 years and today's trains have real spacious seating, lounge and lounge carriages all which have in carriage toilets and showers, they even throw in complimentary towels. Our train stretched for 30 carriages long. The first two up front carrying cars. The train tootles along at a speed of 60mph. The exterior and interior have an art deco feel and you expect Hercule Poirot to walk through at any moment.

Once away we headed west which took us up alongside the Spencer Gulf, this gave some great views of the Flinders Ranges up to Port Augusta. From here we leave the coast and head north where through the night
we will reach the outback and enter yet another timezone.


I arose early from my recliner seat to watch the sunrise around 5am. As she rose from the horizon it lit the whole right hand side of the train acting as a signal to passengers that a new day had arrived. Within a few hours we reached the northern territory boarder some 1000 kms north of Adelaide. A 1000 kms covered just like that, now this is the way to get around this island!! As they say, it's too easy man.  From the carriage display the outside temp reads a steady 28c whilst inside it's a steady 21c. Kinda slightly bed smelly, but alls ok.
Last winter brought record rainfall to the northern territories therefore as we glide through the outback it's full of colours not normally on show. We pass many culverts and track side gullies that are full with rain water, all slightly tainted orange from the surrounding soil.  Throughout the journey there were various info announcements highlighting points of interest as we passed through the outback. Some more interesting than other, but you just gonna love old Ozzie honesty.