CROSS COUNTRY
Travel aboard The Ghan.
Tropical top, temperate tail and red-hot desert in-between. Travelling on The Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide through Australia’s iconic Red Centre gives you an appreciation of the country’s expansiveness and extremes. Throw in sumptuous meals, exciting experiences and a close-knit community of staff and passengers, and you have an adventure best crossed off your bucket list sooner rather than later.
Words: Sasha Oelsner
From the bus, I catch my first glimpse of the train, with its many silver carriages adorned with the familiar camel motif. We’ve arrived by bus at Berrimah Terminal, about 20km from Darwin. I’m among 300 passengers who’ll call The Ghan home as we cross the country on the four-day, three-night Expedition journey.
Like many of my fellow passengers, I stop for a quick selfie then rush to collect my luggage and climb the steps to the train. Jenny, our Gold Premium Guest Experience Manager, is waiting to welcome me on board – she’s as excited as I am. It’s also her first time on The Ghan after many journeys hosting passengers on the train’s sister locomotive, the Indian Pacific. Luggage in tow, I find my cabin at the far end of the carriage.
My recently refurbished cabin is backwards facing and includes a shower, toilet and lounge that will transform into a bunk bed that evening. Taking a seat, I gaze out the window while sipping the refreshing iced tea waiting for me on the side table. Before too long, I hear the familiar call of “All aboard!” and the train ever so slowly begins creeping away from the station.
Before lunch, I spend time watching as the scenery transforms from vibrant green trees to red soil and dry grasses. The reputation of the dining experience precedes it, and I resist the temptation to nibble my complimentary rocky road so not to spoil my appetite.
The accolades are warranted. The menu is strewn with flavours of Australia, from bush tucker ingredients like saltbush and native pepper to native meats. I devour my fragrant buffalo curry before finishing the meal with caramelised pineapple and native myrtle syrup.
Despite feeling like I’d boarded the train only moments earlier, it’s already time to get off. We’ve arrived at our first destination, Katherine, where I’ve chosen to visit the Cutta Cutta Caves.
Limestone formations sparkle like diamonds, and each chamber becomes surprisingly warmer and more humid than the last.
Taking in the menu.
Explore Coober Pedy.
It’s a little bit sweaty for me, but perfect for the endangered ghost bats that call it home. As evening arrives, we’re back on the train and, after a late dinner (I couldn’t resist ordering the crocodile dumplings), I return to my room to find it transformed as if by magic. There’s a little nightcap of port on the mantle, a square of dark chocolate on my pillow beside a glossy, gold sleeping mask and my lounge is now a cosy bed.
In the morning, I arise and open the blinds. I’m curious to see what landscape awaits after travelling hundreds of kilometres overnight. This is the true outback now. Ochre soil and towering termite mounds fill the landscape as the train continues its approach towards today’s stop – Alice Springs.
The country is enduring a heatwave today that’s impacting the more intrepid off-train experiences. My first choice, the Desert Park tour is unaffected.
In the park, I’m seated under a shady canopy, watching mesmerised as rescued native birds soar over and around us during the free-flying demonstration. Little Bruce, the willie wagtail, keeps stealing the show thinking he too is a mighty bird of prey.
Dinner is a special occasion. All dressed up, we’re transported to the Alice Springs Telegraph Station for our evening under the stars. There are camel rides, a live band, and even an astronomy lesson. The hot day means a beautiful, balmy night and no need for the light jackets we were encouraged to bring. Over wine and delicious food, I get to know my table of eight. Together we laugh, chat and dance the night away under the canopy of the Milky Way.
Waking on day three, I repeat yesterday’s ritual, immediately opening the blinds to see what vista awaits. After two days of clear skies, I’m captivated by the dramatic clouds, wondering how they will affect the temperature today. Soon, we stop at Manguri – a rail siding 40 minutes from Coober Pedy. There’s nothing here but a sign and picnic benches arranged in a circle around an unlit bonfire and complete, uninterrupted desert. The rugged, wild beauty takes my breath away.
The clouds part, leaving a sweltering 37-degree day in their wake. It’s the perfect temperature to put Coober Pedy’s underground dwellings to the test. For today’s off-train experience, I’ve chosen to visit Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. It’s deliciously cool as I sit metres below the surface, learning about the opals found in this region.
Birds of prey.
Lunch for all Ghan guests is held deep underground in a functioning opal mine. Before being seated I’m handed a pick and a hard hat, and encouraged to swing at the walls. Alas, today is not the day I’ll find my fortune. But watching my fellow passengers seated at long tables within the deftly excavated caverns, sharing delicious platters and laughing together, I realise how fortunate I already am.
We return to Manguri as the sun begins to set. I sit at a picnic bench, nibbling tasty kangaroo sausage roll canapes with a glass of South Australian wine, and reminisce about the past three days with passengers I have come to know well. From here, The Ghan stretches as far as the eye can see, like the vast country she crosses. She’s headed by two red-and-white locomotives and pulling, on our journey, 26 carriages. I know because I walked the length and counted them. The train emerges, glinting, from the flat, red soil with no other landmarks to distract the eye.
I’m soaking everything in: the train, the landscape and the sense of community. This has been a journey of a lifetime. It’s bittersweet; I’m grateful and awed by the experience. I’m also a little wistful that it’s coming to an end, for tomorrow morning I’ll wake up in Adelaide at the end of the line.
Telegraph Station dinner, Alice Springs.
IMAGES: Daniel Garland; Journey Beyond; RAA/Sasha Oelsner.
