Crossing Australian aboard The Ghan
Great Southern Rail's Ghan train is epic.
Traversing 2979 kilometres over three days and two nights on a magnificent and almost 1km-long snake of a train from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Adelaide in South Australia is a wondrous experience.
Within half an hour of our departure from the lush greenery of Darwin I am talking to fellow punters in the Outback Explorer Lounge over a fine wine or beer.
Dave and Sharon and Mal and Ros drove from Adelaide to Darwin for a "fun adventure" and now they are "relaxing in luxury for the return trip".
With their cars safely locked up in The Ghan's transport carriage for the ridiculously cheap price of $300 a car, the four friends are happily viewing the scenery, and clinking glasses to celebrate.
And celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Ghan track stretching from Alice Springs to Darwin, Great Southern Rail has included dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, where gold and platinum-class travellers enjoy quality Australian wines, beers, base spirits, soft drinks, tea and coffee, complementing three-course meals.
Guests sharing travelling experiences in the Outback Explorer Lounge enjoy the same refreshments.
Proving popular, this initiative by GSR is to continue.
Three options are available on The Ghan to heighten your experience.
For the young at heart or budget-conscious, red class provides day-nighter reclining seats, cabinet food, meals and drinks for purchase.
Gold-class passengers relax in private cabins that include big windows, a two-seater sofa (foldaway bed) and en suite.
Platinum contains a double bed and en suite and views from both sides of the exclusive carriages.
Whatever class you choose, the focus is on relaxation and enjoyment as The Ghan journeys through the vast and diverse Australian landscape.
Cynics of long train journeys often shout "Take a book", but time passes quickly and after our departure from Darwin at 9am, The Ghan reaches its first exciting stop at picturesque Katherine in just over three hours.
Katherine is true adventure territory and the majestic 292,000-hectare Nitmuluk National Park is the gem of the region.
With various excursions on offer, including a cultural experience, I choose the Nitmuluk Gorge cruise, which is a gentle journey through two gorges.
Bordered by 60-metre-high sandstone cliff faces, designer-like fracture lines caused by erosion quickly become a visual treat.
Amid the serenity, it is time to leave the boat and walk.
With flat rocks laid into the pathway, wooden bridges and glistening, crystal-clear pools scattered along the trail and sub-gorges in the distance, it is well designed to evoke the natural beauty of Katherine, and one feels happily lost in another time and place.
Back on board The Ghan after more than four hours absorbing the delights of Katherine, a refreshing shower enhances thoughts of dinner.
In the plush Queen Adelaide dining car, we are seated at tables for four, and immediately conversation beckons.
With crisp white tablecloths supporting wine glasses and plates, diners are happily invited to choose from the richly inspiring three-course menu.
Entree is minestrone soup or my personal choice, blue swimmer crab, poached and served on sourdough with spiced avocado and topped with pickled ginger and cucumber. It was divine.
For the main I chose grilled saltwater barramundi – delightful.
Our table of four chose the decadent Belgian chocolate muntries pudding, dripping with chocolate sauce.
Sipping red wine, it is hard to believe diners are seated on a train, and that is the thing about the journey on The Ghan.
Viewing plush greens and then the rusty hues of Australia's red centre, residing in spacious cabins and absorbing interesting and funny tales from fellow travellers, it is more like being in a plush hotel – on steel wheels.
Everything is taken care of. Beds are turned down when guests are at dinner and we arrive back at our cabins with handmade chocolates on the beds.
Encouraged to sleep by the comforting rhythm of the rails, we awake the next day refreshed and eager to venture into our second stop, Alice Springs.
Pyndan Camel Tracks (a family business) transport eight of us to its ranch-style acreage.
We are novices at riding camels, but Marcus "The Camel Man" Williams beckons us towards the kneeling camels and explains that when seated, "Lean back in the seat and hold on as you will be lurched forward".
The camels, including Doc, Ruby and Saleh, rise slowly, but the power in their back legs certainly propels one forward.
Happy with our camel trail loosely roped together, we set off around the property for a surprisingly comfortable dusty-trail ride.
Atop a camel on a gorgeous 25-degree morning lazily surveying the West MacDonnell Ranges, one feels totally at ease and wishes the camel trail would just go on and on.
Camels can live until age 50 and are capable of carrying at least 300 kilograms.
While other Alice Springs excursions, including the Alice Explorer and the Alice Springs Desert Park are inclusive, Pyndan Camel Tracks, subsidised by GSR, costs $40, and punters agreed it was THE choice.
Relaxing in the Outback Explorer Lounge, Robert and Annette are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
Annette says Robert surprised her with a ticket and she is "loving every moment".
The Ghan crosses its only two watercourses – the rivers Hugh and Finke – but they are rivers of sand.
The Finke River features rocky riverbeds that date back 300 million years.
The history and timelines realised during this journey are astonishing.
After dinner, travellers reflect on their favourite parts of the trip.
Peter was impressed with sighting the freshwater crocodiles almost disguised in the sand at Katherine, while Judy says riding a camel at Alice Springs has prompted her to buy a book called Tracks, by Robyn Davidson, who with four camels and a dog trekked 2700km across the Australian desert in 1977.
Davidson's story has recently been made into a major film titled Making Tracks, starring Mia Wasikowska.
On our final morning we awake to the staggering surrounds of the Flinders Ranges, which stretch more than 430km.
Our final destination, Adelaide, is now only a few hours away and morning tea is provided, with selections of sandwiches, slices and muffins.
From the railway town of Port Augusta and later the wind farms of Snowtown, suddenly acre upon acre of yellow fields fill the windows announcing (rapeseed) canola oil crops.
Within the next few minutes the vista turns deep green, church steeples are seen in the distance and suddenly The Ghan has arrived in Adelaide.
On arrival, it is hard to believe we have journeyed 2979km through the heart of Australia fuelled by comfort, fine food and new friends.
The Ghan is a unique experience and one that richly rewards in many memorable ways.
Have you ever taken The Ghan? Or have you been on one of the other great Australian train journeys? Let us know in the comments section.
Written by Steve Scott. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
Image credit: Great Southern Rail
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