Storyline: Home to home westward
May 19, finally we are aboard The Ghan. It was one of the highlights of our 3 months journey. It was actually the first thing I had to book after we secured our tickets to Auckland. It determined the rest of the schedule and to some extend the itinerary.
The Ghan had been on the to do list for years. We knew that one day, when we could afford it, we’d visit Alex’s cousin who lives in Australia. New Zealand might tag along, but had never been a “must do” (Well… it was amazing). We would visit Mike & Carole in Wagga Wagga and perhaps Ella & Joy, old family friends, in Sydney and then we’d take The Ghan, crossing Australia coast to coast from south to north (or vice versa) through the outback.
There was something mystical and magical and almost folkloric in imagining such a journey that the Australians characterize as national experience. To begin with the name, the most popular belief is that it comes from Afghan, because of the imported camels that were used as a major transportation tool before the railway was built. But there are other versions for the name’s origin. And as mentioned below, to add to the confusion, the Ghan refers to two different railways: the old and the new.
Although the history of The Ghan goes back to 1839 when the first Afghan cameleer arrived in South Australia, it is sooner pointing to the origin of the name of a rail journey that in its current form was completed only in 2004. So why are the camels linked to this railway? Camels were imported to transport goods, equipment, mail, water, or shall we say everything transportable, to remote towns in central Australia. This function was later taken over by the train. Camels demand little water, which added to their suitability to traverse the Australian outback. They were instrumental in the development of major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the rail lines.
The actual construction of a railway that later would become part of The Ghan route began in 1877, starting with a line from Port Augusta on the south coast to Alice Springs in the centre of the country. It was finally finished 38 years later.
In 1911 the Commonwealth decided to build a railway from Adelaide to Darwin that would connect southern and northern Australia with almost 3,000 km of track. The line was extended to Adelaide and the first 100 passengers, together with tons of supplies bound for Alice Springs (then named Stuart) left Adelaide on August 4, 1929. But it would be much later that the vision of 1911 would be realised.
The Ghan line played an important role during WWII, when it was used to transport servicemen for training and deployment. There were up to 247 trains running weekly in 1944. In the 60s and 70s The Ghan line was instrumental in the development and growth of major industries across the interior of the country. It was the lifeline for many remote settlements. These old tracks, however, are not part of the current line. The old Ghan crossed some of the most flood-prone regions of central Australia. The line still exists and is used by a tourist train called “The Afghan Express”. The Ghan railway, as we saw it, replaced the old one in 1980 and rebuilding of the section from Alice Spring to Darwin was only commenced in 2001.
The line, promised in 1911 and stretching the length of Australia, was finally completed 93 years later in 2004. Better late than never. On February 1st, 2004 the inaugural Adelaide-Darwin train, stretching more than a kilometer with its 43 carriages, departed from Adelaide.
And so, we took this train 15 years after its modern completion. The legend of this railway, the story of the people who built it through one of the hottest deserts in the world, the people who maintained it then and now, the resilience and determination are so strong that one doesn’t realise the vision to connect the north and south through the heart of the Australian outback was fully implemented only some 15 years ago.
I would not have known all this if I hadn’t travelled on board the train. Somehow the “old” Ghan and the “new” Ghan had blended in my mind as one.
From an affordability perspective we could only book a bunk bed cabin (called gold service), which understandably was quite small in comparison to our twin bed cabin on the Belmond Andean Explorer in Peru.
But every experience is different. Apparently, the platinum service has bigger cabins than the one we had in Petu. They also have windows on both sides of the cabin. If you can afford it, go for it. Were this our first luxury tourist train experience we would have been dazzled by it. Expectations are the worst enemy of a traveler and we have had a few of those disappointments throughout the years. So, let’s just say that it is a totally different and unique experience.
Did I mention – the trip is unique? After passing through some small and remote places in the outback northwest of Adelaide, the train turns north and crosses the huge continent right though the middle of its literally red heart. The view is very calming as is the entire continent.
We are in well isolated and air-conditioned carriages and our touch with the outside environment, aside from the few stops, is only ours to imagine. Is it cold or bloody hot? Are there flies or mosquitoes? As much as we tried to spot some animals, we saw none. Vast red desert with many trees. Interesting because my image of desert is the Sahara: massive sandscapes and yellow or golden sand dunes; no trees or water, except for the occasional oasis.
The Australian desert is very different. Red soil, trees and shrubs. After Alice Springs, it actually changed to brown soil and somewhat different vegetation/trees. Up North near to and after Katherine it is desert no more, although in the season we were there it was dry. There can be massive floods though, in the area around Katherine.
There is tall grass covering the soil near the tracks. And as far as we can see in what I am tempted to name as forest, but it really has nothing to do with what a Canadian will consider a forest. Alex suggested scrub or a scrubby forest. There is some elevation as we approach Darwin, but all in all it was flat as far as we could see.
I was quite impressed by the tall and thick anthills. Some are a few meters high. They look more like sculptures, and if they were not in the middle of nowhere, I’d think they were man-made.
We were told that every 4 gold service carriages have a lounge, galley and dining car. Most of the passengers in our section were Australian, many from rural areas. Many were older than us: most much older.
Many walked with some kind of assistance, like a cane or walker. They didn’t seem interested in communicating, at least during the first day. Most were drinking and staring around with empty glances showing nothing but boredom.
Our first impression of Australians on board – they are not interested in socializing outside of their tribe. As the trip progressed, we met a few younger couples, some younger than us, with whom we chatted and shared impressions. Yet we don’t think many really connected even with their fellow countrymen. Perhaps, at least for some this was one last trip across their land, something they wanted to do for a long time. And perhaps they wanted to take it all in, uninterrupted by strangers they’d never meet again.
Our 3-day/2-night experience on The Ghan and the side excursions we selected (they are included in the price) will be revealed in the next two posts. Below are a few tips for your journey.
If you go (travel tips)
- The cheapest option is the three days two nights journey that we took from Adelaide to Darwin. There is also the so called “The Ghan expedition” which is 4 days 3 nights and runs only from Darwin to Adelaide.
- Off-train excursions are included in the price of the ticket, but there may be some optional upgrades.
- If you can afford it, take the Platinum service. The cabins are much bigger and so are the bathroom with a separate shower stall. And while the Gold service food is really good, we understand that the meals served to Platinum passengers are also in a different class. For our friends from the “Buenos Aires to Lima” tour, this is similar to what we experienced during our Belmond Andean Explorer journey.
- There is not much room for luggage, so make sure you have a small carry-on or a backpack and check the rest of your luggage in. We managed to put a small carry-on on the top where the pillows and blankets were stored and we also had 2 small backpacks. The wardrobe is really small, but enough for your dress or coat.
- Before we packed in Canada, we wondered what kind of clothes we’d need for the train. The train is well air-conditioned so I used my light layer which I had for the sunrise breakfast in the desert. It was 5C that morning, but it can be lower. You’ll spend a few hours outside, so have warm clothes for this event. In the train most of the locals wear shorts and t-shirts during the day. You’ll need a bit better attire for dinner, but nothing really formal.
- For the excursions: It can be 45C and up in the desert, so dress appropriately. You definitely will need a hat, to protect you if not from the sun, from the annoying flies. Sunscreen and sunglasses will be helpful too. Long pants covering your shoes or tucked into your socks are required for hiking in the desert at Alice Springs.
Great post 🙂