still read and rate when I can but have no time for writing at present.
still read and rate when I can but have no time for writing at present.
Member since:14.06.2007
Reviews:37
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Following on from my recent review of Perth and surroundings the next part of our trip was a train journey from Perth to Sydney via the historic Indian Pacific railway. One point to note here is that the train goes from East Perth Terminal and not Perth Train Station as we had been advised. However, our taxi driver knew the correct one and got us there in good time.
***History***
So called named because it links the two great oceans from the West to the East coast of Australia via the vast openness of the centre. The trip is 4352 kms and takes 65 hours and runs twice weekly in both directions (now departs Sydney Sat & Weds & Perth Weds & Sun which has changed since our trip).
Only since 1982 has The Indian Pacific been able to run and also go via Adelaide. Prior to that time there were numerous railway companies involved, operating different guage tracks and so passengers had to regularly change trains to continue their journeys. Today it is difficult to see how the operation actually makes any money given it is far cheaper (and quicker) to fly and appears to be more of a tourist thing rather than anything the majority of the population would utilize.
The symbol of The Indian Pacific is the wedged tailed eagle, the largest flying bird in Australia. It's wingspan signifies the length of the journey.
***Booking & Cost***
We booked online via the railways own site http://www.gsr.com.au/our-trains/indian-pacific/the-journey.php. This was very easy to understand and navigate around.
There is a choice of fares:
Gold Kangaroo Service (First Class) $1790 adults/$1293 kids
Red Kangaroo Service Sleeper Cabin (Second Class) $1320 adults/$859 kids
Red Kangaroo Service Day/Nighter Seat (Economy) $680 adults/$322 kids
Prices are not cheap when compared to air travel (approx half price) but then again you are paying for the experience.
We ended up with a sleeper cabin as first class was full.
The principal difference between the various classes is first class is your own cabin and own shower/toilet, second class is own cabin with communal shower toilet and economy is like a normal train journey but with wider and comfier seats (which you will need if you are going to spend three days in them).
***Checking In***
At the station you check in like you would for a flight but only more relaxed and we didn't see any specific security measures. It was just like getting on a normal train but handing your luggage to someone else first.
***First Impressions***
The train arrived and to be blunt it was a bit disappointing. I think I was expecting something really grand a la the Orient Express but it was just a very long train with an engine
on the front, but with around 21 carriages!!
We then went to our carriage which was clearly signposted and were met at the door by the conductor for our carriage who was really friendly and helpful and who showed us to our cabin. This is when we became aware of a problem. What no one had told us is that the bags we checked in would not be seen until we arrived in Sydney and they had everything in it. This was not made clear on the tickets and coupled with the fact our tickets said the wrong train station on was not a good start. However, our conductor was obviously used to this and later on took me to the storage carriage to get our stuff without any hint of frustration or anything so it must happen a lot!
The cabin itself was something of a shock also. Not a bad shock by the way as it's a train and there's only so much space and I wasn't expecting too much but I had no idea it was that small!!. However, it did become clear that the designers had used a very efficient use of a cramped space. There were two airline type chairs next to the window facing each other with plenty of width and leg room and the lower bunk folds out of the two chairs. The top bunk folds out from the ceiling and whilst it is a tight fit I found the beds very comfortable and had no problemsleeping. In fact I didn't want to go to sleep as I had the top bunk which looked out of the window and all you could see were very bright stars and hear the clickety clack of the track which was very therapeutic and lulled me into a coma like state! However, my need for this view meant the blind was open which is not an issue when it's pitch black but tends to make the wife get out of the wrong side of bed in the morning when the sun is up.
I really liked the cabins because whilst cramped I felt they were cosy and comfortable. I also liked it that when we first entered the cabin there were a few tidbits to help with the journey which were a map, a detailed sheet with every place we passed and the distance travelled so you could keep up with exactly where you were (although most places detailed did not have anything there so you didn't know if you had gone through it anyway). There was also a booklet providing a history of the journey as well as a potted history of each place we went to. There was also an itinery of trips available at the places we would stop off and leave the train for a period.
You use the cabin largely for sleeping in but can stay in it throughout the day if needs be. You tend to get up around 6 o'clock as the train comes to life and then go to the dining car for breakfast which is basic but fine. You have a choice of cereals, fry up, croissants etc but none of it is included in the price and so they keep a tab for you that you pay when you arrive. Lunch & dinner is also available and there is a cheap, basic menu that will not win any awards but is more than adequate.
They also had an area where you could sit and chat at a table or relax on a sofa as well as a separate compartment for smoking (although this may be gone now) and at night there was a bar.
There is not actually a great deal to do but personally, I just loved sitting at a window watching the view go by. When you take this kind of journey for the first time then anything counts as entertainment even if for the first hour it is looking at people's back yards. When you finally see the mesmerising red desert then that's when you feel it is all worthwhile even if it the same sight for hours on end.
You see all sorts of animals including lots of emus and kangaroos and there are enough stops along the way to make it interesting (called whistle stop tours and the cost is modest) where you can get off the train and do a tour (which you pay for separately). I just found it fascinating doing nothing but watch the landscape go by and view the glorious sunsets!
There was great excitement on the train at one point with it slowing down so everyone could have a peak. We were in the middle of nowhere (can't remember where exactly) but we had seen nothing but red desert for hours on end and suddenly there was a bloke just sat next to the track with a fluorescent jacket on. He looked totally at ease but out of place and didn't appear to be with anyone and there was not a building in site. However, entertainment is at a premium at times so it was like a major event. Hence the title of this review. It just goes to show how remote the line is in places when seeing a human outside the train is a momentous occasion!!
***The Journey***
The first stop is Kalgoorlie which is 9 hours and 655 km from Perth and it is at the juncture you really get the scale of things as you have hardly moved on the map and are still in Western Australia. Kalgoorlie is famous for its gold mining and has a population of 30,000 and is based on the Western fringes of the Nullarbor Plain. We went on a coach tour but it was dark but visited the "Super Pit" which is a huge, open cast mine. It is 5km long, 2.5km wide and 500 metres deep and produces 28 tonnes of gold pa. They also took us past the famous legalised brothels and seem very proud of them! I suppose 20,000 miners need something to do at weekend.
I found the staff very friendly and helpful and also very knowledgeable about the history of the journey. In fact, I saw very few staff at all with the conductor for our area seemingly the chief cook & bottle washer also as he took orders for food and served the drinks behind the bar and seemingly got little sleep (although they had a staff change in Adelaide). It was a very relaxed, laid back trip.
During the first night we entered the Nullarbor plain which is a vast, flat, treeless area that the UK would fit into comfortably and in the morning enter Cook in South Australia. The Nullarbor is the longest straight line railway in the world. 478 miles without a single deviation in direction. We are now 22 ½ hours/1657 km from Perth & 1002 km from Adelaide making this one of the remotest places on the planet. Cook is simply a stopping off point for trains passing through the continent and is a virtual ghost town. Trains can refuel and pick up provisions and there is also a crossing loop so trains can overtake/pass by (as it is mainly a one line railway). The population is around 10 and it has a church, school, houses and has a very unusual feature: a golf course without a single blade of grass on it. We had about an hours stop here and I loved it simply because it feels that you are in the middle of nowhere and it's a strange feeling to disembark a train having arrived at nowhere.
You could walk up to the engine and have a chat with the driver as he was stretching
Pictures of Indian Pacific Railway
East Perth Terminal
his legs having a coffee and everyone is really friendly and approachable.It's a bit of a momentous occasion when you reach the first bend at the end of the Nullarbor as the train slows down so everyone can see it! In fact, if there is anything interesting at the side of the track the driver will slow down so you can see it. For example, not long after Cook at a place called Barton (1742 km from Perth) there is a place called Ziggies place and the train slow here. A man named Ziggy lives here and he is in his 70s and worked the railways for 40 years and when he retired decided to build his own place in the middle of nowhere out of recycled products with no electricity or running water. The drivers therefore keep an eye on him when they pass by going at a crawl to check he is OK.
The next morning we arrive in Adelaide at 6am and go on another tour. We are now 2659 km from Perth and 1691km from Sydney. The tour is a very strange on because of the early hour but travelling this way you just have to accept it. It was a bus tour that just took us around the city and luckily for me took us to the Adelaide Oval cricket ground which I always wanted to see. There is not really I can add about Adelaide other than there's lots of churches, the roads are wide and it has a German influence. One thing I can say it that the driver took us out of his way to show us a row of terraced houses which he was waxing lyrical about and was obviously very proud of. He obviously thought these were unique to Australia and so he must have never been to the UK!!
The staff changed over at Adelaide and a few passengers departed/arrived so it was a change of scene but the new staff were equally friendly and helpful.
Our next stop was Broken Hill after an uneventful day and we arrived there at 3:45 pm. Well we should have done but there was an unexplained delay in arriving which meant we only had an hour there instead of 2 ¼ which put paid to the organised tour of which I was absolutely gutted about. The tour took in the HQ for the flying doctors and was where the successful TV series of the same name was filmed and I wanted to see it but was prevented from doing so for a reason that never became clear. In fact, typical Australian in that if things are going smoothly then no problem but as soon as things go wrong then its still no problem (for them) and the last thing they think about is providing an explanation! They don't seem to comprehend that there are deadlines to meet or onward journeys to take - it's just a case of shrugging the shoulders and hoping for the best and to be blunt this is one of the things I actually love about the place, despite it's frustrations. Fortunately for us, we were just going home to Manly so it didn't really matter if we were late or not.
By the time you get to Broken Hill you have finally arrived in New South Wales but if you think you are nearing the end of the journey then think again. There is still 19 hours and 1125 km from Sydney and have another night and morning to enjoy the rest of the trip.
The next morning we wake up as we are going through Katoomba and are now a mere 112 km from Sydney. Katoomba is where the Blue Mountains are West of Sydney but if I said the views were magnificent I would be lying. In fact, I don't think there was a mountain or much of a hill for that matter in sight. The train seemingly passes through a valley which obscures the view or is hidden behind trees.
There is then a build up of residences as we approach Sydney until finally the train slows to a crawl as it goes through the City and gives you the first sight of the graffiti at the side of the track. We then inch in to Sydney Central station and pick up our bags which are unceremoniously dumped on the platform.
***Conclusion***
It's a weird feeling arriving in Sydney as it is like an old pair of slippers for me - it feels like home and I was glad to be back (even though we had only been there three months!).
The Indian Pacific was everything and more of what I expected and I would love to do it in reverse. I can forgive the Australians their shortfalls in having such a couldn't care less approach just when it's the most important thing in the world to you. In fact, you could argue it's a strength and is something that if you live there you need to get used to very quickly.
I have heard mixed reviews of this trip, usually surrounding the accommodation not being up to expectations, boring, monotonous etc. I cannot disagree with any of these but this is a trip that you get out what you put in. For me, it exceeded my expectations simply because they were low to begin with.
The attraction of this trip is it's uniqueness and that didn't disappoint. I felt very privileged to be able to do the journey (very few Australians take this trip) as I am unlikely ever to get the opportunity again. If you are looking for entertainment, have a low boredom threshold or need more space & comfort then this is not for you. If you want to do something different and see places you didn't even know existed, can put up with the cramped conditions and have the time/patience to spend three days of your trip sat on a train then you will love it for what it is. In reality, if you like this sort of thing then you will not think of it as three days wasted sat on a train and consider those three days to be actually part of your holiday and enjoy it.
It's not the cheapest way of crossing Australia and it is unlikely you will use it as a form of transport but for an alternative, quick view of the outback it takes some beating. Some of the sights are breathtaking and some of the places we went to are places that we would never have heard of never mind made a point of going there. For that alone the trip is totally worthwhile.
Clickety clack - I'd love to go back….
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Another brilliant review so full of detail. ~ Fern xx
Chouchinciao 24.10.2007 16:30
Just as good second time round.
n13roy 19.10.2007 10:58
Brilliant review from start to finish, so much detail to attention running all the way through it, plus your own personal opinion as well, Great title too, and some wonderful pictures to round it off nicely..........Roy.......
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Sep 2nd, 2007
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