History made
rail travel
on The Ghan
Australia's best known
train ride. |
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| The Ghan originated
75 years ago when a railway line replaced "camel trains" to
ferry supplies and people to thinly-populated central Australia...
The camels were controlled by immigrant teams, mostly from
Afghanistan - hence the "Ghan" moniker, which
was transferred to the train... past their use-by date,
the animals were let go and went feral creating a surprise
for passengers on today's Ghan who spot camels loping across
arid terrain. |
More about the Ghan
Like Europe's Orient-Express, the image of The Ghan is stuffed
with legend and romance, even if its 2,979km Adelaide - Darwin
route is not Australia's longest. (That honour goes to the
Indian Pacific from Sydney to Perth... It's a long 4,352km
train ride...) This train ride takes almost 48 hours, with
one night on the way to Alice Springs and a second sleep after
leaving it... Timetables allow the Indian Pacific and Melbourne
- Adelaide Overland to link with The Ghan in Adelaide, meshing
rail travel from Melbourne, Sydney or Perth to Darwin... Sometimes
over a kilometre long with 550 passengers, the Ghan railway
boasts a multiplicity of evenly-spaced dining and bar cars,
so on any train ride, food and drink are never more than a
few coaches away.
The Ghan railway, now just for train ride passengers with
freight going on separate services, is so popular that it is
often fully booked... To make sure you coordinate any rail
travel you plan on the Ghan, you need to secure your rail travel
reservation as early as possible... The Ghan is by no means
one of the world's most luxurious trains. Don't expect Orient-Express
opulence... While the Ghan is exceptionally comfortable, it
is more akin to a friendly four-star than deluxe lodgings...
A plus: there's no dress code on the Ghan other than a "smart casual" suggestion
for evenings.
Northbound from Adelaide or southbound from Darwin?... Sound advice is to plan other aspects of your holiday and then pick the direction of rail travel that fits best... Last-minute discounts are, however, sometimes available on southbound train trips which are less heavily booked... Contact us about Ghan bookings.
Structuring itineraries to leave and rejoin the Ghan at places of interest is fairly simple, even if most passengers don't do so... If this is something you would like to do, tell your consultant when making your rail travel booking as we can organise accommodation and off-rail central Australian tours for you. |
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THE
GHAN HOLIDAY PACKAGES..................... 
