The Indian Pacific offers passengers one of the great scenic railway journeys in the world... and with off-train tours available along the way, it's a 64 hour adventure that
spans the massive continent of Australia, coast to coast,
ocean to ocean. The full distance between the Indian and Pacific
Oceans, from Sydney in New South Wales to Perth in Western
Australia, is 4,352 kilometres or 2,715 miles, traveling via
Adelaide in South Australia.
Too often, rushed travelers try to get a sense of Australia
by whipping from airport to airport. In the haste to visit
all the "must-see" attractions, what might be seen
as a comprehensive overview of the country can easily lose
all continuity. Just as carefully brewed coffee is not the
same experience as instant, neither is a slowly savoured land
journey over rolling hills equal to landing freeze dried at
the luggage carousel.
Although not every destination is suitable for train travel,
Australia, because of its sheer size and scope, is precisely
the kind of place that works well with train tours... vacations. Our
spectacular topography is one of this country's chief attractions,
and no mode of transportation, save trekking, brings you into
a more intimate association with the land than taking a train tour.
The symbol of the Indian Pacific is Australia's wedge tailed
eagle... the largest eagle on earth, with a wingspan up to
two metres...
This regal bird, frequently seen by Indian Pacific passengers
in the clear desert sky, symbolises the experience which unfolds
during this magnificent journey.
The Indian Pacific is perhaps one of the greatest viewing
platforms available from which to see the changing landscapes
of Australia... Unfolding beyond the train's broad viewing
windows are landscapes as diverse as the lush, heavily timbered
panoramas of the spectacular Blue Mountains... the sprawling
rural heartland of New South Wales... the harsh outback mining
landscape of Broken Hill... the dramatic jagged ridges of
South Australia's Flinders Ranges, and the vast treeless Nullarbor
Plain... Truly one of the world's great scenic railway journeys.
It's a journey that takes passengers to three great Australian
cities. Sydney, the nation's spectacular
Pacific Ocean City. Adelaide, South Australia's
elegant capital. And Perth, the west's dynamic
city with its face to the tangy breezes of the Indian Ocean.
The Indian Pacific also passes through classic country towns
that helped shape the Australian nation. The coal mining town
of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains... Bathurst,
site of Australia's first gold rush... Broken Hill,
known as "Silver City" and the source of one of the richest
ore supplies the world has ever seen... Port Augusta
in South Australia, a unique seaside and outback town rolled
into one. Kalgoorlie, known as the "Queen Of The Golden Mile",
situated on the richest square mile of land in the world.
However, most people travel the Indian Pacific to experience
the dauntingly flat emptiness of the Nullarbor Plain... Four
times the size of Belgium, without a tree or running water
for 1000 kilometres, the Nullarbor also provides passengers
with the experience of traveling the longest straight stretch
of railway track in the world....478 kilometres without a
single curve. The Indian Pacific is a miniature air-conditioned
city, a mobile and self-contained community that relies on
no outside assistance on its crossing of the continent. Every
passenger comfort and convenience is catered for.
 The
train's first class twinette sleepers feature a comfortable
three seater lounge from which to admire the changing view
during the day, which then converts to comfortable upper and
lower sleeping berths at night.
The Indian Pacific dining car is unique, offering three
meals a day from a three- course a la carte menu and a uniquely
Australian wine list.
Whether you're enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner, the knowledge
that you're eating a delicious meal served by experienced
stewards while aboard one of the world's great trains adds
enormous flavour to the experience.
If the Indian Pacific is a city, then the Lounge Car with
its piano, is the local pub. Here strangers from around the
world meet and get to know each other around the well-stocked
bar which serves a good range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic
drinks.
To read a more detailed account of the Indian Pacific traveling
from Sydney to Perth see an article written by T. Worthington
The Journey.
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