| T |
he Indian Pacific - an epic rail journey
that spans the vast, often inhospitable, continent from
east to west. But on this trip you're only |
going half way... an adventure beginning mid-afternoon in Sydney
and finishing a half continent later in Adelaide 1662 km (1030
miles) and 24 hours away.
The train picks up speed as it leaves the suburbs. The seats
are roomy and comfortable and you're leaning forward in anticipation.
You can see the Blue Mountains - sheer cliffs
dropping off into deep canyons, the blue haze hovering above
the eucalyptus forests. Katoomba, Lithgow,
Bathhurst, Blaney... Australia's
country towns pass by, the landscape changing as the train snakes
deeper into the heartland.
The town of Orange is up ahead. With soil
red and fertile - spewed forth from a now extinct volcano
- it sustains endless paddocks of lambs, pigs and cattle with
its fodder crops. Night falls and you dine under a sky studded
with thousands of stars. After Condoblin,
the track straightens and the landscape becomes less nurturing;
the odd tree punctuates the scenery but in the darkness it's
hard to see even that. You turn in for the night, awakening
to the early morning light shining on red, sandy plains. In
the distance, you may see kangaroos grazing and emus running
purposefully... You're eager to continue the adventure; a
leisurely shower and you're ready for breakfast.
The Indian Pacific slows on its approach to Broken
Hill. With some fellow passengers, you've decided
to have a quick look around this artificial oasis. The air
is clean and crisp, slightly cooler than you would have expected.
But then, that seems so right for somewhere so surreal and
isolated. Rich mineral deposits nourish this town. There is
no well of spring water beneath the green parks and colourful
gardens... Instead, there are rich veins of silver, lead and
zinc.
You are on board once again... The Indian Pacific takes a
southwesterly path through the wide, open land. Most of the
towns on the way to Adelaide are railway towns, with very
little visible beyond the sidings. Mingary, Olary, Mannahill,
Yunta, Paratoo, Nackara, Oodlawirra- names as foreign as the
landscape is desolate.
You pass the time with new found friends, a delicious lunch
and a movie. Further south, the land appears more hospitable.
Around Peterborough, grazing sheep, golden fields of
wheat and farm houses dot the landscape. In time, the fields
give way to the fringes of suburbia as you enter Adelaide...
to arrive at Keswick Terminal, 1.5 km west of the city. |
