THE GHAN
One of the worlds great train journeys - a transcontinental journey across the heart of Australia. Almost due north from Adelaide to Darwin with just one stop of any significance in between, in the legendary Alice Springs.
Following paths laid down by aboriginal people and later by camel drovers into, and out of, the red centre of Australia. And other than the iron road, a landscape virtually unchanged for millennia. The track takes you far from populated centres, through landscapes that roads struggle to reach. It is not a journey “to”, although it does have a destination, but more a journey “through” or “with” - a shared experience beyond the mundane, weaving together what other forms of transport cannot offer.
From lush golden valleys and azure skies of south Australia’s arguably primary wine region, (think Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale), through the red and ochre endlessness of the centre, to the lush green tropical landscapes of the north, its a journey through geology, through history, through…time. A train so slow it is a chance to reflect, to watch the spectacular landscape go by; a voyage of self discovery even.
Whilst there is little doubt it is a playground for the rich, most of the nearly 300 passengers on board are adventurers of one sort or another. Some rediscovering their own roots, some exploring their own backyards (big backyard), and some wandering rather aimlessly, but eschewing the fast and modern forms of transport that air travel now offers. Of course it is possible to fly into Uluru, see the sunrise, see it set again and be off to the next destination. But does anything compare to taking more than 36 hours to get there? You almost feel you have earned it.
The train is (incorrectly) named for the Afghan camel drovers that supported the opening up of central Australia. The camels themselves were crucial for transporting supplies, goods, mail, tools etc and trade and exploration opened up the region. Camels of course can carry heavy loads and go for extended periods without water - ideal for the conditions. But the train is incorrectly named because the camel drovers were from what is now modern Pakistan, but on its inaugural journey in 1929, the train was nicknamed with the abbreviated version of the perhaps romanticised handlers of the original camels. The symbol of the train became a camel and the rest, as they say, is history.
In fact the whole line was only completed in 2004. From 1929 till then the track only reached Alice Springs, despite promises to cross the continent made in 1901! Who ever heard of politicians making promises they didn’t keep?
One early passenger was Charles Mountford, who, in 1938, embarked on a State Government sponsored expedition to search for the remains of an early explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt, who had gone missing 90 years previously. Mountford took the Ghan from Adelaide and wrote what must be one of the earliest travel reviews: “The train is always a ‘mixed’, that is, it conveys anything that requires transport to the centre - passengers, goods, livestock, motor cars and on one occasion a family of four hens and a rooster. At one station, these escaped and everyone on the train, even dignified and serious-minded professors, assisted to capture the cackling old hens.” I wish I had seen that!
So now, as long as you have the necessary funds, a gentle journey through the heart of Australia is yours to enjoy. But you do need the necessary funds - cheap it ain’t! From the UK it is perfectly possible to spend more on the train ticket than you did on the air ticket to get here! And thats without upgrading to the highest platinum class - although for that you do get a double bed, and ensuite bathroom and endless supply of quality Australian wine (is there any other sort?). My tip, which is hardly radical since it appears to be what most people do, is “go for gold”. Gold class offers most of same service, (all the wine for a start), the ensuite bathroom (even if it is rather bijou), you just have to be prepared to sleep in bunk beds. But they are wonderfully comfortable and a little fairy sets them up for you while you are having dinner - which is delicious. Just how they produce food of such quality on a train is a mystery to me, but they do, consistently and pretty punctually. They even manage bacon and egg sandwiches while you watch the sunrise outside in a tiny settlement called Marla, just south of the Northern Territory border.
Staff are clearly selected for their personalities and are, without exception, cheerful, helpful, accommodating and young. They manage to remember the names of dozens of guests while multi-tasking through 12 hours shifts. I hope they get a decent time off after pandering to the whims of (mostly) elderly Americans, Australians and Brits.
Various “off train” excursions are available, many included in the price (tours of Alice and the Nitmiluk Gorge) and others (flight over Uluru, helicopter ride in Nitmiluk National Park) are available for several hundred dollars extra. I suppose whether you feel the extras are worth it is a very personal thing - perhaps if this really is a trip of a lifetime you might want to splash out.
One of the joys of train travel is that there is always a murder - inexplicably missing on this trip! And another one is that you get to meet lots of interesting, quirky, and downright mad people! The other joy is that if you find yourself too long in conversation you have decided you can't stand any longer, you can simply retire to your compartment.
What surprised me slightly was that the train was not packed with Americans, “doing the Ghan”. In fact with a few exceptions virtually everyone was Australian and making the most of the opportunity to spend their children’s inheritance. We met some great characters, from Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria, and quite a few local to Adelaide who had dreamt for many years of taking the trip up to the Northern Territory. We picked up tips for where to visit between Alice and Darwin and even more for when we were in their area! I warned several not to invite me to stay, as I have a habit of taking up those offers.
That said we did meet a wonderful American couple in the compartment next to ours - perhaps they put all the foreigners in one coach? Interesting people, we later bumped into in a bar in Alice - the conversation flowed, as did the beer, the only difference was we had to pay for it.
In the end it was with considerable regret that we left the train at Alice Springs. I could happily have stayed on for the next 36 hour section of the trip all the way to Darwin. But we have booked ourselves a car to drive to Uluru and a camper to take us all the way up through the red centre and up to the Top End - a real Northern Territory adventure to come.
With air travel so fast, cheap and easy; with car travel so convenient; would I take the train again? Absolutely - take my advice; take the slow train!