In August / Sept last year i journeyed from Cairns
to Brisbane using a Greyhound pension discounted
pass and loved it so this year after a flight to Darwin
i got the Ghan in two staged to Adelaide-1st stop
Katherine where without a car hard to get to places
so 24hr hire did Mataranka then the next day The
Gorge trip---both wonderfull
2nd stop Alice for a 3day/two night swag under stars
trip--then full day thru Mc Donnell Ranges
Next year Perth to Darwin
Dougwe said
08:35 AM Dec 4, 2013
Sounds great C41 and welcome to the gang, enjoy here and out in the playground.
capricorn41 said
08:50 AM Dec 4, 2013
Thanks and glad to be aboard
mongrel said
08:55 AM Dec 4, 2013
Welcome from us as well C41 .enjoy the forum and all it has to offer.
bill12 said
09:21 AM Dec 4, 2013
Some pics would benice. Thanks,Bill
Nelly said
09:42 AM Dec 4, 2013
I did the Ghan from Alice Springs to Adelaide a few years ago - the BIG mistake I made was not booking a cabin - sat in the seats all night just to save some $$$$ - not a good idea. During the night though the train hit a cow that was on the tracks so had to wait a couple of hours so they could fix the hydraulic hoses that had been dislodged underneath. This meant that we saw a bit of extra scenery. Even though I think it is a beautiful trip I think that people miss out on the countryside as the train travels all night whereas the Rocky Mountaineer stops overnight and you don't miss the scenery - I have been on that as well and it is a wonderful train trip.
capricorn41 said
11:07 AM Dec 4, 2013
I am a good sleeper on trains and o/nite ferries but
aircraft & bus no way---years back on a backpack
thru Europe i spent 60 days train travel from South
Europe to Arctic Circle and back sleeping about every
4th night on trains so i got climatised early
With the Ghan i found by sitting facing direction of
travel i could swivvle the seats in front of me to face
me and when both reclined put my pack on floor to
form a "bed" Slept like a baby
neilnruth said
07:00 PM Dec 4, 2013
No, we were upgraded to Gold after booking a trip to Litchfield. Worth it. Meals were great and bed was OK. Lounge area was good to sit and view the scenery. We enjoyed it immensely. Rules have changed since we did it 4 years ago and tours are included and so is table alcohol. Worth going if you can.
And welcome aboard this 'train' of thinking called a forum capricorn41.
capricorn41 said
07:08 PM Dec 4, 2013
Yes !!!! A train of though lives here
nomadic1 said
07:36 PM Dec 4, 2013
Wow! I'm sssooooo envious! I would love to do the Ghan - just Darwin to Alice Springs would do. Iwon't get to do it next year but 2015 perhaps ........
NeilandRaine said
09:56 PM Dec 4, 2013
Good luck with the trains, as a young airman back in the 60's all our travel, leave, postings etc was on cramped second class train seats. I hate trains
Amazing Australia --guess we all agree on that!!!
In August / Sept last year i journeyed from Cairns
to Brisbane using a Greyhound pension discounted
pass and loved it so this year after a flight to Darwin
i got the Ghan in two staged to Adelaide-1st stop
Katherine where without a car hard to get to places
so 24hr hire did Mataranka then the next day The
Gorge trip---both wonderfull
2nd stop Alice for a 3day/two night swag under stars
trip--then full day thru Mc Donnell Ranges
Next year Perth to Darwin
Thanks and glad to be aboard
I am a good sleeper on trains and o/nite ferries but
aircraft & bus no way---years back on a backpack
thru Europe i spent 60 days train travel from South
Europe to Arctic Circle and back sleeping about every
4th night on trains so i got climatised early
With the Ghan i found by sitting facing direction of
travel i could swivvle the seats in front of me to face
me and when both reclined put my pack on floor to
form a "bed" Slept like a baby
And welcome aboard this 'train' of thinking called a forum capricorn41.