Indian Pacific Railway Info

Indian Pacific Railway

One of the great train journeys of the world, the Indian Pacific crosses Australia from Sydney to Perth via Adelaide and back twice a week, taking three days to do so. Passengers can travel in First, Holiday or Coach Class depending on how much money they want to spend and whether or not they like to sleep lying down. Coach only has seats like those on a long distance bus. We took a cabin in Holiday Class which has seats that fold down into cots and a pull out sink, but the unit shared a toilet and shower with the rest of the carriage, and restaurant access is buffet only, unlike the sit down dining car in First Class. The menu for the buffet and drinks was uninspiring and expensive, not to mention next to impossible for a vegetarian. I highly recommend bringing some of your own food and beverages, even though there are signs everywhere prohibiting outside alcohol. Understandably the staff doesn’t want unruly passengers but be discreet and responsible and you won’t have any problems. Detailed information of fares and timetables can be found on the Great Southern Railways website (www.gsr.com.au), which also includes information about the Ghan Railway from Adelaide to Alice Springs and the Overland Train from Melbourne to Adelaide. I had always wanted to cross Australia by train, because it seemed that sitting back in a comfortable chair on a gently undulating, air conditioned locomotive while gazing out of the window, drink in hand, would be a fantastic way to experience the enormity of this country. Plus I liked the idea of falling asleep to the swaying of the train and waking up to an entirely new scene every morning.
We boarded in Melbourne for the 10 hour overnight service to Adelaide and then joined the Indian Pacific the following evening. The golden sunlight intensified the red of the soil and the pale gleaming trunks of gum trees that are found in the South Australian outback west of Adelaide. This is the kind of desert that most people associate with Australia because it surrounds the often photographed Uluru (Ayers Rock) and has become synonymous with "outback."
However it quickly gives way to the famous Nullabor (correctly named to describe the lack of trees) which goes on and on and on. Seemingly featureless, dry and infinitely flat, this region once supported tribes of Aborigines who understood how to live in harmony with their harsh environment. Wedge-tailed eagles and various types of hawks spiral in the hot air coming off the plain, undoubtedly eyeing the cotton tailed rabbits that bound away from the passing train. Rabbits were imported to Australia by ignorant colonists for sport and have since proliferated causing untold damage to native plant and animal species.
Another import that can be seen from the train is the camel, bands of which roam the outback, feral descendants of animals brought in from Arabia to assist with trade across the country’s sandy interior. And on a couple of occasions, groups of that unquestionably native animal the kangaroo were spotted leaping through the bush.
Just before entering the Nullabor, the train stops at Cook – a tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere where the passengers can step off and have a wander and an ice cream and the train can refill its water tanks. Apparently there is a dusty golf course, outback style, behind the township but it was far too hot to consider that sort of activity for the hour we were there.
Continuing across the desert, the train occasionally pauses at homesteads as needed, for passenger exchange or goods and mail drop-offs. By the second evening, the train reaches the mining town of Kalgoorlie, providing another leg stretching opportunity, time for dinner and for a drink at one of the real workmen’s pubs, complete with skimpily clad female barkeeps. Just for the (colourful) record, Kalgoorlie has opened a new A$6 million brothel and the current councillor for Kalgoorlie is rumoured to have had a sex change. I haven’t actually been able to verify that last comment though…
When the long gleaming train eventually pulls into Perth’s rail terminal, you will be quite ready to abandon your tiny quarters and breathe fresh air again. The trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience but make sure you don’t suffer from claustrophobia and can enjoy being captive for two or three days before you embark on this journey.

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