going places
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
AUSTRALIA / LETTER FROM AMERICA
Venture into the outback on board The Ghan train, a scenic rail journey that sweeps through inland Australia and dishes up crocodile and kangaroo...
by LISA YOUNG
All aboard The Ghan snakes its way through stunning scenery
A firm jolt and the train’s bold red engine slowly hauled its snake-like body away from the platform. This was the start of The Ghan Expedition, an epic Australian rail adventure that rolls between the wet tropics of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT) and the wheatfields and urban sprawl of Adelaide in the South.
The train winds along the spine of Australia to places of incredible natural beauty and Aboriginal cultural importance which most travellers, even Aussies, never lay their eyes on. The four-day, three-night journey is one of the world’s iconic rail routes. An extended version of the original three-day service, it covers 2,979km of track through Australia’s vast outback, following in the footsteps of early explorers. There’s no TV or Wi-Fi (although you can pick up an internet connection in some stations and towns along the way).