Australia

My Gateway to the Abrolhos and Kalbarri – Geraldton, Western Australia

Australia, Local Notes /

Geraldton, Western Australia – My Gateway to the Abrolhos Islands and Kalbarri I’d been in Western Australia’s capital Perth for a couple of weeks and wanted to see more of the west. It wasn’t easy picking out-of-town excursions. Western Australia is huge, and east, south, north – each direction is so different from the others. One place I knew I wanted to visit was Cape Leeuwin in the south, where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet. So, I took a day trip, and while it was well-organized and covered all the high spots there and back, it was a heck of a long day, especially so because we – all of us – waited an extra half hour for the return of a couple who round-tripped the Busselton Jetty’s 1.84 kilometers against our driver’s explicit instructions (that’s more than two miles out and back). Another place I visited was Guildford, a short local train ride from Perth, and a great place to stay for visiting the Swan Valley. I went twice – different years – and enjoyed the architecture, history (a docent in the Visitor Center made absolutely sure I saw all the exhibits), lovely strolls, and afternoon tea. In any case, when I decided upon Kalbarri National Park and the Houtman Abrolhos Islands for my trip northward up the coast, I chose to stay in the small city of Geraldton. Staying in smaller cities is a great way to get to know another country or state better; and it would save me loads of time going back and forth from Perth. Staying in Geraldton turned out to be a great choice. See Around Geraldton – Kalbarri National Park, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and Hunting Wildflowers for more info about the park and islands! Geraldton is just over four hours from Perth by car or bus, or a short flight. Maps suggested all the in-town sights were walkable, so I flew and skipped the car hire. I don’t know whether this is still the case, but then, as our flight approached Geraldton, the cabin crew took a head count of passengers needing taxis. The flight crew called ahead, and the waiting taxi drivers identified us by seat number. Be attentive, and press the call button if asked, or you could be out of luck. I didn’t see another taxi until the one I’d arranged for ahead of time picked me up the day I flew back to Perth. Hailing a taxi on the street didn’t seem to be a thing in Geraldton. But it was OK; I had intended to be on foot. Still, I’ve spent plenty of time in beach towns and should have known that a town right on the coast will spread along the shore. And Geraldton does spread. So, sometimes getting around, such as to the Museum of Geraldton, or to Priceline pharmacy on my shredded toes for more Elastoplasts (adhesive bandages), was a long hike. Still, a car wasn’t essential although I could have spent more time in the places I visited than in walking there and back; but this was kind of a split decision with myself – one side of me said car, the other side said no car. We see which side won, and I did get better at plotting routes, combining visits, learning the back ways, and discovering more about Geraldton. And think of all the steps I toted up. Getting My Bearings Because I planned to visit Geraldton on foot, before leaving Perth I picked a place to stay that looked close to what I thought of as center. It was generally central, but Weelaway House was closer to one edge of center, and most of my destinations were on the other edge, up the shore. Still, I enjoyed Weelaway, a comfortable, historic house (1862) in a real neighborhood. When I arrived, check-in was DIY; I had clear instructions to access my key box as no one would be there to greet me the day I came. I found myself in a large parlor with my room just down the central hall. At Weelaway, we could make our own breakfast from bread, spreads, coffee and tea provided in the common kitchen, and we had the nice parlor for resting after a long walk, having a chat with other guests, or just getting out of your room for some space. When I met local people and they asked where I was staying, to a person they knew Weelaway. I was the only guest without a car during my stay. As other guests drove off for the day (some to their work sites – there are a lot of peripatetic people in the WA extractive industries), I slung on my backpack and tromped into town. Until I got my bearings, I found my way back home by looking for the huge date palms in the side yard. Terrace outside my room at Weelaway. Weelaway palms In any town an obvious first thing to do is go to the local Visitor Centre, which was handily toward my end of town. And it was a good start in Geraldton – the staff were energetic and helpful, offering plenty of options even for pedestrians like me. I picked up a good map, booked a flight to the Abrolhos Islands and then went off to find food. Eating Out I never investigated Geraldton’s food scene, and didn’t even eat seafood, which seems dreadful. There are good seafood restaurants, so I suggest you be more wide-ranging in your dining than I was. But I enjoyed two good places I found early on, and so stuck with them, along with Woolworth’s for groceries. After all, I had a kitchen. My first find was Café Fleur, a few blocks along Marine Terrace from the Visitor Centre. There was a crowd (good sign), and it looked comfortable. It was getting on toward early afternoon, and good thing I didn’t waste time getting there, because the café closed about the time

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Around Geraldton – Kalbarri National Park, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and Hunting Wildflowers

Australia /

Around Geraldton – Kalbarri National Park, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, and Hunting Wildflowers During a stay in Western Australia’s capital Perth, I decided to visit Kalbarri National Park and the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, farther up the coast than other places I wanted to see. Turns out both are close to the small city of Geraldton. Why not stay there for a few days? It would save time going back and forth from Perth, and Geraldton would be another place with its own sights to see and new people to meet. Plus, it was wildflower season, and Western Australia’s wildflowers are renowned and plentiful up that way. See Geraldton, Western Australia – My Gateway to the Abrolhos Islands and Kalbarri for more info about the town! As soon as I set my sights on Geraldton, I planned to be car-free so looked for local tours. A bit of hunting followed by a visit to the Geraldton Visitor Centre got me booked on a day trip to visit Kalbarri National Park and sights along the way, and on another day’s wide-ranging wildflower tour. Also at the Visitor Centre, I booked a flight to the Abrolhos Islands, a fly-over with touchdown for a ramble and morning tea on East Wallabi Island. Houtman Abrolhos Islands Don’t miss the Abrolhos Islands, whether you travel there from Geraldton, Perth, or somewhere else. The islands combine exquisite beauty with world-class nature and a film-worthy history that includes the infamous wreck of the Dutch East India Company merchant ship Batavia in 1629, and the massacre of most survivors by deranged Company officer Jeronimus Cornelisz. Learn more about the Batavia here. Today, the waters around the Abrolhos are still pristine (so get there before the cruise ships begin stopping) with an abundance of marine, terrestrial, and avian life that’s covered in this Department of Fisheries booklet. The booklet also includes information on geology, history, shipwrecks, and today’s commercial rock lobster fishery. Flying to the Abrolhos Islands Baby Abrolhos dwarf bearded dragon My flight in our four-seater with pilot Martin was brilliant, so consider a flyover if you don’t have time for a longer excursion. In the clear water below, we saw dolphins, sharks, humpback whales, and the biggest manta ray that Martin had ever seen (it was huge!). We watched a humpback mother and her calf, lazing in the warm water, getting some R & R during their migration south. We flew over Batavia sites, including the visible shape of the sunken ship, and remnants of a rudimentary fort built by a group of massacre escapees. On East Wallabi for our picnic morning tea, we watched birds and skittering lizards and skinks, but I wanted most to see an Abrolhos dwarf bearded dragon. Martin went out on the hunt and found a baby that sat still for several photos before disappearing into the scrub. Kalbarri National Park Kalbarri is “big nature” – high coastal cliffs washed by the Indian Ocean, the Murchison River gorge, Nature’s Window (not that easy to get your picture here without being photo bombed). Some of the trails we took are over rocks, so good shoes and caution are advised. We followed the long curve of the coast, stood high over the Murchison and made out the gray kangaroos lying in the shade way below, walked into fields of endemic, cottony-feeling smoke bushes. (I wore boots in case I encountered snakes.) Through Nature’s Window Kalbarri cliffs Smoke bush wildflowers Pink Lake Pelicans waiting for a handout I liked the long day’s ride in our outback-suitable van. It was the very beginning of the season, and the only other guests were two delightful sisters from Hong Kong. On a springtime Kalbarri trip there’s also the opportunity to see the park’s wildflowers. There’s more on wildflowers just below, but along with grand nature, Kalbarri Park had masses of wildflowers, diverse in family, size, and color. Along the way, we also stopped at Pink Lake where we walked along the shore for a while. The lake is improbably pink thanks to a particular alga, but the color may vary depending on the weather and seasonal changes. I saw the famous bubble gum color.  And when we stopped for an outdoor lunch in the little town of Kalbarri, I got my first look into a pelican’s gullet. It wasn’t on my must-see list but there it was, the birds begging for a fisherman’s handout. Wildflower Hunt Even if you think you’re not a wildflower fancier, it would be a shame to miss one of the greatest displays of wildflowers on earth. Western Australia has around 8,000 native plants and up to 85 percent of southwestern WA wildflowers are endemic and grow nowhere else. Once again, I went out with a local tour, and our small group that day enabled us to get into the bush and look for the unique. One location not to be missed is the Coalseam Conservation Park, between Mullewa and Mingenew. There you’ll find – yes – a visible coal seam, along with carpets of everlastings that make great cover photos on wildflower pamphlets. We had a bit of a ramble there, and while the everlastings are most attention grabbing, there are scores of other flowers. Our guide was especially good at scouting out hidden species, and we stopped periodically to look for, and find, the rare. I don’t recall the names of all the flowers, but I have many photos, and did bring home quite a few wildflower books should I be seized with the desire to identify them. Or perhaps I’ll just enjoy looking at the pictures. Everlastings at Coalseam More everlastings I have a lot of affection for tiny orchids and kangaroo paws, but my favorite was the wreath flower. Once again, our guide knew the dirt roadsides in Murchison Shire where they flourish in disturbed, sandy soil. Being in Murchison Shire was itself an event of sorts for me. The Shire has a population of about 113, mostly on family-run cattle

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Sydney, Australia: City Notes

Australia, City Notes /

Sydney, Australia: City Notes City and local notes: Line on Travel’s vignettes of larger cities, well-known attractions, and short trips. Sydney is big, well documented and full of options for travelers. There are easy day trips (such as the Blue Mountains), beaches and beautiful hikes all around the city. There are good restaurants and nightlife, but I’m usually already sleeping when the nightlife ramps up. Here are some spins on Top 10 sights and a few just-off-the-beaten path things I’ve enjoyed in Sydney. There’s so much more – check your favorite guidebook. Spins on Sydney’s Top 10 The Sydney Harbour Bridge is definitely Top 10. Why not climb it? I don’Bridge 8t like heights much but paid the sizable fee to do the Bridge Climb. They give you a breathalyzer test, a good-looking jump suit, a belt with a safety cable, a hanky with a wrist band and croakie for your glasses (up on the bridge you can’t wear or hold anything that’s unattached), some climbing practice and coaching. Then up you go, to the very tip top of the bridge and Sydney Harbour. It is way, way down. Don’t worry about having to leave your phone behind. Bridge guides take plenty of pictures of you with a variety of dramatic views. A photo of your climbing group comes with the package but the individual shots are available for purchase when you leave (through the picture-purchase line of course). I bought all of mine which they gave me on a thumb drive. When I said that I wanted them all, the cashier asked again to be sure. Maybe that’s unusual. Anyway, I’m glad I bought them. It might be my only climb. Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk. Take the street-level pedestrian walkway. It’s not as exciting as the climb but it’s free. You’re still high up over the water so it’s exciting enough, and it’s a nice walk over to Kirribilli where you can wander around and look at houses, have a snack, sit in the park and see great views of Sydney before you head home. Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb Opera House Backstage Tour. Opera House. Top 10. Of course. Everyone has to do something with the Opera House if only a selfie with it behind you. I’ve gone to performances there (including opera – how fitting). But I especially liked the backstage tour. You get to poke around pretty much everywhere, stand in Joan Sutherland’s dressing room (for you opera fans) and have a chance to sing on stage (to an empty house). I immediately clammed up. Darn. But great fun, breakfast in the green room, and you learn a lot, too. Don’t forget to set your alarm – the tour starts very early in the morning so you’re out of the way before it’s time to set the stages. Hike to North Head. The Sydney Harbour National Park is a Top 10, but I wonder how many people take the nice long hike from Manly to North Head. There are dramatic views and lots of flora, fauna and geology to observe. Depending on the season, you might even find yourself alone a lot. If it’s whale watching season, take binoculars and look for where the whale watching cruises are circling. Do keep an eye out for directions. Maybe you won’t, but I got lost twice, was re-directed once by a nice man and his daughter, and got lucky the second time when I wound up at the Q Station just as a Manly bus arrived. As I said, watch the path. You can enjoy lunch in Manly, too, on the right day. I found it horribly crowded on a nice weekend day at summer’s end, but just perfect other times. Hike to South Head. This is a beautiful (and popular) walk along the ocean cliffs and around South Head. There’s a historic lighthouse, and the views of the ocean and Sydney Harbour are gorgeous. I have not gotten lost here. It’s a different and easier walk than at North Head. I suggest avoiding weekends in good weather. Way too crowded. I like getting there by ferry to Watson’s Bay, and I can grab a snack at Doyles on the Wharf or just have some ice cream and watch other tourists before I go walking. Leave the crowds behind at Circular Quay Take a night photo tour. I enjoyed day and night photo tours with Alfonso Calero in Sydney. Otherwise, the opera house picture here wouldn’t exist. Opera HouseThe people I met on the night tour were all from Sydney if I remember right and had taken Alfonso’s tours and classes before. We had a good session on the harbor and then doing light painting at the Observatory while listening to fruit bats forage in the Moreton Bay figs. Elizabeth Bay House. Elizabeth Bay is a pleasant (and expensive) neighborhood around a pretty bay, and Elizabeth Bay House is right in the middle of it. The house was completed in 1839 and is a neoclassical house as beautiful as money could buy, except that the Colonial Secretary who built it ran out of money and hardly lived there. It was originally surrounded by magnificent gardens (I think that’s what broke the bank). I was there on a beautiful day. A wedding was starting in the little park just across the street. After the visit, I had a good lunch in the nearby Café Two Ants. It’s tiny and popular. I was happy to get a table. Sydney Opera House Vaucluse House. An odd, neo-gothic, hodgepodge of a house started in 1805 but built onto and rejiggered for years. It’s kind of two houses in one, connected awkwardly, and oddly without a front door. But so interesting for its quirky design, pretty rooms, views and history. Vaucluse is a nice outing. The grounds are pretty and it’s not overrun with crowds. One of the most pleasant things to do while you’re there is have tea or a meal at

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Riding the Ghan: Small Kitchen, Good Food

Australia /

Riding the Ghan: small kitchen, good food Our ride on the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide took the best part of three days. And we all had to be fed, starting with lunch on Day 1, through to our beautiful brunch on the last day. See my post on the trip here! Train Chefs How do train chefs turn out meals like we had? My foodie credentials are pitiful but I know when food is good, and it was good on the Ghan. Each meal offered meat options and a vegetarian choice. The popular and innovative choices – including native Australian ingredients – were cooked perfectly, plated attractively and served quickly. Am I overstating this? I don’t think so. I’ve put a sample menu here – just look at the options. And remember that all this food came from one of those skinny, stainless steel train kitchens. I chose a fish main course three times and once opted for the kangaroo filet and crocodile boudin blanc. Maybe you’ve had kangaroo – the texture is similar to beef, but the flavor is different. It’s low fat and tasty. Just don’t expect it to taste like beef. Another time I chose rack of lamb, a perfect, tender medium rare. Served as cutlets, and beautiful to look at, too. I always chose the sweet dessert instead of the cheese plate, but sometimes the people I ate with let me taste. The cheeses were all local and were good. I’d have liked the sweet dessert AND cheese. Along with beverage options, they served good Australian wines. Breakfasts also had choices for a starter and main course. On my trip, the Ghan served delicious Brookfarm muesli which I always started with. I chose a different breakfast main course each day. Ghan Menu on Wednesday Meeting the Chef As we got closer to Adelaide, I joined a friend I’d met on the train to do a carriage-to-carriage hike to see as much as we could that last day. Along the way we happened to meet the chef in a now-empty dining car. Another crew member took a picture of us with him. We were thrilled. And that gave us the chance to tell the chef how much we enjoyed the food. It had made us happy. Trip date: March 2016 Ghan Chef

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Riding the Ghan: Off into the Outback

Australia /

Riding the Ghan: off into the Outback Riding the Ghan was something I’d waited six months to do, after buying an advance purchase ticket. My chance to take a long train ride through the rugged Outback. What a great trip – for more on the ride see my post about the end-to-end ride. Australia is Dry It’s the driest continent on earth. But it does rain, and late on the second afternoon an electrical storm spread dark across the entire eastern horizon. During dinner we watched repeated ground strikes and pulsing lightning inside the clouds, glad we weren’t under the storm. Not far from our start in Darwin, we crossed the pretty Elizabeth River on the route’s longest bridge. Later we crossed the Finke River. A river in name only it seems. The Finke is a river-width stream of sand (with occasional waterholes) but it can rage in rare rain. I mention the rivers and the Finke in particular because the Finke has a claim to being the oldest river on the planet. Is the Nile older? Not necessarily. I’m cheering for the Finke. Outback flying by Nitmiluk Gorge We had a choice of off-train excursions, one each day. For my Day 1 excursion, I elected the Nitmiluk Gorge cruise where we traveled in flat boats between fractured red sandstone cliffs along the Katherine River. We saw wildlife including a colony of fruit bats fanning themselves iKathering gorgesn the heat and a white bellied eagle keeping an eye on them. I didn’t see crocodiles. But they are there. The freshwater crocs (freshies), native to Australia, live in the river year-round. The giant, aggressive saltwater crocs (salties) get into the river during the wet season floods. It takes wildlife officials a few weeks to remove the salties when floodwaters recede below natural barriers. The guide on my boat said his company doesn’t offer canoe trips until they get the all clear from wildlife authorities. Well, that’s a relief. I didn’t see a croc, but I saw the big saltie trap by the dock. You could trap a small car in it. Kathering Gorges Alice Springs Desert Park The next day I visited Alice Springs Desert Park. They say, “Get red sand in your boots,” but I didn’t because my clay-colored Palladium desert boots, well-matched to the red sand, kept it out. (I love my boots.) There in the red sand at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges, we observed and learned about Australia’s disappearing native flora and fauna. Does that sound familiar? The Park’s mission is dedicated to restoration of native habitat and reducing threats to native animal species. The van driver who took us to the park said that 3,000 Americans live in Alice. They’re there as part of a joint defense facility. I’m sure she tells this to every group she takes, but she was amusing, so here goes. You have to love the Americans, she said, because they bring along their cars with left side driving. Australia has right side driving. Sometimes she looks in her side mirror and has a moment of panic because it looks like no one’s driving the car behind her. That would give me a fright too. The Milky Way Late the second night we stopped in the desert to look at the stars. Deep in the night, moonless, still and clear. We used the train’s telescope to see Jupiter and four of its moons. Stars and planets swarmed over us, the Milky Way’s densest and bushiest side rising over the Outback. Brilliant white, “close to the light seen when looking at spring snow in the early morning, shortly after dawn,” said University of Pittsburgh astronomers. Our cosmic homeland. The Southern Cross was up there sideways. Orion was upside down. In the dark, the silent train behind us, it felt like the stars were singing. Before the railroad company turned loose a train-full of tourists in the night desert, a crew had placed small lanterns 20 or 30 yards from the train. We had to stay inside this limit, like swimming inside a shark net at the beach. The staff were meticulous about procedures, gathering us in our assigned lounges, briefing us and ticking off each name and cabin number as we got off and then returned. And as we pulled away, I saw the eerie silhouette of hands as they reached out of darkness to pick up the lanterns. Then back to our cabins for our last night on the Ghan. Trip date: March 2016

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A Short Stay in Tasmania

Australia /

A short stay in Tasmania “You’ve found the Jewel in the Crown,” the docent at Narranya Heritage Museum said when I told her I was in Tasmania for the first time. Much to do, you should come back, she advised. She was right. With not quite four days I was going to miss a lot. Just the half-mystical name Tasmania was almost enough to draw me there. I flipped through a glossy magazine and saw an ad for The Friends’ School in Hobart – “Leading edge school on the quiet rim of the world.” Another reason that I came. The quiet rim of the world, next stop Antarctica. Quiet maybe, but there’s plenty to do and I didn’t get to it all. And if I’d come just a few days later, Spiegeltent Hobart 2016, part of an annual arts festival, would have been on. But I did the two things at the top of my list – a ride to the summit of Mount Wellington and an ocean excursion. And I had time to roam around Hobart. Settling into Hobart I chose to stay in Hadley’s Orient Hotel because it’s in the center of Tasmania’s capital Hobart, and it’s a historic site. For one thing it’s where Roald Amundsen came incognito in 1912, after beating Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole, keeping under cover until he could telegraph the news to his sponsors and the King of Norway. He telegraphed from the main post office, which still is Hobart’s main post office. He complained that he hadn’t been treated well at Hadley’s. But think what he must have been like after all that time without a bath, and concealing his identity, too. The hotel made amends. Hobart is one of Australia’s driest state capitals, which surprised me, with it being green and almost on the ocean. But that aridity doesn’t mean the sun shines all the time so I usually had a small travel umbrella with me. I was rained on only once, and that was just after I’d bought takeaway pizza down in the Salamanca district. It was such a short walk that I went umbrella-less, and just as I headed home to the hotel, the rain started. So I stopped under a market umbrella in front of a café and ate the whole pizza standing. The pizza and rain were done about the same time. Hobart is way down there Ascending Mount Wellington Mount Wellington rises 4,100 feet from sea level, right over Hobart. It’s a park and nature reserve with many recreational options but I only wanted to stand on top. I booked a half day “tour” of Mount Wellington, having no intention of driving it myself. Our congenial driver said tourists are a menace. They cling to the side and creep. “Look, there’s one,” he said once, as we passed a small red car with a panicky looking driver. It’s not the most frightening mountain drive I’ve ever taken but it’s dramatic enough with no shoulder and Hobart and the Derwent estuary way down there. If 4,100 feet doesn’t sound like much, it’s still a long way up when you’re looking over the edge. It was warm down in Hobart but cold and windy on the summit. There were a few high clouds and others picturesquely just below us as we stood on top. Jackets were zipped and hoods secured. There were a lot of people up there, though not a crowd. Many were in the enclosed lookout while others of us walked rocks and walkways. I was a little afraid of being blown off so I held onto walkway rails or stood away from the edges. I seem to be grimacing in my selfies. And as I headed back to our van, it was stop-you-in-your-tracks windy, like a dream with my legs moving but going nowhere. A man nearby was pushing against the wind like me. It made us laugh. If all you do is admire the view, it’s worth the trip. And even if you go in summer, take your layers. Tasman Island Cruise About the first thing I did when I got settled was sign onto the Tasman Island Cruise at the Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ office on the harbor. My head was stuffed with a mash-up of allusions to Finding Nemo, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, European voyages of discovery from Abel Tasman on. Polar explorers launching from Hobart. That’s OK. Imagine what you want to. Riding the East Australian Current, being on the Tasman Sea, looking out to the Southern Ocean, this was it. I know nothing about boats and can’t swim. But the company gave us a thorough safety briefing and outfitted us in waterproof garments something like a zip-up monastic habit in red. Or a long bag with a hood. They counseled how to avoid seasickness. Thus I embarked on my trip from Eaglehawk Neck to Port Arthur in our little purpose-built, open-air boat. It was a sunny day. The swell was average for the Tasman Sea, just a few meters. The water was black, then blue, then frothy turquoise near the rocks and cliffs. Bait fish were boiling up and birds fed in frenzy. A white-bellied eagle sat high on a cliff face watching. Tasman Island Once when we stopped to observe a seal colony, we saw hundreds of jellyfish medusas just below the surface. There seemed to be southern albatrosses everywhere. Our captain said this would be the only time some of us (like me) would see them because they spend all their lives at sea. Then whoosh! A big albatross flew right across our bow. Whew. Our captain said it would have been awfully bad luck to collide. I’ve read the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and I know. There we were amongst the albatrosses, shearwaters, gulls, cormorants, eagles. And the fur seals. Not the pesky harbor seals, but the ones that were hunted to near extinction, sunning on rocks or lying prone in

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The Ghan: A Train Through Australia’s Center

Australia /

The Ghan: A Train Through Australia’s Center I’ve always loved trains. And, I love going to Australia, so when a friend told me about her trip on the Ghan, it sounded like a great idea. I bought a 6-month advance purchase ticket and waited for the time to come. Riding the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide The Ghan’s name comes from 19th century cameleers who opened the center of Australia with their camel caravans. Many came from Afghanistan and the name ‘Ghan stuck. The Ghan train runs north-south between Darwin and Adelaide. You can travel in either direction and you can also start, stop or resume a trip from Alice Springs. I chose to go south from Darwin all the way to Adelaide. The trip takes two nights and the most part of three days. A Morning Start in Darwin I was struggling with my baggage. I didn’t have much but when I packed up for the train, I wasn’t nearly as neat as if I were flying. While I was kneeling in the sun to repack and consolidate, someone called out that if we wanted pictures of the train, take them now “before it gets dirty.” So I abandoned my things on the platform and jogged over to the red engine, shiny like a fire truck, better washed and polished than I was after a couple of tropical days and hand laundry. The Ghan Train portraits done and a couple of selfies that missed “Welcome” in the “Welcome to Darwin” sign, I ran back and collected my baggage. There was now a lot of commotion – people taking last photos, verifying cabin or seat assignments, and for those of us in car A3, making a long, hot walk to the end of the 3,500-foot long train. We were getting organized, almost ready to pull out. My Home on the Ghan My home on the Ghan was a single Gold Class cabin, which gave me privacy, a flat bed instead of a reclining seat, all my meals and drinks, and a choice of off-train excursions. Over the months after I bought the ticket, my steadfast image of the cabin was like a movie version of the Orient Express. Then I opened the door to Cabin 12 and saw how tiny it was. A seat, a fold-up table, a small jump seat and the functional, stainless, fold-up lavatory. A narrow cabinet. A high rack with a blanket. But when I got settled in, I was happy with how efficiently everything worked. No joke – there was exactly the space needed. And no more. It helped me be efficient. Of course I’m a small person and not claustrophobic, but people in A3 came in all sizes from a tall Canadian man down to me. No one was complaining. Comfortable, narrow bed Large luggage had to be checked, but my two carryons fit under the bed at night and the table and jump seat during the day. And, during meals, our cabin attendant set up our bed for the night or latched it back to the wall, Murphy-style, in the morning. It was nice going back to the cabin after dinner to find the bed made with white sheets, a maroon Ghan bedspread and chocolate on the pillow. I slid into the cabin (couldn’t open the door all the way with the bed down), closed the door and all was peaceful. Just the rhythm of the train. Unless the train was stopped, which it did now and then. Eating was a big part of train life. See my short post on our food! There were two seatings for meals in my service class. Always hungry, I chose the first seating. The food was excellent. The lounge was open all the time for drinks and gathering. We had a choice of off-train excursions, one each day. For my Day 1 excursion, I elected the Nitmiluk Gorge cruise where we traveled in flat boats between fractured sandstone cliffs along the Katherine River. For Day 2, I chose a trip to Alice Springs Desert Park. And on the second night we stopped in the desert to see the stars. A clear night, the Milky Way bigger and brighter than I’ve ever seen it. There’s another short post on these excursions in the Outback. Ghan people On the Ghan you could avoid other passengers or enjoy them. For sure I was going to meet people at meals, because as a solo traveler, I’d be seated at a table that had an available space. But I like to meet people. It’s nice having people around who smile and greet you. I met a lot of New Zealanders in the lounge and at dinner. Most of them had transferred from a cruise to the train back in Darwin. In my cabin, there was Rob from Australia along with his friends from the UK he was showing around. A young Brazilian woman from Melbourne was on the trip while her husband was visiting family in Brazil. A Canadian man told me he’d taken a scenic trip in the western U.S. on Amtrak, which he liked and recommended. I met Christina from Denmark, who travels the world in her “101 Things to Do When You Survive” tee shirt and blogs about accomplishments from her 101 list. And there was a woman I saw again later in an Adelaide museum, like meeting an old friend in an unfamiliar place. At last, Adelaide I claim that I’m not lonely when I travel, but there are moments like the arrival in Adelaide when suddenly, everyone is gone. I had to leave the shelter of the train. Rob from Australia took my picture at the train station. It’s still on my phone. Then I was off, missing the activity, no one to talk to. But the Adelaide Fringe Festival was going, the Clipsal 500 Supercar race was burning along a course set up on city streets (do I need to say loud?), and I

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