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 had walks to take and places to see. The loneliness doesn’t last long.
A few practicalities
If you’re thinking of taking the Ghan or the east-west Indian Pacific, look at any advance purchase fares on Great Southern Rail’s website. I bought my Ghan ticket 6 months ahead, which made it more affordable. The Ghan has several classes of service. The options that come with each vary and are available on the Fares pages of the Great Southern website. I chose Gold single. There are also double cabins. All of my specific comments pertain to the Gold single-cabin service.
Once on the train and before departure, each passenger got a visit and briefing from the carriage attendant, and a visit from the restaurant manager to set up individual dining schedules. Gold service provides towels and bath amenities (an Appelles kit on my trip), and along with the regular bedding, a blanket for chilly nights. The Great Southern website has advice for what to bring, and think about what you might want to have for excursions, like a hat or sunscreen. Carriage attendants can provide additional amenities and generally help with other requests. Our lounge attendant had a hairdryer available for check-out. All the staff had good-looking uniforms too. Somehow that makes a difference.
Each carriage had a small station where you could make coffee or tea. Every couple of carriages had filtered water. As a nice touch, our carriage attendants offered a wake-up knock on the door and a cup of tea or coffee.
Gold single cabins have lavatories but not toilets or showers. These are shared, and there were two of each. I found that in carriage A3 a shower or toilet was always available but I’m sure that can vary. The first time I went to the shower, I took a lot of stuff, including my clothes. I thought I would hang my clothes, step into the shower and dress in the room after I bathed. But I discovered that the entire room is the shower. The whole floor gets wet, and there is only a little space behind a curtain to hang things. Like many of my fellow passengers, I discovered the best thing to do is wear a robe if you have one – or wrap in your towel if you don’t. I used the towel. Nobody cares. Do your dressing in your cabin. Much easier.
Trip date: March 2016