Indian Pacific tourist train across Australia

The first Indian Pacific, a great transcontinental rail adventure, first left Sydney for Perth in 1970. Thous­ands of well-wishers gat­h­ered a few days later to welcome its safe arrival in Perth, cap­it­al of Western Aust­ralia. It was the first time one train had been ab­le to complete the 4,352 ks journey from ocean to ocean, using a common rail gauge.

Few train journeys are as epic as the Indian Pacific. From Sydney on the east coast across the entire continent to Perth in the west, it pass­es through landscapes as varied as the spectacul­ar Blue Mountains and end­less flat deserts. Expect comfortable cabins, excellent food and fascinating day trips.  The train's programme below is by Alissa Jenkins

Gold Twin Cabin with private facilities

Day 1: Sydney to outback New South Wales/NSW. Board at Sydney's Central Station and settle into the cabin, to spend the afternoon taking in the scenery as it transforms from skyscrapers and traffic lights to the forested valleys and sandstone cliffs of the stunning Blue Mountains. Listen to the audio commentary option.

The journey's west bound service to Perth includes an off-train ex­cursion in the majestic Blue Mountains, with visits to the majestic Three Sisters at Echo Point and spectacular Jamison Valley. As the evening sun sets behind mountain ranges, enter the more arid regions of NSW, characterised by hardy Australian mulga tree and vast plains. After dinner in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant, meet fellow guests in the Outback Explorer Lounge for a welcome drink. 

Queen Adelaide Restaurant, 

Indian Pacific

Outback Explorer Lounge

enjoy new friends, great drinks and great views

Aussie Trains

Day 2: The morning begins in Broken Hill, formerly a booming mining town which inspired artists for ages with its distinct­ive desert landscape. On a 1-hour walking tour, explore the city's icon­ic Living Desert Sculptures then visit the Pro Hart Gallery to learn all about a most celebrated Australian artist whose works capture the outback. 

After an onboard lunch, the afternoon journey continues into the green and golden fields of South Australia's food bowl. Choose bet­ween off-train excursions: 1] spend the afternoon and ev­ening in picturesque Bar­ossa Valley or McL­aren Vale wine reg­ion, the char­m­ing heritage town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills or 2] a priv­ate guided tour of the South Australian Museum. Then all guests re­join the train in Adelaide to begin the trip across the continent.

the flat and treeless Nullarbor Plains

S.M.H

 

On the eastbound service, including a morning stop in Adelaide, ex­cursion options include an Adelaide city coach tour, a pro­gressive breakfast at the famous Adelaide Central Markets, a guided tour of Adelaide Oval or a city and river precinct walking tour. Enjoy the in-cabin music channels and the journey audio commentary.

Day 3: Greet sunrise at the striking, raw beauty of the Nullarbor Plain. Taking its name from the Latin for No Trees, this vast outback pl­ain has stunned generations of Australians and vis­itors alike. A endless expanse of rusty earth and har­dy outback sh­rubs, the Nullarbor covers 200,000 square ks of South Australia and Western Australia and is considered a bucket list experience.

 Off-train dinner at Rawlinna, W.A 

Journey Beyond Rail

Entering Western Australia in the afternoon, cross­ Australia's most famous plain with a special dinner in the rem­ote outpost of Rawlin­na. Here guests are invited to disembark and partake in a tradit­ional long-table dinner under the bright stars of the outback sky.

Surrounded by nothing but vast sheep stations, this is one alfresco dining experience to remember. The Indian Pacific east­bound service (Perth->Sydney) offers an additional excursion in the wild west gold rush town of Kalgoorlie.

Day 4: The morning scenery transforms as the train cont­in­ues via the picturesque Avon Valley, a patchwork of rolling hills and wind­ing streams. After passing fertile farmland, the journey ends as Per­th's outer city limits appear. The P.M choice is to take an optional upgrade tour to explore Perth, admiring magnificent city views fr­om Kings Park, travel along the Swan River and pict­uresque fore­sh­ore park­lands, Subiaco’s trendy boutiques and res­t­aur­ants, and Clare­mont with its upmarket shopping and famous Mil­l­ion­aire's Row. Enjoy the WACA Cricket Ground, Town Hall, Perth Mint, Parliament House, Crown Casino and Barracks Arch. 

Thank you Alissa Jenkins.

**

The review here is mine. I am something of a problem traveller to staff since I don’t eat meat, but the food alternatives were delicious. And the alcohol serv­ice was very good with quality wines which we shared with a lot of great new peo­ple on the trip! Even better, while travelling away from home, vis­itors could focus on local foods and wines from the very regions the train was passing through.

The cabins were clean and fresh, but too small for spouse and I who found it a bit tight to move around together. So leave your excess stuff elsewhere. Thankfully the onboard staff were fantastic, really mak­ing every eff­ort to be friendly and helpful in what must have been demanding work.

I loved visiting places that I have never visited before. Broken Hill is Australia’s oldest mining town, important for its silver, lead and zinc. The rich history is well recorded at museums and memorials, a true representation of the Australian outback, with red, rocky terrain and desert. And the art scene is booming, both modern and indigenous.

Sydney to Perth took 4 days which might have been a bit long for some people, but the most exciting part was to carefully watch the changing landsc­ape of this vast country passing by the window. Sur­prisingly for me (because I love forests and open oceans), I actually loved the memorable changing unique scenery ac­r­oss the Nullarbor.

The off-train experiences were amazing, espec­ially under the stars at sheep station Rawlinna, with fires, food and wonderful live mus­ic. On board there was a resident singer who also provided lots of entertainment.