Train Holidays – Keeping on the Straight and Narrow in Australia

If you ever have the urge to travel in a dead-straight line for 438kms, jump aboard the Indian Pacific. It's a tourist train linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans on a 4352km journey across Australia between Sydney and Perth. That's about the same as a trip from London to Moscow. The straight bit, said to the longest in the world, is on the dry and desolate Nullarbor Plain of central Australia. It symbolises not only the engineering skills of those who laboured in harsh conditions more than a century ago to build the transcontinental link, but also the nature of Australia's long-distance passenger rail network. The Indian Pacific passes through only three cities, two of them little more than large mining towns, and on the Nullarbor Plain there is pretty much nothing to see, unless you're lucky enough to spot a wedge-tailed eagle or kangaroos. But the thousands of people each year who make the east-west journey, lasting three days and nights, aren't looking for a succession of city skylines, suburban flatlands or lush pastures. They've chosen a rail holiday because they want to experience the vastness of the Australian Outback, where hour after hour a clear line of horizon separates a seemingly endless expanse of red earth from a rich blue sky. And they can do it in air-conditioned comfort and with access to facilities and standards of service which compare with many of the world's higher-profile luxury trains. The Indian Pacific has twin compartments with upper and lower sleeping berths and private shower and toilet. There are club carriages for social gatherings and dining carriages offering restaurant-type meals with waiter service. Liquor is served aboard the train at standard prices. The Indian Pacific is one of several long-distance trains offering rail holidays in Australia. The Ghan, with similar features and owned by the same company, Great Southern Railway, runs north to south through the centre of Australia, from Darwin to Adelaide and vice versa. The 2979km journey takes two days and two nights. Both trains operates twice a week in each direction, with stops of several hours each en route for local touring. Fares for The Ghan's 'gold service' twin cabins are about $1970 a person, and $1312 for single cabins. Seasonal discounts are usually available and there are concessions for age pensioners, foreign tourists and younger travellers. Comparable Indian Pacific fares are $2008 and $1362, with similar discounts and concessions. With a total population of only 21 million, 70% of it in five coastal cities, Australia doesn't have the rail networks of countries in Europe, but there are other trains available to those who prefer to keep on the straight and narrow with their Australian holiday. The Overland is a daylight service linking Melbourne and Adelaide. XPT trains operate from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and regional centres around NSW. And Queensland has several tourist trains. The Sunlander links Brisbane and Cairns three times a week on a 32-hour journey and The Inlander runs between Townsville and the mining town of Mt Isa. The Kuranda Scenic Railway near Cairns takes tourists twice-daily on a 90-minute journey through 34kms of rainforest. All rail systems have special offers from time to time and a website like Travel Monitor can help in finding out what is available. This is an independent site which gathers details of the best train holidays in Australia on the market at any given time and presents it all in one place. Train Holidays – Keeping on the Straight and Narrow in Australia is a post from: Traveling China from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org

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