The Ghan train is more than 700m long.
Jane Phare travels through the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide on the iconic Ghan train.
There are moments in a lifetime of travel adventures that I’ll never forget, and two happened on the Ghan journey. One was sitting outside on a cold, starry night, eating a banquet and looking up at the galaxy while an expert star gazer points out the various constellations pointed out with a laser light.
The other was my husband sleepwalking in the dark of night, yelling “the boat’s on autopilot and we’ve got no lights on!” while the Ghan was hurtling along at 80km/h.
Both memorable moments, but back to the starry, starry night at the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station on our second night. The station’s stone buildings once used to house mixed-race Aboriginal children, part of the Stolen Generation.
Now it’s a tourist destination, steeped in history well-displayed inside. But tonight we’re outside, watching the light fade from a huge blue sky interrupted only by the bright sliver of the moon. One by one, the stars appear. Soft light glimmers from candles on our tables and from fires burning in half barrels surrounding the site. We’re listening to Crowded House’s Two Seasons in One Day, and we’re about to experience that. The temperature drops from very warm, to very cold – make that very, very cold.
Dan Falzon, from eco-tourism business Earth Sanctuary, plays the didgeridoo and later uses a strong laser light to point out the stars. As we dine on black Angus sirloin followed by lemon myrtle panna cotta, raspberry puree and strawberries, a live band gently sings John Williamson’s wonderful ballad Raining on the Rock (a reference to the beauty of the outback and Uluru/Ayers Rock) with the rumbling tones of a didgeridoo in the background. We even get a chance to toast marshmallows over the fires on our way back to The Ghan.
By the time we return, our couch has been transformed into two bunks. We’re in a Gold Twin cabin, one of the smallest, but there are larger options. This small but perfectly formed space is home for three days on the 2979 km trip from Darwin to Adelaide.
We’re looked after by cheerful staff who change from daywear - outback pants, boots, shirts topped with an Akubra hat- to an evening uniform to serve dinner.
The train is huge, 735m long with 31 carriages and two locomotives. But it never seems crowded because the dining cars, the lounge/bars and cabins are spaced out, so you see the same small group of people at meal times.
The bunks are comfy and the linen crisp, so sleep comes easily, that was until the drama of the boat on autopilot woke me up. My husband hurtled down the ladder from the top bunk, and although I lunged at him from the bottom bunk, he managed to unlock our cabin door and bolt out into the corridor. It was the lights in the corridor that snapped him awake, to him he was on a train, not a boat.
The Ghan really is a splendid way to travel, and the three days seem to speed by. There’s something very peaceful about allowing yourself time to just sit and gaze out the window at the impossibly huge blue sky, spotting the odd kangaroo or emu.
A self-service tea and coffee station at the end of each carriage means you can have a cuppa at any time of the day or night.
Much of the spare time between the day outings is taken up in the dining car and the lounge bar. Be prepared for a cooked breakfast, and three-course lunches and dinners from a freshly printed daily menu with an emphasis on local produce.
The dinner selection ranged from crocodile dumplings, roasted duck breast, and grilled barramundi to grilled kangaroo loin, roasted lamb rump and Adelaide Hills cheese souffle.
Ghan guests are given several options for day trips at each of the stops - Katherine, Alice Springs and the rail siding of Manguri. We opted for the Nitmiluk Gorge Cruise at Katherine, a boat trip through the tranquil gorge and a walk to see rock art, with plenty of crocodile sightings along the way.
At Alice Springs, we visited the towering beauty of Simpsons Gap on the Larapinta Trail after a picnic by the river. Be warned, the flies are persistent.
At Manguri, we took a coach to Coober Pedy, the opal town where most of the residents live in houses blasted underground because of the heat. We visited an example of one with bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge, bathroom and the all-important covered air vents. The houses remain at an even temperature all year, so residents don’t need to spend money on heating or air conditioning.
One of the most startling finds in Coober Pedy is St Elijah’s Orthodox Church, with its huge stained glass window and magnificently ornate interior built into the side of a hill. It was built to serve the local Serbian community in the 1990s, mostly with donations and volunteer labour.
A New Zealand artist, Norm Aston, spent long hours, often at night, carving the image of Saint Elijah and other religious images and icons into the stone. The priest and the Serbian locals are long gone, leaving the church for curious tourists to visit.
We arrived back at The Ghan on our last evening to find canapes and drinks served outdoors by the train to watch the sun go down by a warm fire. Then it’s dinner and bed as we rumble our way through the night towards Adelaide. And nobody sleepwalked. Just perfect.
Darwin, Australia
GETTING THERE
Qantas flies from Auckland to Darwin with one stop, in either Sydney or Brisbane.
DETAILS
Prices for The Ghan Expedition start at $A4290 per person during the low season (April and Sept/Oct) for travel in 2026.
journeybeyondrail.com.au/journeys/the-ghan
New Zealand Herald flew to Darwin courtesy of Qantas and travelled on The Ghan courtesy of Journey Beyond.