lavici

... i read about these great train rides that cross Oz in a blog and i'm intrigued... i was thinking of taking the overlander to melbourne from sydney and catch the ghan in adelaide towards alice springs just to be able to see the desert anything you can share? thanks la vici

lavici

i was thinking of visiting adelaide from sydney on the indian pacific train just to do something different... anybody?

DownUnder

The Overlander actually runs between Melbourne and Adelaide. If you like travelling by train and you have the time these trips are for you. They are comfortable and give you an opportunity to meet fellow travellers. Some stretches are boring, but others are interesting as the distances are great. A liesurely way to explore this vast continent.

lavici

hi down under... yes! thanks i just checked i would probably take the indian pacific from sydney and stop in adelaide, stay for a couple of days there. and then travel on the overlander to melbourne. i guess the ghan will be for a next time.
i love trains, for me they are exotic( no trains where i live) and like bokhara said in another post reminiscent of past eras. if i get bored i can read or sleep, but i know i will relax and enjoy the landscape... is the first class worth it? jjj

afterall

I'm a train freak too (ship freak as well!).

But am not sure I'd use the train to go all the way from SYD-MLB, just because Canberra is worth a stop and you can get there easily from SYD by bus. Then you could pick up a train to MLB.

MLB-ADL, a small part of which is the famous GOR. Again if you have the time travel by road.

Look, I'll be honest, I haven't done either of these journeys by train, because I did have the time and thought there were better options.

The Ghan is different and have done that from Alice to Adelaide. A much better choice than the bus! And you do meet people and you do get that sense of adventure, but when push comes to shove you don't see much. Like many long distance journeys (think Nairobi to Mombasa) it is primarily an overnight trip. Still, seeing the sun set over nothingness was something I won't forget. And sometimes you do it because it is there!

Happy training!

lavici

thanks all of you... well i considered the train first because i can get up and walk a bit, read, sleep and watch...i love them, i like meeting people on my same frequency wave, and can't ride them at home. second as i'm not considering driving because i don't want to experiment alone driving aussie style. not so much on the road per se, but turns etc. i love to daydream and i may get into trouble
part of what called my attention was the notion of empty space, that nothingness that puts many things in perspective,although i'm thinking i will have to pass the ghan on this trip and do the indian pacific and /or overlander between adelaide, melbourne and sydney or viceversa.... jjj