The Ghan. We’re off today for one of the world’s epic train trips from Darwin in Australia’s ‘Top End’ to Adelaide in Southern Australia. This is a really long train – 971 meters (about 6/10ths of a mile). The trip is some 1,850 miles and takes 3 days.
Not far south of Darwin things get pretty desolate with small trees and scrub grass dominating the views. All the ‘rivers’ are nothing but sand. We’re told, however, that when the ‘wet’ or rainy season comes they can quickly become treacherous and can gain up to 15 ft in depth in a single day. Scary stuff.
Out travel companions are from many parts of the planet – a few Australians (mostly Adelaide), many from the UK, another American couple, South Africans, Dutch, & German. Seating for meals is a ‘staggered queue’ so we end up with different dining companions. Good fun to chat with folks from many spots who are on the trip for various reasons – we had a 50th wedding anniversary, a 25th, a 35th (ours), a birthday (undisclosed number), family trip, and general tourist types.
Dick
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We have an 8 am pickup for the train. We are taking ‘The Ghan’ from Darwin to Adelaide, a trip that will span 3 days. The line was named after the pioneering cameleers – many of whom were Afghans – who blazed a permanent trail through the Red Centre of Australia in the 1800’s. The original portion of track was completed in 1929 and was between Adelaide and Alice Springs, the continuation through to Darwin did not occur until 2004.
After lunch we have a nice stop in Katherine, and board a riverboat to cruise thru one of the many gorges in the Katherine River and to stop and look at a small Aboriginal Rock painting site.
We have a fine dinner aboard the train and get a chance to talk with the many new people we have met.
Mary