Travelling coast to coast on the Indian Pacific railway
Hannah Shaddock - 21 October 2019
Follow Michael Portillo’s tracks in Australia, travelling coast to coast on the Indian Pacific railway
In his six-part series, Great Australian Railway Journeys, Michael Portillo tackles one of his longest train trips yet – on the Indian Pacific, which covers 2,704 miles from Perth, on the west coast of Australia, to Sydney, on the east (or vice versa). The journey takes four days and three nights, including several stops, and involves, at nearly 300 miles, the longest stretch of straight track anywhere in the world. But as Portillo discovers, just because there are few twists and turns doesn’t mean it’s boring.
For railway buffs, of course, the appeal is obvious: four days of eating, drinking and sleeping aboard an iconic train, as the vastness of a continent slides by. But there’s plenty of interest beyond the train tracks: few trips cover so much ground, and not just geographically – you also get the chance to go off-road, or rather off-track, to learn about Australia, too, from the mining boom that built its wealth to contemporary art.
There’s a whistle-stop tour of Kalgoorlie, the town reminiscent of the Wild West at the heart of the late-19th-century gold rush, and an outback breakfast at Rawlinna, as the sun rises; there’s time to wander “ghost town” Cook, in the heart of the Nullarbor, before a longer stop in Adelaide, while the train’s crew is changed. You can choose between exploring this southern coastal city – also a terminal for the Pacific’s north-south equivalent, the Ghan – by coach or by foot, sampling the wares at the celebrated food market, or going behind the scenes at a true cricket crucible, the Adelaide Oval.
In between these off-train forays, there’s plenty of downtime, which is easily spent in the surprisingly cosy cabins. Watching the landscape pass by proves unexpectedly fascinating, as salt flats morph into the rusty earth of the plains, which, later, burst into greenery – and there’s the tantalising chance of spotting the wildlife, from emus to kangaroos to camels; more than a million roam the outback. The closest I got, however, was in the dining carriage, where “camel tagine” was on the menu.
It’s an insight into the calibre of the meals available on the Indian Pacific. In the elegant dining car, you’re served inventive dishes (though this vegetarian can’t attest to the camel), with proper cutlery and plates on pristine white tablecloths – only occasionally marred by the splash of wine during bouncy stretches of track. The menu reflects the route, whether it’s blue-fin tuna from Port Lincoln on the south coast, a twice-baked soufflé made with cheddar cheese from Adelaide Hills, or even grilled crocodile tail or kangaroo loin.
After dinner, retire to the lounge car and chat to your fellow travellers, listen to live music from the train’s resident troubadour, or crack open one of the board games. The car’s retro decor – a 70s palette of tans and oranges – belies the up-to-date offerings at the bar, where the staff are happy to whip up bespoke cocktails. Post nightcap, there’s a real thrill in returning to your transformed cabin – complete with a chocolate on your pillow – to be lulled to sleep (eventually) by the sway of the train.
After Adelaide, on the Perth to Sydney route’s second leg, there’s a pause at frontier mining town Broken Hill, where you can take in a drag show at the Palace Hotel, which was a stopover in the 1994 road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Or you can enjoy a more serene evening perusing Aboriginal art at the local gallery, a glass of wine in hand.
But the undisputed highlight is the Pacific’s newest excursion, only offered on the Perth to Sydney route, and which serves as an apt climax: the Blue Mountains, a lush, rolling landscape a couple of hours north-west of Sydney. Wander on foot to get the full effect: clear pathways and lookout spots offer spectacular views across the valley – often carpeted by the thick blue mist that gives the area its name – and its famous rock formation, known as the Three Sisters. Or you can hop on the steepest passenger railway in the world, which descends through a cliff tunnel on a 52-degree incline for a unique view of the rainforest through its glass roof.
Make sure you relish your last moments on the Indian Pacific – for the final, Blue Mountains to Sydney leg, you return to earth with a bump, on an ordinary (though specially chartered) passenger train, which will have you longing for the luxury of the lounge car and the comfort of your cabin. Because just as I had relaxed into the pace of life on the Pacific, it was time to disembark – this time for good.
Follow Michael Portillo’s tracks in Australia, travelling coast to coast on the Indian Pacific railway
In his six-part series, Great Australian Railway Journeys, Michael Portillo tackles one of his longest train trips yet – on the Indian Pacific, which covers 2,704 miles from Perth, on the west coast of Australia, to Sydney, on the east (or vice versa). The journey takes four days and three nights, including several stops, and involves, at nearly 300 miles, the longest stretch of straight track anywhere in the world. But as Portillo discovers, just because there are few twists and turns doesn’t mean it’s boring.
For railway buffs, of course, the appeal is obvious: four days of eating, drinking and sleeping aboard an iconic train, as the vastness of a continent slides by. But there’s plenty of interest beyond the train tracks: few trips cover so much ground, and not just geographically – you also get the chance to go off-road, or rather off-track, to learn about Australia, too, from the mining boom that built its wealth to contemporary art.
There’s a whistle-stop tour of Kalgoorlie, the town reminiscent of the Wild West at the heart of the late-19th-century gold rush, and an outback breakfast at Rawlinna, as the sun rises; there’s time to wander “ghost town” Cook, in the heart of the Nullarbor, before a longer stop in Adelaide, while the train’s crew is changed. You can choose between exploring this southern coastal city – also a terminal for the Pacific’s north-south equivalent, the Ghan – by coach or by foot, sampling the wares at the celebrated food market, or going behind the scenes at a true cricket crucible, the Adelaide Oval.
In between these off-train forays, there’s plenty of downtime, which is easily spent in the surprisingly cosy cabins. Watching the landscape pass by proves unexpectedly fascinating, as salt flats morph into the rusty earth of the plains, which, later, burst into greenery – and there’s the tantalising chance of spotting the wildlife, from emus to kangaroos to camels; more than a million roam the outback. The closest I got, however, was in the dining carriage, where “camel tagine” was on the menu.
It’s an insight into the calibre of the meals available on the Indian Pacific. In the elegant dining car, you’re served inventive dishes (though this vegetarian can’t attest to the camel), with proper cutlery and plates on pristine white tablecloths – only occasionally marred by the splash of wine during bouncy stretches of track. The menu reflects the route, whether it’s blue-fin tuna from Port Lincoln on the south coast, a twice-baked soufflé made with cheddar cheese from Adelaide Hills, or even grilled crocodile tail or kangaroo loin.
After dinner, retire to the lounge car and chat to your fellow travellers, listen to live music from the train’s resident troubadour, or crack open one of the board games. The car’s retro decor – a 70s palette of tans and oranges – belies the up-to-date offerings at the bar, where the staff are happy to whip up bespoke cocktails. Post nightcap, there’s a real thrill in returning to your transformed cabin – complete with a chocolate on your pillow – to be lulled to sleep (eventually) by the sway of the train.
After Adelaide, on the Perth to Sydney route’s second leg, there’s a pause at frontier mining town Broken Hill, where you can take in a drag show at the Palace Hotel, which was a stopover in the 1994 road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Or you can enjoy a more serene evening perusing Aboriginal art at the local gallery, a glass of wine in hand.
But the undisputed highlight is the Pacific’s newest excursion, only offered on the Perth to Sydney route, and which serves as an apt climax: the Blue Mountains, a lush, rolling landscape a couple of hours north-west of Sydney. Wander on foot to get the full effect: clear pathways and lookout spots offer spectacular views across the valley – often carpeted by the thick blue mist that gives the area its name – and its famous rock formation, known as the Three Sisters. Or you can hop on the steepest passenger railway in the world, which descends through a cliff tunnel on a 52-degree incline for a unique view of the rainforest through its glass roof.
Make sure you relish your last moments on the Indian Pacific – for the final, Blue Mountains to Sydney leg, you return to earth with a bump, on an ordinary (though specially chartered) passenger train, which will have you longing for the luxury of the lounge car and the comfort of your cabin. Because just as I had relaxed into the pace of life on the Pacific, it was time to disembark – this time for good.