All Aboard

At last, the day had arrived, it was finally time to board the Indian Pacific train for our trip from Perth to Sydney.  Our larger cases were taken away to travel in the baggage car, and we settled down to listen to Matt the musician and partake of some morning tea.  We remembered Matt from last year, he was the entertainer aboard the cancelled train trip, and sang and played as the train was returned to Perth due to the track being damaged further up the line.

Our 4352km journey would take 4 days and 3 nights, and would be pulled by a diesel loco, immediately behind was a carriage carrying several cars.  The train consisted of guest carriages, Platinum Club Car for the well-to-do, restaurant and lounge cars, crew quarters and power vans.

Indian Pacific train at East Perth Station

Obligatory photo outside our carriage

Climbing aboard we soon found our cabin, that all looks familiar.  Snug and cozy, with our own dinky little bathroom.  The lounge seating is made up into bunk beds each evening.

Home for the next four days.

Of course, we don’t have to stay in the cabin all day, there is a nice roomy lounge car to use, with tea and coffee available, as well as juice and quite a range of alcoholic drinks, all there, just for the asking.  Plus plenty of fellow passengers to chat to.

Outback Explorer Lounge

Off train excursions are part and parcel of this trip with Kalgoorlie being our first, on Sunday evening.  THe first find of gold sparked a gold rush in the 1890s  that turned Kalgoorlie into Australia’s largest outback city.   We boarded a bus and the driver pointed out many of the interesting buildings in the town.  Then it was off to visit the Super Pit, gold mining operational 24/7. At 3.5km long, 1.5km wide, and 600m deep, the Super Pit is large enough to be seen from space.   An awful lot of rock has to be extracted to find a small  amount of gold.

Super Pit

Then we went to see an outdoor play “Paddy Hannan’s Ounce of Luck”.  Local actors tell the story of Paddy practically tripping over gold nuggets, which he quickly collected and then rushed off to stake his claim in 1893. The 100 ounces of gold Paddy found in the area became the richest mile in the world, eventually becoming the Super Pit, and sparked the greatest gold rush in Australian history.

 

Telling Paddy Hannan’s story

The ambitious Goldfields Water Supply project was commissioned in 1896 and completed 7 years later, successfully delivering potable water from Perth to the eastern goldfields.  The pipeline continues to operate today, and we followed alongside it for many miles.

Water pipeline

After a late night, it was an early morning wake-up call the next day, ready to depart the train at 6.15am.  The train stopped in Rawlinna in the Nullarbor Plains for breakfast.  Singer Matt entertained us, singing such songs as True Blue, Waltzing Matilda, and the hauntingly beautiful Leonard Cohen’s composition, Halleluiah.

Matt the entertainer

Breakfast outdoors consisted of Bacon and Egg Sliders, Vegemite Scrolls, fresh fruit, and copious quantities of tea, coffee and juice.

Anyone for breakfast?

We looked around this little ghost town, and posed by the old railway sign.  Local legend  Nicole single handedly comes out to set things in motion when the train stops here  here twice a week, lighting the fires in the containers, organising the tables and setting, as well as setting out equipment for matt to use.

Early morning breakfast at Rawlinna

The train crossed the State Line from Western Australia to South Australia, and our next stop was at the ghost town of Cook, home to just a few inhabitants.  Established in 1917, Cook was originally built as a support town for the railway, with more than 50 people helping to maintain the tracks.  We stopped here to take on diesel and water.

Old gaol cells

At Cook, in the Middle of Nowhere

As we continue travelling across the Nullarbor Plains (meaning no trees) we are in awe of the vastness of this ancient country.  The flat plains stretch out all around, making us feel very insignificant indeed.