Introduction

The first time I visited Australia was with my sister – let’s call her the fierce and fearless A. We flew into Adelaide from Singapore on a QANTAS B 767-300. Originally, the plan had been for us to take The Ghan all the way up to Alice Springs and then to visit Uluru from there.

None of that happened. A few days before we departed, torrential rains inundated part of the tracks and completely swept away others. And ever since, I’ve been wondering what it would have been like. And now, finally, nearly thirty years later, it looks as though I’m about to find out! Better still, in the intervening years the line has been extended to continue from Alice Springs to Darwin!

Getting to Adelaide Parklands Station

I’ve booked a Platinum Twin Sleeper cabin. Included in the price for this ticket category is a complimentary transfer from the hotel to the railway station in Adelaide, and then from the station to the hotel in Darwin. The Ghan departs Adelaide twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays at 12h15 for the northbound journey. The recommendation is to arrive between two and three hours before departure for check-in.

Two days before I’m scheduled to depart, I receive a message from my driver, confirming my pick up at the Sofitel at 09h30. We make a brief stop at the Hilton to pick up another passenger, and then I’m on my way back to Parklands Railway Station.

Check-In

As soon as I step out of the car, the porter comes to pick up my suitcase and guides me inside the terminal. There are eight check-in counters available and there are separate queues for Gold, Gold Premium, and Platinum passengers.

The lady at check-in has a decidedly non-Australian accent and sounds as though she would likely be more at home somewhere on a glen in the Scottish Highlands. She tags my suitcase and tells me it will be delivered to my cabin straight away. She then hands me a lanyard with my boarding pass and cabin assignment and invites me to take a seat in the lounge. At this point, I must admit I’m getting so excited that I’m finding it hard to catch my breath!

The Departure Lounge

The lounge is available to all of The Ghan’s passengers, regardless of booking class. There are plenty of seating options and there’s equally plenty of staff circulating with trays of small, warm, and savoury tartlets and sweet lemon or chocolate muffins.

As usual, I grab a seat by the window, so I can watch the train being readied for boarding – which includes a whole armada of cleaners washing the windows of each carriage. The Ghan measures 780 metres from nose to tail, so that’s a lot of windows to clean!

Boarding

Boarding is in groups. Passengers travelling in a Gold or Gold Premium cabin are invited to board first at 11h15, whereas passengers in a Platinum cabin board at 11h30.

Platinum Twin Cabin

My accommodation for the next three days is located in Car J, which is excellent because it’s adjacent to the Platinum Service dining car. Even better, I’m in cabin 5, which is closest to the door connecting my car with the dining car.

The cabin is a lot more spacious than I would have expected, and makes good use of the space available. It’s also very clean, modern, and well maintained.

On the small tray table under the window are two bottles of still water, a binder with information on the history of The Ghan as well as a welcome note with the scheduled activities for the day.

The seat cannot be reclined. It’s either in the seat position or the bed position. However, cunningly concealed inside the coffee table is a small ottoman, one for each passenger, so that at least you can put your feet up.

The cabin is equipped with electric plugs and USB ports. There is no wifi, though, and on some stretches of the journey through some of the more remote areas you’re lucky if you can even get 3G reception. And in a way, at least for me, that is part of the attraction of taking this train – it’s the idea of being disconnected from the rest of the world.

The Platinum cabins all feature an en suite toilet and shower. And I really must say, the facilities are excellent and spotlessly clean. The toiletries are by Jurlique and have these subtle herbal smells of lavender and of geranium and sage.

Amenities

At the end of the carriage, right after my cabin, is a small self-service galley where passengers can make themselves tea or coffee. There’s also a stock of rather lovely biscuits that are regularly replenished. The white chocolate and macadamia sablé is particularly noteworthy. I mean, or so I heard… from someone who ended up eating three in one go. Or maybe four.

The Service & Crew

Why can’t all flight and train attendants be Australian, I wonder? They’re all just so nice. There are four crew attending to passengers in the six Platinum coaches. They’re all great and really hard working. It must be quite tiring having to work while the train is shaking about, and they’re permanently on the go.

As I enter my cabin for the first time, there’s a small plate on the coffee table with camembert cheese, almonds, crackers and strawberries. There’s also a packet of popcorn and a welcome card from the crew welcoming passengers aboard. A short while later, one of the crew drops in to welcome me on the train and offers me a welcome glass of Bollinger Champagne. If you’re travelling in the Platinum cabin, all food and drinks are complimentary. After that, the attendant for Car J comes to introduce herself and explains the features of my cabin and the itinerary.

At exactly 12h15 the Adelaide based handling crew line up on the platform to send us off. Slowly, the platform passes by my window. The Ghan has started on its long journey of three days from Adelaide on South Australia’s coast via Marla, Alice Springs, and Katherine to Darwin in the Northern Territories on Australia, northern coastline.

First Service: Lunch

On the first day, there are two sittings for lunch and two for dinner. For lunch I’m joining the first sitting, which starts at 13h15. Half the dining car is set up like a bar, with comfortable loungers lining both sides of the car. The other half is the dining area which seats up to thirty passengers in one sitting

Tables are arranged for parties of two on the left in the direction of travel, and parties of four on the right. It’s free seating, which means that if you’re there as a couple and the two-seaters are all occupied, you may have to share. On this trip, that doesn’t seem to be an issue and the dining car is far from full during the first sitting.

The menus on The Ghan’s journey are nicely done. The front shows a drawing of a map of Australia with the train’s approximate position at the time of the service. For lunch, there is pumpkin bread and gremolata as the first course. For the main, there are three options to choose from, of which one is vegetarian. There are two options for dessert.

The bread is served warm, and the gremolata has an unusual flavour.

For the main course, I have the vegetarian option, which is cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and chickpeas with hummus, flat bread and ruccola. It’s a nice dish, and the hummus is nearly as good as mine.

For dessert, I have the ricotta ice cream. This is fine, but not particularly noteworthy. I mean, it’s just ice cream.

After the meal, I have a flat white, which is served with two macarons. And then, once I’m done, I return to my cabin to curl up and read Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express to get me in the mood for this trip.

Second Service: Dinner

The second service starts at 18h45. Before I take a seat at the table, I stop for an aperitif in the bar lounge. As he takes my order, the steward responsible for my car inquires if I’ve already settled in and tells me to let them know if there’s anything they can do to make the experience even better.

To drink with the meal, I have a Coke Zero. The drinks menu is already at the table. The steward brings me this evening’s menu. I think it’s quite impressive that the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus change daily during the trip.

For an amuse bouche we have a canapé of mushroom mousse with chives. This is followed by the shrimp appetizer, which is rather nice.

Ahead of the first course, one of the stewards brings hot rolls and butter to the table. For the first course I have the excellent hot smoked trout Niçoise style.

For the main course, I have the surprisingly good roasted tandoori pumpkin, which is so fragrant and flavorful that I forget to take a picture before I tuck in.

And then for dessert, I have the sticky toffee pudding with gold sirup, which is just so good!

Turn Down Service

While I’m in the dining car, the crew prepares my cabin for the night. When I return after the meal, the seat has been converted into a bed with a proper mattress which folds down from the wall.

On my bed is a bathrobe, the next day’s programme, my tickets for the planned excursion, and a box with a small chocolate praline.

It’s been a long and exciting first day on The Ghan for me. And I really must say that I’m having such a good time and greatly enjoying the experience. With nothing much else to do, by 21h I’m lying in bed with my Kindle to entertain me – Poirot awoke some hourse later, and awoke with a start. He knew what it was that had awakened him – a loud groan, almost a cry, somewhere close at hand. But it doesn’t take long before the gently rocking motion of the train swaying on the tracks lulls me to sleep. “Poirot returned to bed, and switched off the light. He glanced at his watch. It was just twenty-three minutes to one”.