Indian Pacific

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M0XXQ
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Indian Pacific

Unread post by M0XXQ »

Here is a video tape from a guy I follow on YouTube, he usually does aviation but he has started doing rail journeys too. This looks bloody awesome, I would love to do this as part of a holiday - Fly to Oz and then a train journey around, what an adventure!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r1-M5lnSyo
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G0BHD
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by G0BHD »

I watched a brilliant documentary about that rail journey some years ago, it was on the old no longer on air BBC3 channel, it's a journey and a half to be sure, passing though every barren environment Australia has to offer.
Some of the stations on route were literally in the middle of nowhere, with just a handful of buildings and the tumbleweed blowing around! :D
They did changes of crew through the journey, as it takes so long to complete it. ;)
There was another equally interesting documentary about a train that runs from the South coast of Australia near Melbourne, to the far flung "Northern territories", that was an epic rail venture as well.
So much space, with so little people in reality.
VK5TM
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by VK5TM »

G0BHD wrote: Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:56 am .... passing though every barren environment Australia has to offer.

There was another equally interesting documentary about a train that runs from the South coast of Australia near Melbourne, to the far flung "Northern territories", that was an epic rail venture as well.
So much space, with so little people in reality.
I see enough red dirt going to my mothers a couple of hours away without needing to spend days looking at it - most boring and expensive to boot - costs more than a return airfare to the UK.

The South coast to Northern Territories trip you might be thinking of is The Ghan, travels Adelaide to Darwin over 4 days - more red dirt, a kangaroo or two along with some camels, oh and did I mention red dirt and if you are really lucky, a few bushes. Also bloody expensive, you can fly to Darwin for less than half the train fare, much less.

On these trips, you really need good travelling companions, be it friends or other passengers because you will end up bored out of your brain after the first day otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I love trains and train trips, but preferably ones where there is something interesting to look at.
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G0BHD
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by G0BHD »

That was the one Terry, "The Ghan"!
The name escaped me.
My wife is Australian born and bred, she grew up on the coast of Queensland in "Rockhampton", and she has never been on either of those two epic train journey's in her lifetime, she simply says, "It was bloody easier to just book an internal flight or two, and far quicker" :D
She has relatives at all four corners of Australia, (comes from a big Catholic family), and has traveled the length and breadth of it in her time, but has never resorted to the trans continental railways. :D
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G6CSL
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by G6CSL »

If I was spending that much dosh, I think I'd go for the California Zephyr through the Rockies. :)
Sangoma
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by Sangoma »

Or the Blue Train, always wanted to.
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M0HJO
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by M0HJO »

A few years ago, when I was in Freemantle for a couple of weeks, I regularly got the train up to Perth and back.

What I did notice was, how clean they were, on time and value for money.

That said, Aussie life would not be for me, I would love a few road trips around the USA on a HOG.

John.
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VK5TM
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Re: Indian Pacific

Unread post by VK5TM »

Before I got screwed by my useless lawyer and his idiot barrister mate, the wife and I had our train trip planned:-

NZ - both islands (I've lived there, so know where I'm going)

Trans Canadian - although there's no passenger train for the middle bit

Royal Scotsman

and then the Trans Siberian on the way back home.

Now I have to watch it on tv, but Portillo and Tarrant are getting bloody annoying.
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