Coast to Coast

Two years ago I was trying to find a way to get from the Australian east coast to the west coast. I figured that flying would be a bit too boring and decided to find out if three days on a train would inspire boredom… and after all, what would be a more appropriate way to travel to the world’s most isolated capital?

As some of you may have guessed, I opted for the Indian Pacific; the train that connects two coasts and two oceans. The 4352 km long train ride takes a short forever and I must admit that before getting on the train I was a little bit worried that the following three days would be mind-numbingly boring in my recliner seat without any sort of privacy… but how wrong was I.

Even though I have never been a fan of train rides, the Indian Pacific was truly magical. It was the ultimate relaxation; there wasn’t much else to do except to just listen to music and look at the (almost) never-changing scenery… and it was still extraordinary. Only people who have been on it, know what kind of a mighty experience it is to spend three days seeing the Australian desert out of the window with occasional kangaroos and reminders of bush fires. Even the Indian Pacific is mighty; how else would you describe a 700-metre-long train crossing the country at the average speed of 85 km/h?

It would be wrong to think that the Indian Pacific is just a way of transportation. It is more of an experience and the staff goes over and beyond to ensure that; they make sure you know all the time where you are and share little details about the places and landmarks the train passes. Also, you do get to get off the train at the whistle stops in Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook and Kalgoorlie – there are even short tours available in these places!

       

A stopover in Cook – population: 5.

“Congratulations, you’ve just completed riding Nullarbor, the longest stretch of straight track in the world at 477kms.”

As the train started to pull into Perth, I was very surprised of the melancholy I felt. It had never crossed my mind that I might be disappointed to say farewell to the recliner seat I had been sitting on for three days. In other words, it wasn’t just the best train ride of my life, it was one of the best experiences I have had – and ever since I have been planning on taking the Ghan – the train that crosses Australia vertically…