The Ghan – A summary

The Ghan is a great way to see Australia. You really get a feel for the size and contrasting scenery of Australia.

I travelled Gold Kangaroo so my comments only apply to that service.

Accomodation: The small single birth cabin I had was great and met my needs. The large seat (which converts to a bed at night) was ideal for watching the world (well, Australia) go by. The shower room was small and took careful planning to use so that soaked clothes could be avoided.

Lounge car on the Ghan

The Train

Showers on the Ghan – basic but they work – and it is very difficult to shower when on the move…

Kitchen on the Ghan

Food: The food was good (apart from the first meal), my only criticism (which are linked) would be that service could be faster, and the food could be hotter.

Company: Most of the people in Gold Kangaroo were retired (or approaching retirement). I guess this makes sense as it is an expensive way to cross Australia (both in time and money).

Wildlife: It is not the best way to see the wildlife of Australia. In the 3 days on the train I saw about 10 birds and 40 cows. Nothing else….

Biggest Con: This has nothing to do with the Ghan but I heard a number of people express surprise how far Ayres Rock (Ulara) is from Alice Springs – about 400 km (250 miles), so don’t think you can pop-off the Ghan for a quick trip to see the rock!

Overall: I really enjoyed the experience. I could have done without the 3 hour stop in Katherine and would preferred to have spent more of the daylight hours traveling through the interior of Australia.

So, the route… Did the GPS work? Well, yes (sort of). It managed to capture most of the route and just missed out a small piece north of Alice Springs.

The route – The Ghan Route File