The Indian Pacific

First of all I have to say a really big thank you to Heather Smaellie for being an outstanding hostess during our stay in Perth. Without her we wouldn’t have seen so much or learned so much about Australian history. I wanted to smuggle her on board but we had to bid farewell on the platform.

We had to be up at the crack of dawn to arrive at East Perth Station to board the Indian Pacific. Check in at 8pm was swift and efficient with our checked luggage being taken away to stowage and we were directed to the platform where there was coffee and cakes and a musician entertaining us.

We noticed one young man, who turned out to be called Matt and who we really took to once on board, was colour coordinated with his luggage!

We then boarded around 9am and met our steward and got acquainted with the cabin and layout of the train. We were in coach B, cabin 3 at the front of the train.

We set off at 10:07 and slowly moved out of Perth, east past vineyards and farmyards surrounded by trees, horses and abandoned cars! I was lucky enough to spot an emu and we kept scanning the horizon for wild life. We wandered down to the lounge and met a Welsh couple and exchanged stories about our travels and spending the kids inheritance.

Lunch was at 12:30. We sat with another Welsh lady called Meri who proved an interesting and enjoyable lunch companion. I had the grilled Australian jewfish which came with mashed potatoes and, wait for it, mushy peas! Len had a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken. Pudding was Kangaroo Island honey and macadamia nut ice cream for me and Cherry clafoutis for Len.

After a short rest it was back to the lounge to read, drink coffee, play trivia (heavily weighted toward the English guests!) and watch the scenery roll by, including a huge salt lake. Incidentally I was in the tie breaker for the trivia and the question was Which American singer caused controversy in the 50’s by marrying a teenager. The answer of Jerry Lee Lewis and I did not know that so did not win the grand prize of a key ring!

At nine o’clock we arrived in Kalgoorlie. This is a thriving mining town several hours east of Perth. We were taken by coach to The Super Pit where we looked down 700 meters where the men and women work round the clock to extract the gold. It was 28 degrees out but the temperature in the bottom of the pit can reach 70 degrees in summer. Now that’s hot!

We visited the museum where we were treated, or subjected might be closer to the truth, to a 15 minute very poorly acted re-enactment of the man who first discovered gold in the region. We were however impressed by the huge trucks that transport the ore once they extract it.

Back on the train for midnight we tried to drop off before the train departed at 1:20 am. I would love to say I slept like a log but I didn’t! It was very noisy, hot and rocky. And we were meant to get up at 6 am to see the sun rise at Rawlinna. Fortunately there was an “intruder” on the line in the night which delayed our arrival by an hour so we actually got to sleep in till 7:20. No sunset to be seen and we made our way down to the Adelaide Dining Car for brunch.

Len had a full Aussie breakfast. It’s was much the same as a full English although he did say he tasted unusual flavours he couldn’t identify. I opted for the camel curry which was really tasty. Our table companions were a couple from Los Angeles who happen to be also cruising with us round New Zealand. It’s a small world.

Monday was an exciting day in terms of stops and sights. We passed through a small settlement called Forrest and then around 1pm pulled into Cook. Now this is where they stop the train to refuel and top up with water. It was just a half hour stop which in the 37 degree heat was long enough! Four people live in Cook and they service the train stops. The town was once much bigger but was abandoned at some point and is now a ghost town. Having said that it is a sleepover spot for the freight train drivers who have to take mandatory breaks, so at any one time there can be as many has 12-14 drivers staying in the hostel there.

En route we saw some amazing salt lakes and the mirages were good to see too. In terms of wildlife we spotted kangaroos and an emu but missed the camels that others saw. It’s like watching cricket, if you look away for just second you miss the wicket, or camel in this case!

The clocks went forward 2 and a half hours as we pulled out of Cook. Who ever heard of clocks going forward by a half hour? This meant our supper felt very early but it was so worth waiting for. I had a prawn and pork dumpling with salmon roe which popped in your mouth. Amazing. Paired with sparkling white wine. Australian of course. Our main was lamb shank which melted in your mouth.

After dinner we retired to the lounge to enjoy an hour of music with the resident musician Ryan. We sat with some raucous Australians who kept us laughing until it was time for bed. Sleep is not something guaranteed on this train. At one point we were travelling so fast and rolling so much I thought I was going to be thrown out of my bed! To top it all we had to be up again at 6 ready to disembark in Adelaide.

After some coffee and pastries we headed off for the Adelaide Oval Tour. Needless to say Len was tickled pink. We got to go behind the score board and see how it was operated. The tour guide gave me the score card from the previous night’s 20:20. Apparently someone called Don Bradman was quite important. I’ll let Len explain that to you!

We have really missed not having access to WiFi, being internet freaks so when we got on the bus we started searching for access. Now I understand that Adelaide has been called the city of churches and I noticed the following WiFi networks: Adelaide Anglicans, StMarks-guest and Ignatius-Free! The bus ride through the city made me want to come back as there were so many lovely buildings. Next time.

The crew changes in Adelaide and we met our new steward, Shona who booked us in for the Broken Hill and Blue Mountains Tours.

We stopped in Broken Hill around 5 o’clock and walked a few hundred yards to the Palace Hotel which is famous for Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. In this old and historic building we were treated to a drag show which was kitsch and just long enough. The paintings on the wall were worth seeing. Len got to sit up to the bar with a local called Tom who was originally from Ireland. He had settled in Broken Hill 30 some years ago.

Broken Hill was interesting enough that I wouldn’t mind visiting it again.

The terrain changed completely once we crossed over into New South Wales. It does look like South Wales!

After a final night on board we arrived in Katoomba and disembarked the train an hour and a half late as it had stormed in the night and there was damage to the signals causing us to stop. This meant our excursion to the Blue Mountains was a little rushed but we did get to go on the Skyway, cable car, and the railway, the steepest in the world. We ended our visit with lunch at Echo Point overlooking the Three Sisters. Back on a chartered train we arrived in Sydney around 3:20.

I will end this with a few words from Len on his impressions of the journey.

Firstly the excitement and anticipation of boarding the train, the young musician on the platform and the great organisation of the registering crew. Our farewells to Heather and the nice photos taken. The great length of the train. Surprised at the initial speed of the train and the variable speeds along the whole journey. The cabin was fine if a tad small. The beds were narrow and a touch hard for me. The food was excellent considering the cramped kitchen area. The lounge bar was comfortable if you got in early enough or later in our case after our first sitting dining time. The whisky measure was a tad small for my liking. Met some nice folks . The music evening was great fun. The train was very noisy and very rocky rolly to the point of discomfort. All in all the journey was a lifetime experience and one not to be regretted.

Our next post will be Sunday when we finish the Sydney leg of our trip.