Australia: Darwin-Adelaide on The Ghan, plus a visit to Kangaroo Island

—by Vernon Hoium, Minneapolis, MN

During a previous visit to Australia, I was advised that The Ghan, an Australian train which then ran from Adelaide to Alice Springs, would continue on to Darwin beginning in 2003. As it turned out, the line was not completed until February ’04. We returned in June ’06 to take The Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide.

The Ghan

To give some perspective, I should point out that Australia and the continental United States are virtually identical in size. The 2,979-kilometer trip from Darwin to Adelaide is similar to traveling from International Falls, Minnesota, to New Orleans, with a stop in Kansas City (which would represent Alice Springs).

Since The Ghan had been operating for only about two years, it was served by a new, small railroad station on the outskirts of Darwin. A bus, which picked up passengers at their respective hotels, provided transportation to the train directly, driving alongside to drop passengers off at the various coaches.

On the morning of our departure, the train had 26 coaches and two locomotives. (Only one locomotive was operating, but they carried a spare in case of trouble along the line.) We were told that there can be as many as 45 carriages, but they try to limit the length to avoid blocking too many intersections when the train stops in Alice Springs.

Our first-class passage, which included a bedroom with a washbasin, a shower, a toilet and upper and lower berths plus eight meals on the train, cost US$1,500 per person for the trip to Adelaide, which took approximately 46 hours. The total distance from Darwin to Adelaide is about 1,850 miles.

The Ghan runs twice a week, traveling from Darwin to Adelaide on Mondays and Wednesdays and returning from Adelaide on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The journey

At approximately 4:00 in the afternoon, the train arrived at Katherine. Here, passengers could choose to take optional tours by helicopter or a cruise along the breathtaking 25-million-year old canyons of Katherine Gorge. We took the Katherine Gorge boat trip, and it was quite interesting to see the cliffs rising straight out of the water.

Continuing our travels by rail overnight, we arrived in Alice Springs at about noon the following day. At Alice Springs we had a tour of the city, then visited the impressive Desert Park, which has displays of the Outback and various local habitats, plants and animals. Lunch was served at Desert Park rather than on the train. After this tour of about three hours, we reboarded the train and continued our journey to Adelaide.

We chose not to stay over in Alice Springs because we had visited it on a prior trip. However, I would recommend that anyone who has not visited the city do a layover of two, five or seven days, catching the train on to Adelaide later.

As we crossed the interior of Australia, the vegetation was either brown or only slightly green, depending on the amount of rainfall that the area had received. However, it was not as stark as the Indian Pacific route we had taken on an earlier visit (June ’03, pg. 68).

Adelaide and Kangaroo Island

At 9 the next morning we arrived in Adelaide, where we caught a taxi to the Radisson Hotel ($160 per night, double).

Having the day free in Adelaide, where we had been before, we visited the Adelaide Zoo and had a chance to see a number of native animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, fairy penguins, Tasmanian devils and many birds. It was an interesting place to spend an afternoon.

The following morning we were picked up about 8 to be transferred to the Adelaide Airport for a 30-minute flight to Kangaroo Island. We had booked a tour of the island through Sealink Sightseeing (211 Victoria Square, Adelaide, Australia; phone 08 8231 4144, www.adelaidesight seeing.com.au) for $350 per person. When we arrived, we were met by a Sealink tour operator, who took us around the island for the next two days.

Kangaroo is a quaint island, with good roads and very limited traffic. Although it has a very small population (about 4,500), it receives approximately 130,000 visitors each year; we saw only a few other travelers, however, because we were there in their off-season.

Our first stop on the island was the town of Kingscote, which was the first formal settlement in South Australia. From there we made a visit to Clifford’s Honey Farm. Honey production is a fairly major industry on the island, and honey products are shipped all over the world.

After lunch we visited the Parndana Wildlife Park, where we could walk among kangaroos and wallabies. The animals were very tame and could be hand-fed. We also saw Australian parrots, cockatoos, finches and Cape Barren geese.

We drove on to Seal Bay, home to the Australian sea lion and the second-largest breeding colony in Australia. We had an opportunity to see these creatures close up, basking in the sand or swimming in the surf. Many of them were just laying on the beach sleeping alongside one another.

Our last visit of the day was to the pelican feeding area, where each day the birds are fed the waste of the fish caught that day. Watching them swoop in to pluck food out of the water was quite a sight.

We stayed overnight at the Kangaroo Island Lodge (phone +61 8 8553 7053, www.kangrooislandlodge.com.au), a rustic lodge that fits in very well with the character of the island. The rooms had all the necessary amenities, including air-conditioning and television. The rate was $140 per night for two.

More island exploration

The next morning we visited Kelly Hill Caves. It was interesting to see the cave system and various limestone formations. The temperature in the caves remains a constant 60°F year-round.

From the caves we went to Beckwiths Farm, where we had a 2-course lunch that included a sampling of steak, kangaroo and lamb. For many of us, it was the first time we had eaten kangaroo.

Then we drove to Flinders Chase National Park, on the western part of the island, where we viewed beautiful coastal scenery. We stopped at Remarkable Rocks, a cluster of granite boulders that have been carved by the elements and which perch on a granite dome rising from the ocean.

Next was a visit to Cape du Couedic Lighthouse, established in 1906 and still in operation, and nearby Admirals Arch, a full, natural arch formed by erosion from the waves pounding against the rocks. The area is a breeding ground for the New Zealand fur seal.

At the Island Pure Sheep Dairy, we had a chance to see sheep being milked by automated machines and were offered samples of the farm’s cheese and yogurt.

We returned to the airport for our 30-minute flight back to Adelaide and returned to the Radisson Hotel for the night. That evening we went about a block south of the hotel to Parlamento (140 North Terrace; phone 08 8231 3987, www.parlamento. com.au), an Italian restaurant located in the Theater District and very popular with the locals. We had an excellent dinner that was very modest in price, about $45 for two entrées and wine.

The next morning we packed our bags and started home.

The journey on The Ghan was a very enlightening one, but it was quite pricey. Flying would cost substantially less, but you would not have a chance to see the interior of Australia at ground level.

This trip was very rewarding but was a little difficult to pack for because the temperature ranged from the 90s in Darwin to around 32° in Adelaide, although it did warm up to the 50s during midday.

If you are any kind of a railroad buff, I would recommend this trip. You would be traveling on one of the longest trains that you will ever take in your life.