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There’s no better way to relax and enjoy this vast continent than from the comfort of a train carriage. This page features all the great options for seniors touring Australia by train.
Sometimes I sits and thinks .. and sometimes I just sits.
And there’s NO where better to do this than on a train.
Read about some journeys we’ve enjoyed below.
Kick back, relax and enjoy some of the best train journeys in the world, through the centre of Australia.
The 2008–09 Australia’s Great Train Holidays brochure is now available, with loads of information and new package, tour and accommodation options.
The adventure of train travel across this great southern land offers passengers an unparalleled variety of authentic Australian experiences. Travel on The Ghan, Indian Pacific or The Overland and experience Australia as never before.
If you are an Australian Pension and Commonwealth Senior Health Card holder an unforgettable train holiday is made even easier. With these cards you are eligible to save up to 55% on Great Southern Rail services. You can get even more generous concessions by using your Pension Free Travel Voucher*. This makes your next train holiday within easy reach.
*Conditions apply. Visit www.gsr.com.au for full terms and conditions.
THE LEGENDARY GHAN
The name The Ghan was inspired by the pioneering Afghan cameleers who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia over 150 years ago.
Boarding The Ghan in Adelaide or Darwin, you’ll experience one of the most fascinating great train journeys of the world. Marvel at the spectacular Australian landscapes; from the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding the fascinating town of Alice Springs, gateway to Uluru and the Red Centre, then north to Katherine and the lush tropical splendour of Darwin.
The north-south 2979km journey through outback Australia further enhances what is already considered one of the world’s great train experiences.
Great Southern Rail is also excited to announce that the new Platinum Service will be launched on The Ghan service departing Adelaide for Darwin on 10 September 2008 and ticket sales are now open for booking
Platinum Service is a new luxury level of train travel, like no other Australian train accommodation*. 
Platinum Cabins will be approximately twice the size of our standard Gold Twin Cabins with each room offering deluxe accommodation including double beds, spacious ensuite and 24 hour room service. They will have all the modern comforts, in a classic style, with a distinctly Australian character. The Ghan will now also offer accommodation options that rival the best world-class trains. This new service level is in addition to our existing Red and Gold Services, which will continue to operate on The Ghan. This means The Ghan will now cater to all budgets from Red Service the most economical way to travel, through to Gold Service for those holidaymakers who want to travel in comfort.
THE MIGHTY INDIAN PACIFIC
The Indian Pacific travels an amazing 4352kms from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Unlike many other world-renowned train journeys, the Indian Pacific spends the majority of its time removed from civilization. From the barren Nullarbor Plains, where the uniquely Australian outback landscape stretches as far as the eye can see, to the lush green beauty of the Blue Mountains, the Indian Pacific traverses some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery.
There is no better way to see and feel the magic of the Australian continent than on the world famous Indian Pacific and witness parts of Australia that cannot be seen any other way.
THE OVERLAND
Travelling between Adelaide and Melbourne, The Overland began as the Intercolonial Express over 100 years ago. The century old name The Overland came from the affectionate term ‘Overlander’, an adventurer who had travelled across the country.
More than a century later, there’s no more relaxing way to enjoy the trip between Melbourne and Adelaide than on the newly refurbished Overland. The Overland provides a comfortable, relaxing way to travel between the cities or to ease into a great holiday in either Melbourne, Adelaide or their surrounding regions.
On board, The Overland guests have the choice of two levels of service; Red Service and Red Premium Service. Red Service offers a value for money option with all the comforts you need, while Red Premium gives guests more services and more personal space. Both service levels offer guests ample room to move around the train and stretch their legs. The licenced Café Carriage also provides the chance to meet your fellow travellers and socialise in a comfortable, friendly environment.
The Overland operates daylight services to and from Adelaide three times a week.
For further information or bookings visit www.gsr.com.au or call 13 21 47 .
Each spring, nature goes wild in the West, carpeting Western Australia with over 12,000 species of wildflowers. Great Southern Rail is offering passengers the chance to save up to $400 on the Indian Pacific this wildflower season.
This life-changing wonder of nature simply has to be seen to be appreciated, and right now the mighty Indian Pacific offers you an ideal way to travel to the West with savings of up to $400* per person on your Gold Service rail fare.
People come from all over the world to see Western Australia’s wildflowers, and there’s no more comfortable and relaxing way to visit the West than on one of the world’s great rail journeys. Choose from the great packages available or put your savings towards your own wildflower holiday experience.
Celebrating 40 years of travel in 2010, the Indian Pacific crosses Australia from the harbour city, Sydney, over the majestic Blue Mountains, through sweeping plains and rolling hills to Australia’s wine capital Adelaide and onwards across the awe inspiring Nullarbor to Perth – or vice versa.
Book now. Call 13 21 47 or visit www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.
Please take the time to visit our GSR’s website www.greatsouthernrail.com.au where you will be able to learn more about Australia’s Great Train Journeys, including The Ghan, Indian Pacific, The Overland and The Southern Spirit.
There is now the opportunity to book your holidays on our website, including a number of hotel and tour options, so have a look greatsouthernrail.com.au.
New Federal Government funding arrangements for Australian State or Territory Seniors Card holders who are not eligible to receive Pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card entitlements, now allow Great Southern Rail to extend concession savings for Seniors to as much as 25%* off the standard adult fare when travelling on The Ghan, Indian Pacific or The Overland.
Please note that the new 25%* saving cannot be directly applied by using existing State & Territory Seniors Card. The new concession arrangements with Great Southern Rail require Seniors Card holders to pre-register to obtain a unique Great Southern Rail Seniors Concession Travel Card before the concession can be granted.
To register for a Great Southern Rail Seniors Concession Travel Card please call 13 21 47.
* terms and conditions apply
Train Trekkers are valued members of Great Southern Rail’s family who share our passion for rail adventure.
As a valued member you will receive many benefits including:
- The bi-annual ‘Trekker Express’ newsletter
- Special rail holiday offers and product updates
- Entry to members competitions
- The opportunity to preview new brochures
- Exclusive event invitations
To join, please email your contact details (title, first name, last name, postal address, email) to
Experience the wonder of Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest inland lake. Situated in South Australia, it is only from above that you can truly appreciate the full impact of the incredible colours and patterns.
Your special package includes:
• Gold Service aboard The Ghan travelling south from Darwin to Adelaide
• All meals as specified in your itinerary: (B) breakfast, (L) lunch and (D) dinner
• 3 hour Lake Eyre Scenic Flight
• Half day Down and Dirty Opal Tour
• Half day Desert Cave Town Tour
• Quality accommodation
Offer valid for bookings made between 1 April and 30 June 2010 for travel before 31 December 2010.
For further package information call 13 21 47.
The Overland is the most comfortable and relaxing way to travel between Adelaide – Melbourne. With plenty of room, a fully licensed café, the freedom to walk about and meet people or sit and watch the wonderful views roll past your window. And at just $99 return - or $54 one way – it’s as affordable as it is relaxing. So arrive relaxed and ready for your holiday, travel on The Overland.
Book now at www.readyrail.com.au
Get readyrail online and save. Relaxing Red Service seats on The Ghan, Indian Pacific and The Overland are filling fast.
Sydney to Adelaide or vice versa - $199 return, $129 one way
Adelaide – Melbourne or vice versa - $99 return, $54 one way
Adelaide – Alice Springs or vice versa - $199 return, $149 one way
Adelaide – Darwin or vice versa - $299 return, $199 one way
Perth – Adelaide or vice versa - $299 return, $199 one way
Book now at readyrail.com.au
Travel on The Ghan and experience a national treasure, and one of the world’s great train journeys all in one amazing holiday.
Travelling across the continent from north to south or vice versa, you’ll experience first hand the myriad of landscapes that define our country from the temperate south, through the arid centre and on to the tropical north. Combine the journey with one of the specially selected tour packages in this brochure and you’ll have a holiday you’ll treasure. For a strictly limited time if you book any of these ‘national treasure’ holiday packages not only can you experience the luxury of your own private cabin in the opulence of Platinum Service, but you’ll also save up to $600* per person – or up to $400* in the comfort of Gold Service. Take the journey from Darwin via Alice Springs to Adelaide - or vice versa – and travel over Australia through rolling hills, vast deserts and the lush splendour of the tropics.
For a lifetime of treasured memories, and savings you’ll love, book between 1 April 2010 and 30 June 2010 for travel before 31 December 2010.
To book or for further offer information visit greatsouthernrail.com.au
* terms and conditions apply
We are excited about our upcoming Indian Pacific packages that incorporate the very best of the Western Australian wildflowers.
These packages will be finalised in a couple of short weeks, so go to our website greatsouthernrail.com.au for all special offer information then. We look forward to seeing you onboard the mighty Indian Pacific.
To celebrate our ruby anniversary, we invite you to enjoy the comfort of Gold Service on the Indian Pacific and for just 40 days save up to $400* per person on selected holiday packages. Only the Indian Pacific enables you to cross Australia from ocean to ocean by rail, from the harbour city Sydney over the majestic Blue Mountains, through sweeping plains and rolling hills to Australia’s wine capital Adelaide and onwards across the awe inspiring Nullarbor to Perth – or vice versa.
Turn your journey into a once in a lifetime holiday experience when you choose from the selection of great tour packages highlighting the best of the three major cities on the Indian Pacific line. We’ve selected some of our most popular holiday packages to enable you to cap off your rail journey in the comfort of Gold Service by experiencing the very best of what our destinations have to offer. No matter if you’re searching for a holiday filled with natural wonders, city sights or gourmet delights you’ll find it – with savings of up to $400* - during the 40 days of our 40th Anniversary celebrations.
Experience the grandeur, comfort and excitement of one of the world’s great train journeys on the holiday of a lifetime.
To book or for further offer information visit greatsouthernrail.com.au
* terms and conditions apply
The latest in Australia’s Great Train Journeys is departing for its second season!
Travelling between Adelaide / Melbourne and Brisbane, you will be embarking on the latest addition to Australia’s Great Train Journeys - The Southern Spirit. The most recent addition to our fleet was named in honour of the spirit of rail adventure, held in the hearts of those men and women responsible for opening up the far reaches of this great continent.
Planning for the second season of The Southern Spirit is now underway. As we add the finishing touches to our latest journey, we invite you to register your interest at thesouthernspirit.com.au and be among the first to book for the 2011 season.
The Southern Spirit will take you from Adelaide - the gateway to the Australian outback - on a journey of discovery through four states and Australia’s Capital Territory, as it winds its way through hills and ranges, then skirts the coast destined for the sub tropical city of Brisbane. Over six unforgettable days, unwind and share in a journey filled with the essence of Australia’s south east.
Our timetable makes the most of the daylight hours to offer unsurpassed views of the passing landscape. From the inspiring beauty of the Adelaide hills with sweeping Murray mallee unfolding before your eyes, the first stage of the journey offers a different perspective on South Australia you simply can’t afford to miss.
With a short stop in Melbourne, you have the opportunity to taste the cosmopolitan capital before rejoining the train to meet new fellow travellers joining this epic adventure.
The Southern Spirit then continues to the north, crossing the mighty Murray River again and weaving through the Great Dividing Range before tracing the east coast as you continue toward your final destination in the Queensland capital of Brisbane. Of course, you can always travel from Brisbane to Adelaide - it’s just as impressive.
Register now to be among the first to receive the full itinerary for the 2011 season and take advantage of a limited pre-release booking window as a registered member.
Places onboard this exclusive rail adventure will be strictly limited and highly sought after - so be among the first to book your place on the latest in Australia’s Great Train Journeys.
Celebrate 80 years of The Ghan and enjoy the luxurious journey between Adelaide and Darwin for less.
Book Red Sleeper travel and accommodation before 31 March 2010, for travel between 1 November 2009 and 30 April 2010 and enjoy and upgrade to Gold Service, at a saving of up to $660 per person. Gold Service Concession Fares are also available.
For even more luxury, book Gold Service travel and accommodation and you can upgrade to Platinum Service for free. Again, a saving of up to $660 per person.
For more information on The Ghan, service classes and special offers available, visit Great Southern Railways.
Even if you’re not eligible to receive a Pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card entitlements, you can still save up to 25% on Great Southern Rail services.
The funding of rail travel for State and Territory Seniors’ Card holders means new concession fare privileges are now available to Seniors’ Card holders. The new funding allows GSR to extend the concession savings for seniors to as much as 25% off standard adult everyday fares. The savings are available in Gold Service and Red Service on The Ghan, The Indian Pacific and The Overland.
Seniors’ Card holders wishing to take advantage of these savings need to register for a GSR Seniors Concession Travel Card. The reduced fares are not available with existing Seniors’ Cards unless you are entitled to Pension or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card entitlements.
Register for the GSR Seniors Concession Travel Card and you could win a trip for two on the legendary Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide in Gold Service. For more details, visit GSR.
The award winning West coast Wilderness Railway is now back on line after a short interruption to services in October.
Tasmania’s West Coast Wilderness Railway has resumed full services between Strahan and Queenstown after conducting repairs to the track following damaging landslides in the area. Inspections of the railway are conducted daily to ensure full safety and comfort for all passengers and staff.
The 35km railway journey, which has already won several national awards, was named Tasmania’s best Tourism Attraction in the Tasmanian Tourism Awards on November 2. The railway takes visitors on a journey into history, telling the inspiring stories of the pioneers who built the railway along steep-sided gorges, through hand-hewn rock cuttings and across a wild river more than 100 years ago.
For further information: www.puretasmania.com.au
Three world class treasure in one incredible journey, the mighty Indian Pacific, West Australia’s wildflowers plus the awe inspiring and majestic Nullarbor Plain. Step aboard the Indian Pacific on a Trainways tailored holiday to wildflower country. From the barren Nullarbor Plains to the lush green of the Blue Mountains, the Indian Pacific traverses some of the world’s most isolated and spectacular landscapes, that are evidance of what truly makes this diverse land great. they truly have to be seen to be appreciated.
As you’d expect from the state that covers almost half the country, there’s a lot to love about Western Australia – and there is no better way to see it than on one of Australia’s Great Train Journeys the mighty Indian Pacific. Trainways is offering two train wildflower packages ‘Perth and Margaret River’ and ‘Explore the South West’. Guests can also extend their visit with a choice of optional tours that last from a few hours to over a week. The train departs Sydney and Perth twice a week. For bookings and further information on the Indian Pacific contact Trainways on 1300 13 21 47 or visit www.trainways.com.au
Queensland Rail’s (QR) flexible Wanderer and Stopover passes are a great way to see the beauty of Queensland on your own timetable.
The Wanderer rail pass provides six months of unlimited one-way travel, in economy seating, on Queensland’s coastal trains – with departures from Brisbane or Cairns. The Stopover Fare lets travellers choose to stop once, twice or three times in four weeks when travelling on Queensland Rail’s Tilt Train business service. If you are looking for an extended and easy going trip, try taking the train. For more information, click here
For those who are flat out at work or at play, there’s no better time-out than that experience crossing the Nullabor on board the legendary Indian Pacific.
Time out is a precious commodity and while many of us passionately long for a break from working life, all too often on holidays we set ourselves such a frenetic pace, relentlessly driving down country roads, ticking a comprehensive list of top tourist spot, before returning home footsore and fretful rather than relaxed and rejuvenated.
The good news is that there still exists a mode of travel guaranteed to deliver three full days to contemplate the Australian landscape, the meaning of life, or your navel, if that’s your preference. It’s that rare and precious commodity so often promised, so rarely delivered – total time out! And it’s waiting for you onboard the Indian Pacific, the kilometre-long silver streak, which crosses the continent twice a week.
In an age when travel is personified by the impersonal air travel experience, train travel offers a refreshing reality check. Going Gold Kangaroo class on the Indian Pacific means no luggage restrictions, no tedious security checks, no removing your belt, your shoes, emptying your pockets or dismantling your computer just to board. No the only thing official is the welcome from a cheerful steward who shows you to your cabin, stows your luggage, and adjusts the air conditioning before asking what time you prefer your early morning cuppa.
If this attention to detail seems old fashioned, then give me more!
As the cabin door gently closes, this is it – your time and your space to sit and dream and watch as tiny city courtyards morph into suburban back yards, then larger plots, farm land, native bush, sometimes vineyards. Maybe, like me, you’re a sky watcher. If so, you’re definitely in for a thrill, as the train clicks its way across some of the flattest land in Australia – indeed the world, when you consider the track across the Nullabor is the longest straight stretch in the world.
So what exactly do you do on the Indian Pacific? In a word – relax! At first the personal space and free time may prove so disconcerting you will need an hour or two to slow down. But soon your body clock will adjust, aided by the gently way of the train carriages. Then maybe you’ll read, take photos, view the changing landscape, sit and think – or just sit. Perhaps an afternoon nap is on your agenda – and after sampling the menu and wines on offer in the dining car, that’s precisely what many do!
The dining car also the centre of conviviality in the evening, and the emphasis on the finest local ingredients and wines means a continually changing and exciting menu.
Those keen to absorb as much history and environmental info as possible, will enjoy the daily broadcast describing towns on route, as well as infomation on flora and fauna. On Track is a daily newsletter which is also full of background information on places of interest, and handy for guidance when to change your watch. The journey includes so many time zones that it’s best to default to ‘train time” until Perth is reached. After 24 hours I was so relaxed, time became irrelevant and my watch was relegated to the bottom of my bag.
Be careful of relaxing too much, however, or you’ll retreat to your cabin and never venture out. This would be a huge error as the stops between Sydney and Perth are a wonderful sample of how diverse this vast continent can be. The landscape also offers a sense of the mystery and peace which must have prevailed before British settlement imposed its rules and requirements upon Terra Australis.
Kaye Fallick travelled as a guest of Great Southern Railways.
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