A gallop on The Ghan

[JohnM]

Alice Springs from Anzac Hill.



Back to the train late afternoon to freshen up and prepare for the BBQ dinner at The Old Telegraph Station. The northbound and southbound Ghans are simultaneously in Alice Springs, so there is some two-train tango going on shunting them in and out of the terminal. Only the southbound does the dinner at the Old Telegraph Station; the northbound departing after we had left our train for the dinner.



Platinum has reserved tables in the centre.



A very good band.

 

[JohnM]

Back to the train and rolling into the night to arrive at Manguri, a siding for access to Coober Pedy, 40km away. Rain had closed the road, so nothing for it but to chill at Manguri all day.



Sundowner around a blazing fire before getting back aboard for dinner and the overnight run into Adelaide and the end of the journey.




My overall impression of the journey was very good. Obviously it was disappointing to miss Coober Pedy, which for many, if not most was the key attraction.

The standard of meals was very high. It was particularly good to see that quality prevailed over quantity on entrees and mains. They know their older customer base does not need a plate piled high.

The wine selection was respectable in breadth and quality.

The Lasseter's-catered dinner in Alice, while not bad, did not match the on-train food or wine quality.

It is worth noting that the transport sections on the train were largely overnight, so the opportunity, especially with the short days of mid-winter, to sit and watch the scenery go by were limited. It was not like the Trans-Canadian, for example. Essentially the train was good transport and socialising between destinations.

It is also worth noting that the Adelaide-Darwin journey is two nights, rather than three. I was told that there is more daylight travel time for scenery-watching on the northbound journey.

I found the Gold Single accommodation perfectly good. The bed was comfy and the shared ablutions were roomy and very clean.

I was not able to get a look at a Platinum cabin. I'm sure it would be the schmicko, and certainly appealing as a couple to sleep in a double bed and rock to the roll, err so to speak.

For a solo traveller, with all pricing per person, I could see no indication on the Journey Beyond website that a WP cabin could be sourced without having to pay double. I can't see the value in that, but YMMV.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks, great info. And I'm pleased you decided to take the helo just to observe the rock jointing at Katherine Gorge

 

[Daver6]

Passing through the savannah between Darwin and first stop, after lunch, Katherine. A little blurry as the windows are double-glazed. The usual mosaic of unburnt and burnt areas refreshing the grassland. Then irrigated lucerne production for hay near Katherine.

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Katherine stop and inclusive Nitmiluk Gorge and Nitmiluk First Gorge Rock Art cruises on offer, or optional additional-cost helo flight over the 13 gorges. Helo flight for me.

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A bunch of R44’s.

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Looks like stuck in whY again

 

[JohnM]

Looks like stuck in whY again

In a Robinson, you sit where you are told to sit.

 

[Daver6]

In a Robinson, you sit where you are told to sit.

Wait...you mean like on a LCC How the mighty have fallen

 

[UP4014]

By the way, the railway term in Oz for your sleeping berth is a 'roomette'. Twinettes (for two: upper and lower berths in 'Gold' as Journey Beyond calls it) are typically transverse whereas roomette cars have longitudinal berths. 'Platinum' class is different, and naturally, more spacious.

And the railfan term for the room is "claustrophobette", but they are comfortable enough and I've use one Sydney to Perth which was good fun.

 

[craven morehead]

Tonight’s menu and plenty of wine going down.

I seem to have been adopted by the Naughty Group. Now, how did that happen?



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Adopted by the naughty group? You? Never!!

Like that was never going to not happen! some awesome photos there mate.

 

[VPS]

Thanks for another good TR. I did Adelaide Alice Springs and thoroughly enjoyed it

 

[RooFlyer]

Platinum has reserved tables in the centre.

In the blurb, they say "closest to the BBQ"

For a solo traveller, with all pricing per person, I could see no indication on the Journey Beyond website that a WP cabin could be sourced without having to pay double. I can't see the value in that, but YMMV.

Sniff. Not like you to miss a "bargain" . I'm thinking about it. Two columns for different times of year.

 

[JohnM]

In the blurb, they say "closest to the BBQ"



Sniff. Not like you to miss a "bargain" . I'm thinking about it. Two columns for different times of year.

View attachment 279857

Given that the BBQ was directly behind the tables (the band being in front), that is true enough. I didn't take a great deal of notice of all the tables with 'reserved' signs on them, but it seemed like the centre group running from the band back to the BBQ.

The reference to being close to the BBQ seems a little odd because my understanding was that WPs were waited on at table, in which case it's irrelevant. SG needed to go up the BBQ area, grab a plate and then pass along saying what you wanted served onto your plate. The meat was was eye fillet steak, with roasted vegetables, and salad I think.

I looked at fares this morning and stuffed if I saw WP solo - they must have updated it this afternoon .

IMO WP Single is a shedload of dough for a good, but arguably not spectacular, experience. That is, of course, me not being exposed to a WP cabin. And, that said, were PJM and I to do one of the journeys, it would only be in WP for the reasons I previously enunciated, but that would obviously be at a far lower per person cost than WP Single.

The event itself at The Old Telegraph Station was great, and we stayed until the end but quite a few took the early bus back after the meal and didn't stay for the band upping the tempo of the music and people dancing. It also came at the cost of one much better train dinner and wine foregone, if they are more enticing than the BBQ/entertainment.

Apart from sleeping and setting up for photographing myself in bed for The Stalker , I spent negligible time the cabin. I likely would have spent some, but not a heap, more had there been more daylight travel, but I was either in the lounge after being abducted and brainwashed by Naughty Group operatives or at meals under their spell, when not off the train.

Not trying to put you off, just calling it as I see it - from a non-plutocrat's perspective.

 

[RooFlyer]

Apart from sleeping and setting up for photographing myself in bed for The Stalker , I spent negligible time the cabin. I likely would have spent some, but not a heap, more had there been more daylight travel, but I was either in the lounge after being abducted and brainwashed by Naughty Group operatives or at meals under their spell, when not off the train.

Oh, if I go that way, I expect I'll find something to do.

 

[JohnM]

I wonder how much Bolly they allocate per pax/cabin over the journey?

 

[drron]

I wonder how much Bolly they allocate per pax/cabin over the journey?

Needs to be at least a bottle per day per person.

 

[JohnM]

Needs to be at least a bottle per day per person.

Is that all? Stuff it, I'm not going.

But... - Rooy had better do his homework before committing...

There could be (appropriately, if AFF is anything to go by) an Extra Naughty Group in WP that prematurely drinks them dry...

He could get gazumped if he's not on his toes.

Either that, or the old farts will be either too busy snoring or rocking with the rolling and he'll get the lot...

 

[JohnM]

The train ran out of some of the wines.

How did that happen?

I was just chewing the fat about the trip with my brother when it dawned on me that, apart from the Naughty Group super-slurpers, there was probably another reason that we cut more heavily into the wine supply.

Under normal circumstances on the day at Manguri, all pax would be off-train doing the Coober Pedy excursion. The excursion includes lunch in Coober Pedy, catered locally. Because the train doesn't have a scheduled lunch that day, it is not provisioned.

The Coober Pedy bus drivers came out in 4WDs to give us some talks about Coober Pedy to while away some time. The meal that was served at lunch on the train was also brought out from Coober Pedy (it wasn't very good IMO, but in fairness that may have been a consequence of the unusual situation).

So it's possible that the wine served at lunch on our stranded day unusually diminished supplies.

An opal seller also came out and set up shop at the siding, but I didn't bother scoping it.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

I was just chewing the fat about the trip with my brother when it dawned on me that, apart from the Naughty Group super-slurpers, there was probably another reason that we cut more heavily into the wine supply.

Under normal circumstances on the day at Manguri, all pax would be off-train doing the Coober Pedy excursion. The excursion includes lunch in Coober Pedy, catered locally. Because the train doesn't have a scheduled lunch that day, it is not provisioned.

The Coober Pedy bus drivers came out in 4WDs to give us some talks about Coober Pedy to while away some time. The meal that was served at lunch on the train was also brought out from Coober Pedy (it wasn't very good IMO, but in fairness that may have been a consequence of the unusual situation).

So it's possible that the wine served at lunch on our stranded day unusually diminished supplies.

An opal seller also came out and set up shop at the siding, but I didn't bother scoping it.

Do you know the opal sellers name ?

 

[Daver6]

Do you know the opal sellers name ?

And do you have a picture of him in bed too for @mrs.dr.ron

 

[UP4014]

Needs to be at least a bottle per day per person.

Don't panic, no limited allocation in the big 'P' class and if you wish to stay in your room just push the attendant call button.

 

[JohnM]

Do you know the opal sellers name ?

No idea.

And do you have a picture of him in bed too for @mrs.dr.ron

I believe it was a woman.

But I'm not sure I would want to look...