Sunday we boarded the Indian Pacific of the IP as it’s known from East Perth terminal. We arrived around 8-am, checked in, received cab number and pass, then had some light complementary refreshments on the platform.
We boarding at 9-am and our carriage was at the rear of the train next to the lounge bar car, excellent said the wife, I won’t get lost and not far to stumble back to the room.
Our train consist departing Perth was 1xNr class locomotive, 1x monorail, 1x power van at either end of the consist, 3 queen Adelaide restaurant cars, 3x lounge cars, a platinum section in the middle was consisted of 4 cars and a luggage van at the rear, for a total of 27 cars, weighing 1300t.
Our room was facing backwards (seats were opposite to direction of travel) however for the Adelaide to Sydney leg, it will be facing forward, as the locomotive will swap ends.
We boarded and made ourselves comfortable in the room, and prior to departure, the attendant looking after our carriage introduced himself and showed us around in the room.
After the spiel concluded, we headed next door for a pre departure sparkling.
The PD drinks continued after departure and until our lunch sitting of 1215. A good solid
2 hours of a sparkling session, chatting and looking at the beautiful Avon Valley.
Lunch time come and we headed to the restaurant with another couple from Adelaide .
I had the fish and brownie with some Riesling and Port
The fish was lovely and moist, and the Brownie was nice, however rich.
After lunch we headed to our room for a 60min nap, as all fluids and food had wore us out!
We headed back into the lounge car at 415 for some trivia and some sunset drinks.
Dinner tonight was the duck pate, beef cheeks and the cheese platter which was all beautiful.
We arrived into Kalgoorlie around 930pm and the tour included was on a bus, however we decided to pass and have a night cap before settling in to bed
After an ok sleep we woke up at 6-am to alight at a siding called Rawlina on the Nullarbor for sunrise coffee and bacon and egg sliders.
The weather was fresh, but a hot coffee warmed us up and a walk around the little old siding (town) kept us occupied.
The old post office was still visible, as was the old community playground and some old houses.
There were some Barracks there for the track workers when they are on site.
We got back onboard and had another coffee in the lounge car followed by a Bloody Mary.
Shortly after departing Rawlina, we seen some big red kangaroos, quite a few big wedged tailed eagles, watching a couple of these big birds take off was like a 747 trying take off!! Their wingspans are huge and take a while to get going!
A few more bloody Mary’s with some fellow Adelaide passengers and it was brunch time.
For brunch it was the Gammon Steak and the brioche for dessert. A few more bloody Mary’s and the train was out of tomato juice
.
Another lay down in the afternoon before arriving at Cook. It was great just laying there staring out the window admiring the vast land!
Cook was once a small railway town with a hospital, school etc, however these days it’s a refuelling point for the locomotives and the changeover point for the drivers.
The Kalgoorlie drivers stop here and rest and in the opposite direction the Port Augusta drivers stop here and rest and the work another train back the next day.
I hadn’t been to Cook for 10 years, and it was good to see some of the trees had grown.
We had a good walk around, checked out the dirty locomotive at the front and headed back into the lounge car for a well earned beer
Dinner tonight was the prawn dumplings, lamb shank and the tart accompanied with some Hently Farm Shiraz.
All the food was great again, and a quick affogato with baileys and I was ready for bed. It was an early arrival into Adelaide at approx 7-am.
