The Ghan to Alice...

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October 18th 2006

Published: February 27th 2007

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churcheee

The Ghan

Eventually it was time to leave the NT... chosen mode of transport this time was the Ghan.

Wednesday 18th October to Thursday 19th October 2006

Journey Scribbles...

11.08am Sat on the train, gently trundling south towards Katherine. My seat is R62 but luckily for me the bloke who was sat next to me decided he wanted an aisle seat (bladder problems!!).

I can't believe I've been in Australia over 6 months! Crazy! But cool because mum and dad are arriving in about 4 weeks!! :-)

Errrr... I've just opened my water bottle cos I thought I'd fill it and take it with me on the Cruise around Katherine Gorge and it's got mould growing in it!!! Gross!! Think I'll be leaving that then!

12.16pm Just seen two black stallions ('brumbies') trotting through the bush! how cool!

6.30pm Just got back from my Katherine Gorge River 'Cruise' a.k.a. '60 tourists in a tinny'!! It was v pleasant, not mind blowing, as the gorge wasn't that high and it was v wide (obviously cos you need to get a tourist tinny or 3 down it!!). And it was here that I experience my first 'wet arse'

The Ghan

It's a bloody long train!

ordeal!! Let me explain... I'm sat on plastic seats for half hour to and hour at a time in 37degree heat and I'm wearing my new and v cheap target (tarrr - jaaay to some! - kinda btwn Primark and H&M to get the picture!) khaki colour trousers... I get up after the second Gorge 'Cruise' to find my entire butt has changed colour - from a light to v v dark khaki and completely different to the rest of my trousers!! I seriously looked like I had peed my pants... not a good look. But as I knew no one (and doubted if I really would from now on!) it didn't really matter that others may have believed me to be unusually young to be incontinent and unusually old to be wetting myself!! oh well!!

Popped into Katherine 'Town' a.k.a. Village on the way back to get some strawberries, apple and more tortillas - they're my new addiction after the macadamia biscuits for $1 at Coles!! Gonna chill now and listen to some tuuuunes cos I'm quite tired...

7.07pm Scrap that - the battery on my ipod - gawd...! - was gonna write eye-pod!!! he!he! oops! Best

Katherine

First stop... we'd only been going 2 hours! No wonder it takes a day!!

go get a coffee...

8.30pm Random positioning at 8ish soon sent me to sleep with the children's video playing in the background... Woke up a few time to change position and fit myself in foetal position across the two seats! I was determined to fit!! Had to drink loads cos dehydrated from all the tortillas hit; yup and resulting in loo runs. A rather pleasant sleep though, rocking away with the train. It can't help but lull you to sleep. It was when the train stopped that I woke up as I slid off the seat!

2am ... randomly have signal on my mobile! Three texts beep through in succession... - guess we were at Tenant Creek.

5.50am Awoke to red dirt, scrubby little bushes and dusky sky as the sun rose on the opposite side of the carriage... On to my luxurious breakfast of V8 juice and strawberries! yum!

9.00am Journeys end... welcome to a town called Alice.

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