Train across Australia

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I'm switching from the summer we stayed in Estonia, to excerpts from my book Our Summer in Australia and New Zealand. While living for three months in Coogee, Beach NSW we organized a cross country trip by train, bus, and plane that is going to take some explaining. One of the advantages of "living" in a place for a while (in this case three months) versus "vacationing" is the ability to take such an extended journey at a time and place of one's own choosing, organizing it after we arrived in country, taking advantage of a knowledgeable travel agent, our interests and our time-schedule.

We began our twelve day transcontinental journey embarking from Sydney on the Indian Pacific. We signed up for the Gold Kangaroo service, a first class level ticket, with a wonderful period dining car, lounge car with bar, and occasionally a lecture from a steward. The entire coast-to-coast trip from Sydney to Perth, through Adelaide covered a distance of 2700 miles and clocked in at 65 hours. We left the train before Perth but more on that later. There were 85 fellow Gold passengers, mostly Australian, who made lively, and interesting travel companions.

The three night train ride is one of the longest in the world (of course Russia's is vastly longer) and includes an entire day crossing the 160,000 square mile Nullabor Plain. More on that later also.

All a'board...We're leaving Sydney's train station at 3PM.

(You can find out more on my web site www.marshallpublications.com)

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Photos

Leaving Sydney train station
"Hey soldier. You wanna carry my bags/"

Berths for two
Very comfortable compartments

Elysee Welcomes you aboard
The gold wedge eagle is the train's mascot. It has a nine foot wing span

Comments

[widi]

We Love Australia
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