A few years ago, I rode the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to
Perth, a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning run across the Nullarbor
Plain and lots of outback (the Saturday night stop in Kalgoorlie was
long enough to drink a few beers with the miners). Since then,
Australia RR has connected Adelaide with Darwin at the Top End of the
country and made another coast to coast rail trip. I do want to make
that trip, maybe not straight thru. The train stops at Alice Springs,
about 40-50 km from Uluru (Ayers Rock). I would certainly want to get
off there and walkabout (right phrase?) the rock at sunrise. Were I
to find some like minded folk, who had not sampled the sights around
Adelaide (Kangaroo Island, Bourassa Valley vineyards). then catching
the next Ghan south would be fine, or if starting in Adelaide, on to
Darwin.
I also did the Indian Pacific a few years ago and I loved the Nullibor in spite of everyone who told me it was so boring! I'd love to do exactly what you are suggesting, but I can't for at least 18 months as I've done too many trips this past year and need to build up my travel fund again! Keep me in mind if you are still looking then. You're in Bellingham? I'm in Vancouver and thanks for the reminder about the Alaska ferry in your other post. Maybe next summer for that one!
On Sat, Jul 12, 2008 at 7:18 PM, GhanDreaming <tippr1...@msn.com> wrote:
> A few years ago, I rode the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to > Perth, a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning run across the Nullarbor > Plain and lots of outback (the Saturday night stop in Kalgoorlie was > long enough to drink a few beers with the miners). Since then, > Australia RR has connected Adelaide with Darwin at the Top End of the > country and made another coast to coast rail trip. I do want to make > that trip, maybe not straight thru. The train stops at Alice Springs, > about 40-50 km from Uluru (Ayers Rock). I would certainly want to get > off there and walkabout (right phrase?) the rock at sunrise. Were I > to find some like minded folk, who had not sampled the sights around > Adelaide (Kangaroo Island, Bourassa Valley vineyards). then catching > the next Ghan south would be fine, or if starting in Adelaide, on to > Darwin.
> A few years ago, I rode the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to
> Perth, a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning run across the Nullarbor
> Plain and lots of outback (the Saturday night stop in Kalgoorlie was
> long enough to drink a few beers with the miners). Since then,
> Australia RR has connected Adelaide with Darwin at the Top End of the
> country and made another coast to coast rail trip. I do want to make
> that trip, maybe not straight thru. The train stops at Alice Springs,
> about 40-50 km from Uluru (Ayers Rock). I would certainly want to get
> off there and walkabout (right phrase?) the rock at sunrise. Were I
> to find some like minded folk, who had not sampled the sights around
> Adelaide (Kangaroo Island, Bourassa Valley vineyards). then catching
> the next Ghan south would be fine, or if starting in Adelaide, on to
> Darwin.
While in Australia I flew to Alice Springs and went to Uluru a round
trip of some 800kms (not 50km one way) - A day to drive each way- not
sure of the current frequency of the Ghan but may require expediancy
to see Ululu and catch the next train
Jeff Seaton
On Jul 12, 10:18 pm, GhanDreaming <tippr1...@msn.com> wrote:
> A few years ago, I rode the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to
> Perth, a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning run across the Nullarbor
> Plain and lots of outback (the Saturday night stop in Kalgoorlie was
> long enough to drink a few beers with the miners). Since then,
> Australia RR has connected Adelaide with Darwin at the Top End of the
> country and made another coast to coast rail trip. I do want to make
> that trip, maybe not straight thru. The train stops at Alice Springs,
> about 40-50 km from Uluru (Ayers Rock). I would certainly want to get
> off there and walkabout (right phrase?) the rock at sunrise. Were I
> to find some like minded folk, who had not sampled the sights around
> Adelaide (Kangaroo Island, Bourassa Valley vineyards). then catching
> the next Ghan south would be fine, or if starting in Adelaide, on to
> Darwin.
Jeff, you are absolutely right. I looked it up in my Lonely Planet
Australia. Uluru is 441 km from
Alice, a trip that takes about 5 1/2 hours, either by Greyhound
Pioneer or McCafferty's bus lines.
The Ghan currently departs Adelaide Sunday and Wednesday and stops in
Alice the following afternoon.
So getting off the train on a Thursday, out to Uluru and back the
following Monday should give a fair
amount of time to experience this area.
> While in Australia I flew to Alice Springs and went to Uluru a round
> trip of some 800kms (not 50km one way) - A day to drive each way- not
> sure of the current frequency of the Ghan but may require expediancy
> to see Ululu and catch the next train
> Jeff Seaton
> On Jul 12, 10:18 pm, GhanDreaming <tippr1...@msn.com> wrote:
> > A few years ago, I rode the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to
> > Perth, a Friday afternoon to Sunday morning run across the Nullarbor
> > Plain and lots of outback (the Saturday night stop in Kalgoorlie was
> > long enough to drink a few beers with the miners). Since then,
> > Australia RR has connected Adelaide with Darwin at the Top End of the
> > country and made another coast to coast rail trip. I do want to make
> > that trip, maybe not straight thru. The train stops at Alice Springs,
> > about 40-50 km from Uluru (Ayers Rock). I would certainly want to get
> > off there and walkabout (right phrase?) the rock at sunrise. Were I
> > to find some like minded folk, who had not sampled the sights around
> > Adelaide (Kangaroo Island, Bourassa Valley vineyards). then catching
> > the next Ghan south would be fine, or if starting in Adelaide, on to
> > Darwin.
