Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

[Guest]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Lyn- What a disappointment to have not only missed out on seeing a top end electrical storm but also to have had such shoddy service on the Ghan. Like you say, things don't always turn out the way you want or expect them to. Quite possibly you could wind up in the territory again in the not distant future ...

[OlyPaul]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Great series and story Mark, that third shot is a cracker.

[Guest]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Thank you Paul - I think it's the Ghan's impressive livery that makes the shot ... that logo is a work of genius.

[OlyPaul]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Thank you Paul - I think it's the Ghan's impressive livery that makes the shot ... that logo is a work of genius.

Don't forget the lighting and composition the photographer had something to do with spotting and composing that.

[Floribunda]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

We absolutely will Mark.
I don't think I have ever told you that when I was a teenager Mum and I went up to The Alice on what we now call "The Old Ghan" to visit Neil who was a teller in the bank there. Now that was a great trip. The train only went as far as The Alice in those days. It was often held up by wash-aways in the creek beds, and this happened on our trip, so schedules went out the window. I can remember it stopping at little railway places along the way and all the passengers getting out and walking across sand dunes to little pubs where the conductor had to round everyone up to get them back on the train! Then there were stops for roos, emus and camels on the line!
The Ghan can still be held up like this today, although bridges over the creeks have improved.
On our latest trip we crawled over a bridge and saw the wreckage of a goods train that had derailed a couple of days earlier.
So it can still be quite an adventure!

[Otto]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Otto - You were SO lucky to see rain on the rock! It happens so rarely that most Aussies never see it! However I understand your disappointment. Sunset on the rock is just a wonderful sight.

I wasn't especially disappointed actually as I knew this would be a rare event . What did disappoint me though is that as we drove into Alice Springs earlier the Todd River (marked on our map as "usually dry") was dry as a bone and I didn't photograph it because I thought I could do it the following day. If I had done, I'd have had a great pair of "before" and "after" shots as it was a raging torrent by the next morning!

[Guest]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Don't forget the lighting and composition the photographer had something to do with spotting and composing that.

Then I shall accept the compliment with thanks and humility, Paul!

We absolutely will Mark.
I don't think I have ever told you that when I was a teenager Mum and I went up to The Alice on what we now call "The Old Ghan" to visit Neil who was a teller in the bank there. Now that was a great trip. The train only went as far as The Alice in those days. It was often held up by wash-aways in the creek beds, and this happened on our trip, so schedules went out the window. I can remember it stopping at little railway places along the way and all the passengers getting out and walking across sand dunes to little pubs where the conductor had to round everyone up to get them back on the train! Then there were stops for roos, emus and camels on the line!
The Ghan can still be held up like this today, although bridges over the creeks have improved.
On our latest trip we crawled over a bridge and saw the wreckage of a goods train that had derailed a couple of days earlier.
So it can still be quite an adventure!

You have not mentioned this story to me before, Lyn but what an enormous and perilous journey to have made, just to see Neil! I suppose the scenery and the change of air though would have been some consolation...

(Cheers, Neil! )

Thanks for adding this gem to the thread, Lyn.

[Phill D]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Excellently illustrated insight into aspects of visiting Australia I wasn't aware of. What a trip those train journeys sound like. I'm trying to convince my family to make Oz our holiday next year but guess time and money would mean I doubt the train journeys are something we would be able to include. If I'm successful in persuading them at all that is.

[Guest]

Re: Visit the Outback by Train on The Ghan

Excellently illustrated insight into aspects of visiting Australia I wasn't aware of. What a trip those train journeys sound like. I'm trying to convince my family to make Oz our holiday next year but guess time and money would mean I doubt the train journeys are something we would be able to include. If I'm successful in persuading them at all that is.

Phill, If you can persuade them I would be very surprised if they did not enjoy visiting Australia. IMO the two most spectacular destinations are the Northern Territory, of which this thread and maybe the last half dozen or so of mine are about, and The Kimberly in WA that I've visited only by armchair! About 4,000km south lies Tasmania, scenically and culturally different, more akin to England than any of the mainland States. I could rant on forever about what there is to see and do in Oz, but I'm sure you will research all if you do convince your family to come. Of course Lyn will probably extoll the virtues of SA ad nauseum, but you can take all that with a grain of salt!