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Why the
Indian Pacific Railroad
trip is special
The Indian Pacific Railroad is one of the most famous train journeys on earth.
It crosses the entire Australian continent, much of it through the Outback.
Tips & insights on the
Indian Pacific Railroad
in Australia
 It
gained its name because it travels between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
It goes from Perth to Sydney with a quick dip into Adelaide. See map below.
The
Indian Pacific Railroad of Australia is 4352 kilometers (2700 miles) in length. One stretch
goes 478 kilometers (300 miles) without a single curve, a world's record
This
journey is a must for train lovers (though other travelers may find it a bit
tedious).
The
entire trip takes about 65 hours, not counting en route delays, which are not
uncommon for trains traveling in the Outback.
You
pass a variety of landscapes, including the flat, treeless and almost featureless Nullarbor
Plain in southwestern Australia.
Along
the way you see kangaroos, feral camels, and the huge wedge-tailed eagles.
The
Indian Pacific Railroad makes several stops at remote Outback settlements to
replenish water and other necessities. You have enough time to do some brief
sightseeing. The stops include the Outback mining towns of Broken Hill (silver)
and Kaljoorlie (gold). The latter has a well-known red light district, which is
part of the local tour.
There
are two service levels. The Gold Kangaroo (first class) has small private sleep
cabins. The Red Kangaroos (economy) has airline style reclining seats plus some
ultra-compact sleep cabins.
If
money is no object, you can book a private carriage car that attaches to the
Indian Pacific Railroad train. It can sleep up to 12 people.
The
Indian Pacific Railroad has a sister train, the Ghan. It travels nearly 3,000
kilometers (1900 miles) from Adelaide on Austalia's southern coast to Darwin on
the northern coast via Alice Springs. It vertically bisects the continent.
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