From the vast emptiness of the Nullarbor Plain, on the world’s longest
straight rail line, to the twisting tracks of outback Queensland and the
rainforests of the north, Australia’s railways offer a rich variety of
contrasting experiences. Taking the train is an ideal way to explore the
continent.
Fully-revised fifth edition – including the new Ghan extension to Darwin
Rail travel for all budgets – from the luxury of Gold Kangaroo class on The Ghan or Indian Pacific to reclining Daynighter seats for budget-conscious travellers, plus full details of the Austrail Flexipass and other passes and ticket bargains
Railway route guides with 70 rail maps – all main lines and branches, what to look out for as you travel and where to stop
City guides and maps – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Darwin plus the best sights, hotels and restaurants at many stops along the lines
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INTRODUCTION 8
Important notes 9
PART 1: PLANNING YOUR
TRIP
Getting to Australia
Making a booking (in the UK and
Ireland 11, in Continental Europe 13, in North America 14, in Australasia 14, in
South Africa 15, in Asia 15)
Before you leave
When to go 15 –
Passports and visas 16 – What to bring 19
Health 19 – Money 19 – Tourist
information 19
Rail travel in Australia
Obtaining information
21 – Rail travel centres and booking offices 22
Reservations 23 – Fares 25 –
Classes 26
Rail passes
The Austrail Flexipass 27 – Other
passes (Great Southern Railway Pass 29, New South Wales 30 – Victoria 31 –
Queensland 31 – Western Australia 32)
Major routes and services
Travelling the network 32 – Scenic routes 33
The trains
Introduction 35 – Interstate trains 37 – Other long-distance trains 47 –
Suburban and interurban trains 58
Tour and itinerary options
Introduction 59 – Planning a 15-day itinerary 61 – Some 15-day
itineraries with a Flexipass 63 – Itineraries for other rail passes 73
Pre-planned packages 73 – Planning your own itinerary 76
Itinerary
variations and side trips (From Sydney 76, From Melbourne 78,Melbourne to Sydney
79, Sydney to Brisbane 81, In Queensland 82)
PART 2: AUSTRALIA
Facts about the country
Geography 89 – Climate 90 – The
environment 91 – History 93
Australian society today 95
Practical
information for the traveller
Arriving in Australia 97 – Getting around
98 – Accommodation and eating out 98 – Time 100 – Post and telecommunications
100 – Electricity 100 – Banks and money matters 100 – Tipping 101 – Holiday
periods 101 – Culture and leisure activities 102
PART 3: THE RAILWAY
SYSTEM
History
Introduction 103 – The problem of
different gauges 103 – Rationalization and line closures 107 – Electrification
and modernization 108 – Facts and figures 109 – The public face of the system
today 111
Trends and the future
Fragmentation 113 – Traffic
and attitudes 113 – The future? 114
PART 4: CITY GUIDES AND PLANS
Intercapital connections 116 – Station locations 119
Sydney
Orientation 120 – What to see and do 120 – Where to
stay 125 – Where to eat 125 – Day trips from Sydney 128 – Longer trips from
Sydney 130
Melbourne
Orientation 131 – What to see and do 131
– Where to stay 133 – Where to eat 133 – Day trips in the suburban area 138 –
Day and longer trips from Melbourne 139
Brisbane
Orientation
142 – What to see and do 142 – Where to stay 143 –
Where to eat 144 – Day
trips from Brisbane 145
Adelaide
Orientation 152 – What to
see and do 152 – Where to stay 153 –
Where to eat 156 – Day trips from
Adelaide 156
Perth
Orientation 157 – What to see and do in
central Perth 157 – Where to stay 157 – Where to eat 160 – Excursions from Perth
160
Canberra
Orientation 162 – What to see and do 163 – Where
to stay and eat 164
Darwin
Orientation 165 – What to see and
do 165 – Where to stay 166 – Where to eat 167
PART 5: ROUTE GUIDES
AND MAPS
Using the route guide 169
Trans-Australia
routes
Sydney to Darwin (via Broken Hill, Adelaide and Alice Springs)
170 – Tarcoola to Perth (across the Nullarbor) 188 – Perth to Bunbury 194
South-east Australia
Adelaide to Melbourne 196
Coastal and inland routes in Victoria
Melbourne to Ararat 200
– Geelong to Warrnambool 201 – Melbourne to Swan Hill and Echuca 203 –
(Melbourne to) Seymour to Shepparton (and Cobram) 206 – Melbourne to Sale and
Bairnsdale (Gippsland Line) 207
Melbourne to Sydney and branches
Melbourne to Benalla 209 – Benalla to Albury/Wodonga 210 –
Albury/Wodonga to Junee 212 – Junee to Griffith 214 – Junee to Goulburn 215
– Goulburn to Sydney 217
Sydney to northern NSW and Brisbane
Sydney to Newcastle/Maitland 218 – Maitland to Werris Creek 220 – Werris
Creek to Armidale 221 – Werris Creek to Moree 222 –
The North Coast route
(Maitland to Brisbane) 223
The Sunshine Route: Brisbane to Cairns
Brisbane to Bundaberg 227 – Bundaberg to Rockhampton 229 –
Rockhampton
to Proserpine 231 – Proserpine to Townsville 232 –
Townsville to Cairns 233
– Cairns 235
Routes in outback Queensland
Brisbane to
Charleville 237 – Rockhampton to Winton 242 – Townsville to Mount Isa 247 –
Kuranda Scenic Railway 250 – Kuranda to Forsayth 251
PART 6: FOR THE
ENTHUSIAST
New South Wales and Canberra 255 – Victoria 261 –
Queensland 263 South Australia 270 – Western Australia 272 – Northern Territory
274 – Tasmania 274
Envoi 276
APPENDICES
A:
Flexipass deadlines 277 D: Glossary of railway terms 282
B: Bibliography 280
E: Bus/rail connections 283
C: Australian English 281
TIMETABLES
1 Perth–Alice Springs–Darwin p61
The Ghan
(Adelaide–Alice Springs
–Darwin) p40
2 Sydney–Melbourne–Adelaide p63
3 Sydney–Broken Hill–Adelaide p77
4 Riverina links from Main
South
Line p80
5 Townsville–Ingham p84
6 Cairns–Tully p85
7 Normanton–Croydon p87
8 Sydney–Dungog–Gloucester p130
9 Geelong–Melbourne–Adelaide–
Sydney p139
10
Melbourne–Bendigo–Kerang–
Swan Hill p141
11 Cooroy and Gympie trains
p151
12 Perth–Toodyay–Northam p161
13 Sydney–Newcastle–Branxton
p257
14 Brisbane/Cairns to Proserpine and
Shute Harbour p265
15 Brisbane–Yandina by rail p269
