The ghan is part; a cruise train and part of it is a working train.  This started about ninety years ago as Australia’s transcontinental north – south line.  This is now a private railroad which runs for  about nineteen hundred miles.  This place has four  stops that go through the vast interior of the  entire country  making this journey twice every week.

The train goes from Adelaide  which is on the southern temperate coat.  This has a low desert plateau which lies on Alice springs. This place has a tropical validity  right at the top end.  The locals usually call this their very own northern coast. This place is located at the Darwin on the timur sea.

The train used to be called the afghan.  This was based on the camels which were earlier used to provide transport in the country’s interior regions.  It was later shortened to  ghan.  And now the camel with its rider on it is a very common and unique trademark.

This is a one thousand mile track that goes all the way from Alice springs to Darwin.

The entire trip which goes from Adelaide to Darwin lasts for about forty eight hours. However it is recommended to  take the train from Alice springs. This is a sun baked tourist center. This place is known for its old herding habits of sheep. There is an outpost here that has been transformed into a resting hub for backpackers, and trekkers.

Go to the aurora and get yourself a steak sandwich. The sandwich is big enough for two people. You can choose different classes of service, it is preferable to go for the gold service. This is the level in between the two other.

You would get a small private room which is more wide then long. Apart from the front bed there is a second bed that can be rolled out. The room also has a private shower and toilet. This however is as big as a phone booth.  The windows don’t open, although the air conditioning is quite good. The room is paneled with wood and has nickel plate fitting and also has etched glass giving the entire room a very luxurious feel, compared to a general utility setting.

The train goes at about sixty-five miles per hour. A lot of passengers usually leave their doors open in the day time. This makes the entire environment quite sociable.

One you exit Alice Springs, you will witness large landmasses that goes on for miles and miles.  You won’t even notice when you run past civilization and leave it long behind. While time passes by you would reach the desert patch of acacia and gum tress. You might spot some termite hills as well.  Over here there are absolutely no ranches, animals grazing or roads.

If you are heading to the dining car then to the top two service levels which serve you meals which are served on heavy china. And, the tables are set with rich and style table cloth. For dinner you may get something like roasted duck salad and roasted vegetables. You could also get a curried kingfish or better yet a kangaroo steak.

Breakfast includes dished like the jambon.  There is a particularly amazing smoked salmon dish which is creped with asparagus. If you feeling like anything special then you could get some regular fried eggs. For lunch there are dishes like the smoked lamb with zucchini and bean salad. You could also get a roasted pumpkin or an artichoke tart.

The dining car has a very old railcar tradition of operating. The tables are designed for four. You get to meet a lot of people, you may exchange email addresses and have great long conversation, make new friends. A lot of these people are generally traveling or sometimes moving their residence carrying the cars along on the bogey which carries cars.

Once you are done with dinner, do stop for some drinks in the club car. The atmosphere here is amazing. People are cheerful and friendly.  A lot of  old timers seemed to be having the time of their life  who kept proactively mixing up with people from different carriages in the train. Contrastingly, a lot of young people just sat back in their seats and spoke in short conversations.

The afghan took one stop at night at tenant creek. Once the journey continues into the morning, the entire landscape changes into beautiful and lush green low lying wetlands. The sunny dry heat and terrain suddenly just all doesn’t exist anymore.

Check back into this space for the continuation of what happens next on the Afghan ride.