Darwin to Adelaide on The Ghan.

These photos are from my 2010 visit to Australia which included a three-night ride east to west from Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific and two nights aboard the Ghan from Darwin in the north to Adelaide on the southern coast.
 

The Ghan’s twin locomotives ready to haul us south on a steamy, rainy day in Darwin. The train’s name comes from the nickname given by the Aussies to the Afghans who were brought in to wrangle the camels used to carry supplies into the Outback when the railroad was being built.
 

A member of the Ghan’s on board crew welcoming passengers join board with a glass of champagne.

The southbound Ghan is crossing the Finke River, described in the guidebooks as “a major intermittent river”. Two weeks earlier, according to a crew member, it was a raging torrent.
 

The Ghan has paused in Alice Springs to be refueled and re-supplied with food and drink. The statue commemorates the Afghan workers who played a major role in the building of the railroad.
 

Australia’s weather can go to several extreme’s. Torrential rains, for instance, and the resulting flash floods. But the norm is very hot and very dry.
 

Accommodations aboard the Ghan are very nice. Meals in the dining car are excellent and the lounge car, where passengers can run a tab for the duration of the journey, is a popular place to relax.
 
I really do recommend both the Ghan and the Indian Pacific. For additional information, go to Great Southern Rail’s web site for information.