This is my hotel here in Lucca. There are only 24 rooms and, while a wonderful breakfast buffet is included, there is no dining room for other meals. There are a dozen restaurants within a few minutes walk, however, and last night I chose a comfortable looking one with just eight or ten tables. By…
The next morning, back in the desert and not quite halfway through its journey, the Ghan reaches Alice Springs. It stops for several hours here, allowing passengers to tour the area. The statue in the railway station depicts an Afghan camel herder, from whom the train got its name. “Ghan” is, in fact, Aussie shorthand…
(This is Part Three of a story I wrote for the Dallas Morning News, recording some of the events that took place as I rode the Indian Pacific, east to west across Australia, and then the Ghan from Darwin in the north to Adeaide in the south.) Framed by a miraculous sunset, the Indian Pacific arrives…
(This is Part Two of the account of my rail journeys in 2009, bisecting the Australian continent, first east to west on the Indian Pacific, then north to south on the Ghan. This story originally appeared in the Dallas Morning News. Do I recommend either or both of these rides? Absolutely, mate!) The sun is…