The Indian Pacific: interrailing the Australian way

After living in Sydney for a few months my girlfriend and I needed a way of seeing the rest of Australia, and had an extremely tight budget with which to do it. Whilst most travellers choose to get around by coach or maybe campervan, we chose to do it by train. We bought an Austrail flexi pass for $890 each giving us unlimited access to almost every major destination in Australia for 6 months. Pretty good value if you ask me.

Our first journey was the epic Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth. Three days, three nights and almost three thousand miles. We checked in our suitcases and settled into our seats. The pass gets you the economy day-nighter seats, which may not sound great, but its a good deal better than sitting in a cramped coach seat for three days. You can always get up and walk around, or sit in the cafe carriage enjoying the views with a cuppa. There are shower facilities on each carriage too. 

After leaving Sydney the train climbed over the the picturesque blue mountains, enjoying the fabulous views through the atmospheric autumn mist. A little later on, it was time to see how good these seats were to sleep in. They recline almost horizontally and are pretty wide and comfertable, though three nights in them was testing. Of course you can always pay a surcharge and upgrade to a cabin with a bed if you can't face the seats anymore.

The following morning we rolled in to Broken Hill, the silver city of the outback. Here, we got the chance to stretch our legs and go for a wander around. There is an organised tour for $24 encompassing the mines, the city, and some wonderful outback views, or you can look around on your own for free. That afternoon, over the border into South Australia we got to into Adelaide, where the train stopped for a few hours. You can take a bus or stroll into the city for a look around, or do the organised tour for $23. Adelaide is also a good halfway point where you can stay a few nights to break your journey if you don't fancy the full three day slog. If you stay, I recommend Backpack Oz on Wakefield street, where dorms start from $20 a night. There is a free breakfast, pool table, train station pickup/drop off and wi fi.

The following morning, further into South Australia, we reached the sprawling Nullarbor plain. An area of flat treeless desert stretching over 1000km into Western Australia. Around the start we stopped at the township of Cook, a once thriving outback settlement which is now little more than a ghost town. The train stops here to take on water and to allow the passengers to get off and have a wander around. It is a pretty surreal place, with a derelict hospital, school and country club surrounded by flat red nothingness as far as the eye can see. There is however a gift shop, and a handful of people still live there.

There are many similar townships all accross the Nullarbor, and the Indian Pacific helps connect these outposts to the outside world by doing mail drops and pickups as it passes through. The word Nullarbor means 'no trees' and it lives up to its name. The only plant material you will see is patches of saltbush, a tough weed that gets its water by absorbing night dew from the air instead of through its roots. It is this weed that provides the desert animals with food.

That same evening we rolled into the gold capital of Australia - the Western Australian town of Kalgoorlie. The Aussies have been digging up gold here since 1893, and the mine is still going strong today. It is now the largest open cut mine pit on earth at over 400m deep, and 3.3km long. Perth mint does displays of fresh gold bars being forged from Kalgoorlie gold every day. As usual, you have a couple of hours to explore Kalgoorlie yourself, or you can pay $28 for the guided tour, which visits the mine and shows off some of the impressive gold rush architecture too. It’s a proper Wild West town, with your obligatory saloons, brothels and rowdy miners drinking their earnings.
 
The following morning we passed through Western Australia’s sprawling wheat belt in the fertile south west corner of the state as we descended on Perth. After arriving at the East Perth train terminal and making a few quarantine declarations we collected our luggage and paid the ridiculously cheap train fare to Perth central. On the short ride into central we could see the gleaming towers of the CBD and the green fringe of Kings Park atop a hill overlooking the city. What a city Perth is. You walk out of the train station onto a covered walkway over Wellington St leading directly into a pristine shopping centre with a fabulous open paved mall to your right connecting to the Hay and Murray street malls. The whole city centre is immaculate, as though someone has been over it with a scrubbing brush. Even the skyscrapers seem to shine in a way that they don’t anywhere else. We stayed at Perth city YHA, which I would recommend as the standard of hostels in Perth is quite low and this is the best of them all. It has a huge kitchen, TV lounge, plenty of computers and the rooms have lockers. Its also really close to the train station, and the free city centre CAT bus passes right by it. Rates are from $30 per night for a 6 share.
 
Whilst in Perth be sure to visit Kings Park (the largest urban park in the world) to see the stunning view of Perth’s skyline with the graceful Swan river beside it. There are guided walks in the park twice daily at 10am and 2pm leaving from the visitors centre. Also, get the train to Cottesloe beach for a fabulous sunset and a beer in one of the many nearby pubs afterwards. Have a meal at the Good Fortune Roast Duck House on William St in Northbridge – I recommend the BBQ pork, its heaven! Hit Rottnest island for the gorgeous beaches and nature tracks. Cars are not permitted on the island so it’s very safe to walk or cycle, and if you’re lucky you’ll spot the islands namesake, the cute Quokka. These are tiny marsupials that Dutch explorers thought were rats, hence the name Rottnest (Rats nest) island. Finally, head to the port of Freemantle for a look around the historic streets and markets, and for some lunch in one of the waterfront restaurants, all of which claim to have the best fish and chips in Australia – take your pick!

Perth is such a great place to end your journey. It has a charmingly relaxed and chilled out vibe, and everyone seems dedicated to just taking it slow. And you know, it’s pretty nice to join them.