Techniquest
Veteran Member
Hi all,
Those of you who follow the Plane Bashing thread will already be aware of it, through numerous and lengthy posts so far on the topic, but for the rest of you I'm planning my first Australian trip. I had originally hoped to go this June when I already have two weeks off, alas I'm well short of the final total I need for everything for the trip. So it's planned for 2013, with the USA in 2014 and Japan in 2015. Yes, I really am planning that far ahead!
Anyway, since I'm already getting the flights stuff discussed elsewhere, I'll keep this one focussed on the rail part. However, should you have any useful gen/tips to share with regards to the flights, do share! Currently my plan revolves around flying to Perth, then do the 3-day The Indian Pacific, then sample the XPTs (I may have given up on HSTs, but the XPT is still holding a lot of interest) on a Sydney to Melbourne trip, finally doing Melbourne to Darwin and back before flying home. The bigger version of the trip involves getting up to Brisbane and doing as much as possible of the Queensland Railways network as possible too, but that'll depend on what dates I can get off from work. That probably won't be known until January at the extreme earliest, when I hope to know that I can definitely afford the trip!
A read of this page on Seat 61 - http://www.seat61.com/Australia.htm - was incredibly helpful, and I'm still studying the best options for the trip. Got plenty of time to make up my mind I suppose!
What I'm posting this thread for is to ask if anyone else has been and if they've any useful gen to share. I'm not super bothered about the tourist-y stuff, as I'm going for the trains more than anything else. Well, and the flights of course. Any particular route more worth doing than another, or is it better to do The Ghan first then The Indian Pacific? Things like that I'd love to know, although I'm not leaving the continent until I do The Indian Pacific! Recommendations on sensibly priced hotels would also be seriously welcome, as Travelodge sadly doesn't exist out in Australia!
Thanks in advance all.
Those of you who follow the Plane Bashing thread will already be aware of it, through numerous and lengthy posts so far on the topic, but for the rest of you I'm planning my first Australian trip. I had originally hoped to go this June when I already have two weeks off, alas I'm well short of the final total I need for everything for the trip. So it's planned for 2013, with the USA in 2014 and Japan in 2015. Yes, I really am planning that far ahead!
Anyway, since I'm already getting the flights stuff discussed elsewhere, I'll keep this one focussed on the rail part. However, should you have any useful gen/tips to share with regards to the flights, do share! Currently my plan revolves around flying to Perth, then do the 3-day The Indian Pacific, then sample the XPTs (I may have given up on HSTs, but the XPT is still holding a lot of interest) on a Sydney to Melbourne trip, finally doing Melbourne to Darwin and back before flying home. The bigger version of the trip involves getting up to Brisbane and doing as much as possible of the Queensland Railways network as possible too, but that'll depend on what dates I can get off from work. That probably won't be known until January at the extreme earliest, when I hope to know that I can definitely afford the trip!
A read of this page on Seat 61 - http://www.seat61.com/Australia.htm - was incredibly helpful, and I'm still studying the best options for the trip. Got plenty of time to make up my mind I suppose!
What I'm posting this thread for is to ask if anyone else has been and if they've any useful gen to share. I'm not super bothered about the tourist-y stuff, as I'm going for the trains more than anything else. Well, and the flights of course. Any particular route more worth doing than another, or is it better to do The Ghan first then The Indian Pacific? Things like that I'd love to know, although I'm not leaving the continent until I do The Indian Pacific! Recommendations on sensibly priced hotels would also be seriously welcome, as Travelodge sadly doesn't exist out in Australia!
Thanks in advance all.