82 hrs on Indian Pacific Sleeper Train Across Australia

today i'm riding this sleeper train for four days across australia join me as i show you exactly what it's like to live on this train in both second and first class from the showers to the food you get yes this includes kangaroo and what it's like to sleep on board there's even a separate lounge car where you can enjoy one of the world's longest train journeys from cities to deserts to mountains let's pick up my story at the beginning of this adventure in perth western australia well good day and welcome back to the channel you join me here at perth railway terminal where we're going to be taking the indian pacific train in fact i'm a little bit apprehensive about what it's going to be like spending this long on the tracks without any more to say let's grab my luggage go check in and go and get on board this incredible railway journey all the way to sydney now as usual i'm traveling with just hand luggage but should you wish to check in a bag this can be done right on the platform for now i'll head over for a refreshment of which there are plenty naturally i'll be getting in a much needed hit of caffeine though whilst enjoying some of the live music put on by the trains travelling musician [Music] it's not long before we're invited to board at our leisure now for the first half of this trip i'll be in the gold class roomette and these are located at the very end of this over half kilometer train finally i'm at carriage n and i'm warmly greeted by luke who will be looking after me as far as adelaide having just recently been refurbished i'm inquisitive to see how these compare to say the amtrak roumets which feature a similar layout [Music] wow welcome on board let me just get myself settled in with only a few minutes until departure let's stow my bag and raise those blinds we're really not going to want to miss those views today and just like that we're off waved off jovely by the staff on the platform as we trundle off and out into the suburbs of perth bound for the outback and beyond [Music] okay so let's take a closer look at our next four days on the rails covering a total of 2 700 miles stopping multiple times on route and finally arriving into sydney on wednesday embarking on such an epic trip there really is a sense of anticipation and excitement on board for many they've had this trip booked for several years thanks to having to postpone due to the pandemic without any further ado let's take a look around my rounet then firstly we'll take a look at the day setting now and when night falls my attendant will convert this into a sleeping sanctuary for us to explore one oversized semi-reclined seat dominates the day setup ideal for oggling out of the window at the ever-changing landscapes there's a foldable tray table in front of me with a variety of literature explaining our itinerary and the history of this incredible train unlike amtrak there's an in-room sink stocked with luxury apelle's amenities there is no en-suite toilet or shower but there are shared facilities just down the corridor which we'll investigate in just a minute overall it's a lovely place to be and they've managed the space very well indeed these are only for solo use though so if you're a couple i'd suggest getting one of the twin rooms which i've booked for the second half of this trip shortly thereafter we're called for lunch now because the amount of people on board meal times are in staggered sittings and only have 1 15 pm so let's head up train it's worth noting here that there are no external locks on the doors which isn't too much of an issue on a luxury cruise train you just have to be a tad trusting of your neighbours i guess now it's quite a trek to the dining car and will need to pass through five cars up train you'll note the different layout as we walk and that's because the vast majority of gold class are twin rooms it does create a few issues when passing on the corridors but everyone is pretty patient and courteous enough finally i've made it to the bustling dining car it's absolutely packed so here's what it looks like when it's a bit quieter laid out with four seater booths it's very much a sociable affair and you will be seated with other passengers mind you i find the situation a brilliant chance to meet new people and make new friends though admittedly not really for the introverts so what's on our first lunch menu then overall it's quite a light first meal but then again this is welcome as we'll be indulging in a three-course meal this evening after being served some warm breads my mane is presented i've gone for the chicken caesar salad with smoked sardines poached egg and a truffle dressing now to be honest i'm not the biggest fan of truffle but overall the dish was fresh and delicious though my preference is the dessert of baked triple chocolate brownie moist gooey and rich it went down an absolute treat and needless to say my plate is cleaned as we continue to hurtle east with less civilization by the mile i think i'll retire to my roumette for a coffee now something i've not shown you yet is the kitchen located in each carriage this offers up the light refreshment options and where you can refill your water bottle i however need something a little stronger to tackle the aussie jet lag so an instant coffee it is for me i actually realized later in the trip that fresh barista made coffee is available most of the time free of charge in the lounge car absolutely typical back in my room let's settle in and watch the world go by we now very much are in the middle of nowhere with zero cell reception but in some ways i quite like it it's rare you get a chance to completely disconnect these days just before we continue our incredible journey exploring the rest of this train attempting a shower on the move and wandering the outback it's time for a quick word from today's video sponsor vessi you all know me by now i love my tims but back home with the unpredictable weather and because i live near the beach big up bournemouth i need shoes which can keep my feet warm and dry whatever the weather oh great another brit talking about the weather okay okay back to the story we've arrived at the beach introducing my vessies the most versatile shoe i own they're comfortable lightweight and breathable i can wear them around town or like here the beautiful british seaside they're not just water resistant though they're waterproof naturally i can tell you're skeptical so we're really going to put my vessies through their paces today so they're made from dime attacks this awesome material which keeps your feet cool in the summer and warm in the cold weather right if this is not enough let's get that sand off directly under the tap okay check this out i'm going to take my shoes off you see bone dry now i love my bessies and i'm sure you will too so click the link in the description or head to betsy.com trektrendy and use code trektrendy for 25 off each pair right let me explain to you a little more about the train that we're on the indian pacific started over 50 years ago in 1970 and was the very first direct train to cross the australian continent back then it was the third longest passenger service in the world after the trans siberian and the canadian both of which i hope to do in the future right up until 2016 a third class red service was offered which featured seated sleeping cars now whilst there are three classes today this involves gold single gold twin and platinum class there's arguably no budget offering at all on this service with dusk fast approaching would you believe it's time for food again dinner is pencilled in at 7 pm so let's head back to the dining car equally as bustling as lunchtime i'm seated next to a lovely australian couple and i'm promptly presented with a menu do let me know as always what you choose down below to start i go for the carrot and coriander soup which is quite light but really tasty for my main i go for the slow cooked beef cheek this is super tender cooked just to my liking complemented with a sweet potato and ginger puree to close i opt for the chocolate praline gato this is presented beautifully though i found it to be quite gelatinous all said though a solid first dinner on board parting ways with my new friends it's time to hit the sack let's see what my roulette is like when it's made up into a bed i'm pleasantly surprised to find a very comfortable looking single bed adorned in rich egyptian cotton bed linen i'm really quite tired at this point and this is certainly the most welcoming sight not least of course the pillow chocolate with that let's get changed into my pjs naturally a fresh nasa tea now we'll have to head down the corridor to one of the four bathrooms available in our carriage throughout the trip i never once had to wait to use one and they're kept sparklingly clean by the staff it's great to see yet more of the delightful apollos products offered here right then let's get changed much better now really it's time for bed if you listen carefully you can hear it calling my name right so i think the only thing left remaining is to boot those tins off brush my teeth and get into bed you'll be happy to know the bed is indeed really comfortable and with the gentle rocking of the western australian tracks i'm off to sleep in a matter of minutes [Music] well good morning i have to say i slept very very well um completely out like a light and uh it's now 6 a.m we also appear to have come to a complete stop in the outback i can only assume this is our sunrise stop not wanting to miss that sunrise let's get that nasa sweater on pop the tim's on and head out my cabin frustratingly you can only exit the train at certain points so we'll have to jump it up train around four carriages as i d-train i'm brought into another world the outback for the first time welcome to rorlina population 30. don't let the population distract you though rolina is australia's largest operating sheepstation running up to 65 000 merino sheep in a good season i think for most people it's far too early i've got jet lag on my side and i feel pretty fresh it is incredibly cold in contrast to popular belief australia does get pretty cold in the winter nearly everyone on the train has got off to explore this remote town greeting us is a local horse who looks a bit cheesed off to be up so early there's also an array of breakfast snacks and of course bonfires to warm everyone up i will naturally return for a bake and sarni but i want to watch the sunrise at the very front of the train with the mist up ahead combined with the ramshackle buildings and everyone still being half asleep it certainly feels pretty eerie so we've made it to almost the front of the train unfortunately for safety reasons we're not permitted to go right to the very front now i'm pretty disappointed that we can't not really sure why but i will of course respect their wishes back at camp it's time to investigate the food offering and join the queue of hungry passengers a selection of cheese pastries and bacon bats are on offer and to my surprise some live music too to accompany it [Music] let's pull up a pew and get stuck in [Music] not bad at all certainly better than the one i was presented with back home on gwr's night riviera it really is hard to believe that people live all the way out here but with the railway they're connected reliably to the rest of the country with the fires beginning to dwindle it's time to leisurely stroll back over to my carriage what a lovely way to start the day i have to say starting out watching uh the sunrise in the outback in a village with the population of what ten eating bacon butties and drinking coffee i mean can you really get any better than that everyone has to check in with their room number when getting back on the train to ensure no one is left behind so let's get some coffee on the go then and enjoy it tucked up back in bed it's times like these i marvel i'm able to sit back in my modern round enjoying a coffee whilst being in the middle of the outback many hundreds of miles from the nearest significant town it's not long before a train rolls back into life and we're pulled further into the nullarbar plain in fact for this next leg of the journey we'll be on the straightest segment of railway in the entire world at 300 miles without a corner given i'm unlikely to be rocked around too much on these tracks i think it's time to try out the shower there are two showers in each single gold class carriage i find that at peak times i had to wait for these but it's not like i'm in any kind of rush this shed shower room is actually the largest i've experienced on a train before doubling as a toilet also [Music] the shower has great pressure maintaining a steady warm temperature throughout it's funny that at one point sharing on a train for me was a novelty but now it's become second nature only to be topped by showering on a plane of course back in my cabin it's time for a fresh hoodie and change of socks after putting my tim's back on it's time to head to the dining car for brunch brunch today is at a leisurely schedule and i can take this any time between 10 30 and 2 pm given that dinner isn't until 7 30 tonight i opt to dine as late as possible we'll start with a fresh coffee as i get chatting to get more new friends nick and doug whilst they opted for more traditional brunches i've gone for wait for it a camel curry now this is certainly a first for me let's be honest it looks phenomenal and the taste you ask well it's incredible for comparison i'd say camel is like a lean beef i'm now offered a brunch dessert of toasted brioche with ricotta and almond curd crikey i'm in food heaven right here i spend the next hour or so chatting away until there's another announcement on the tannoy well ladies and gentlemen the train is now in its uh safe position for our first stop here in cook with all staff please unlock our doors it's definitely t-shirt weather given the toasty 23 degrees this afternoon and with that let's hot-foot it over to the stairs and go and explore this unique ghost town right so welcome to cook we're well and truly in the middle of nowhere in fact the population of this town is just four and we're significantly adding to that with our train today [Music] so as i walk into downtown cook it's evident that more than four people have at one point lived here and that's because pre-1997 cook was a thriving commonwealth railway center for track maintenance and loco repairs due to its remoteness residents depended on two weekly provision trains for all their supplies today you can find remnants of this once thriving town the post office hospital and houses still remain in fact it's still partly used as there are still crew rest and fuel facilities for passing trains but it's effectively a ghost town and certainly an eerie place to explore but now it's time to head to the very front of the train finally we can take a proper look at the loco pulling us i'm intrigued to find out there's a motor rail carriage at the very front it turns out you can actually take your car between perth and adelaide but not all the way to sydney anyway i digress the loco a 1997 built nr class with a v16 engine putting out a staggering 4 000 horsepower these locos are also used for freight all across australia by pacific national so that is the fire siren and it's a note for us to go and get back on board and not wanting to get left in literally the middle of nowhere let's go head back to carriage n right at the very back of the train [Music] with that let's head back to my compartment as we leave cook behind and return its population to well four our conductor was explaining that in recent years it's not uncommon to have some of the previous residents take this trip to reminisce on life in this outpost as we continue on the world's longest straight section of track dusk begins to fall over the nullabar plane sadly i'm yet to spy any ruse though ironically they're on the menu tomorrow back in the dining car i'm seated next to the same australian couple from the previous night i'm thoroughly enjoying getting to know them both as they explain their pre-pandemic adventures through the five stands i wonder if there are any train trips i could take here tonight's menu looks solid and whilst i'd eaten my philip brunch earlier i'm pretty hungry now after ordering a refreshing ginger beer i'm served my starter of cheese souffle which is delicious albeit more pastry than souffle for maine i opt for the cannelloni you see i do choose the vegetarian options now and again for me i always find it's important to try the variety of food offered on board these trains and planes give you an honest picture of what it's like for all tastes and preferences to close i'm presented with the date in almond tart which is divine and a close favorite to the chocolate brownie from yesterday's lunch with dinner over i make it time to get that beauty sleep so let's head back to my welcoming rounet brush my teeth and hop into bed it will be quite the shock tomorrow to go from the remoteness of the outback to our arrival into adelaide knight all i'll see you all in the morning ladies and gentlemen just had a look at uh our temperature outside it looks to be seven degrees at the moment but it's it's soaring to a whopping 15 by the time you return to the train today well good morning quite the wake up call with that weather reporter but i do need to get up sharpish as i'll be changing cabins today it's incredible to see the difference a night sleep has made to the scenery outside our window green lush and built up i guess it's time to get off and explore adelaide i'm kind of sad to be leaving my room as it's been one of the comfiest little rooms i've had on a sleeper train to date let's hope this ensuite upgrade is worth it right so welcome to adelaide brighton early we have arrived two-thirds of the way for our journey at the moment i need to go and sort out formalities over in the main terminal so let's go and do that right now quite a few new passengers board the train in adelaide so it's often pretty busy in the terminal thankfully as we're around three hours before departure it's deserted and i'm able to sort out the check-in formalities swiftly and i dropped my bags off and promptly issued my new boarding card now usually you'd be able to go on a tour that's organized by the train however there wasn't room to go and do what i wanted to do this morning which is the market to go and get some breakfast and some coffee so i thought i'd do it myself also because i'm changing between two cabins it complicates matters just a little bit and people don't usually do what i'm doing it's just standard thing in life anyway with that let's hop in an uber and head to downtown adelaide adelaide central market is one of australia's oldest dating back to 1869. it offers a large range of fresh produce from meat baked goods fruits flowers and even kangaroo meat i'm thoroughly enjoying getting lost among the 8 000 square meters of over 70 stores and stands naturally i sniff out a lovely looking coffee stand after appropriate caffeination it's time to head back over to the train terminal i certainly have unfinished business in adelaide it's got a real small town vibe to it and i really like my time here so back to platform one about to go and get back on board lovely tour around adelaide a beautiful city definitely want to return so with that let's go and get on board it feels quite strange reporting the same train made even stranger by the staff changeover that happens here in south australia so lots of new but friendly faces are about i'm now in carriage k which has its benefits of being much closer to the restaurant car so let's see what this upgrade to a gold twin is really like all right so i am k9 oh well welcome to my cabin let me get myself settled in on our way and i'll show you all around it's not long before we depart adelaide right on time but first a quick safety announcement being on board a moving train can get some taking used to so please be aware trains can be subject to sudden movements you don't need to say that again this next section of track has got quite the surprising for me and is among the bumpiest and roughest ride i've ever experienced on the rails more on that in a second as we leave the city limits of adelaide we pass the ghan the sister train to the indian pacific and yes don't worry i'll be trying this out in due course in a class beyond gold it's what's known as platinum complete with a double bed and bottomless bollinger [Music] as we're now back on the move and i've just found out from another passenger that the outback lounge car serves incredible takeout coffee i wish i'd known about these sooner as instant coffee is never the one resisting the urge to get stuck into a scone let's head back to my room and take a proper look around [Music] right well good day oh right so welcome back to my room still battling that jet lag being the fact that i've been in oz now for about five days i should probably stop playing that card [Music] so my gold twin room k9 what's it like well for starters it's a lot bigger i can actually stand up and walk around in here unlike my cozy room at there's a foldable tray table by the window along with my new dining card on the far wall there's a variety of controls such as for the music the lighting and of course the all-important charging points lastly there's a small safe for valuables by the door of course we'll take a proper look at my ensuite bathroom and shower facilities in just a moment overall then it's a solid room offering it is however rather dated in comparison to the gold single carriages as we edge further back out into the wilderness we pass a fork in the tracks this is where the gone will continue up to alice springs but where instead the eastbound indian pacific heads towards the new south wales border well i'm not sure about you but i'm starved let's head over to investigate what's on today's menu of course i only have a short walk now to the dining car it's quite a light menu as lunch seems to be on board but i'll take the quesadilla this afternoon served with a fresh rocket salad it goes down an absolute treat to follow i opt for the caramelized hazelnut chocolate tart served with a velvet chocolate sauce and double cream it's rich and decadent definitely something i couldn't have every lunch time though needless to say after that overindulgent dessert i think i need to take an afternoon nap i'd love to say it was a relaxing snooze but thanks to the appalling condition of the tracks i struggled to not fall out my seat as i battle with a turbulent ride let's take a look at the cost for this trip now you have to remember i'm trying out two separate classes today for both single and twin gold class it comes out at 3810 australian dollars however this isn't a usual booking instead if you booked the round for the entire journey it would be 2 595 whereas the twin would be 4775. now many of you i'm sure have been concerned about the dc drought so far so let's change that time to head to the lounge car for an afternoon refreshment this is the outback explorer lounge accessible to all gold class passengers it's quite busy in here most of the time so i've included some footage of when it's much quieter so you can see the variety of different seats and areas available so got those bingo cards ready then it's time to tick off dc it's a lovely place to enjoy a soft or indeed hard drink watching the late afternoon sun dance over the red sanded outback it's not long before darkness begins to fall and with it we cross into the state of new south wales and of course our next stop broken hill station this used to be a chance to get off the train with excursion scheduled to explore this inland mining city unfortunately due to works on the railways this has been postponed for the time being which is certainly a shame for background it is in fact australia's longest running mining town with its name sought from the variety of hills in the area which have long since been mined away fun fact mad max 2 was actually filmed here as well as some of mission impossible 2. right with darkness now upon us it's time to get our last dinner on board let's place the make up room sign on my door for turn down and head over to the dining car it's time to try the much anticipated dish of kangaroo well here goes nothing it actually really tasty quite comparable in consistency to chicken or rabbit which i didn't expect for maine and get your bingo cards ready i went for steak specifically the hunter valley fillet this is served with potato and parsnip puree and portobello mushrooms now for a very turbulent banoffee pie dessert i'm joined by my new friends nick doug and ross for this one who i chat with well into the night right i make it bedtime so welcome back to my room um as you can see beautifully made up into a bed i'm actually really quite tired now i've spent the last couple of hours chatting to some great new friends in the lounge car but it's now time to sleep waiting on my bed is a letter of apology and a gift it turns out they take it seriously that many of us missed out on looking around broken hill so we're offered this beautiful coffee table book as kind of an apology okay it's pj time we'll get changed in my ensuite that's if i don't fall over with the success and rocking of this train much better let's get my teeth brushed and into bed my new bed features the same high quality egyptian cotton bedding along with duvet and comfy pillows though i think the largest concern tonight is just how turbulent the cabin is and as i predicted this results in a pretty shocking night's sleep i awake dozed and rather shell-shocked from being shaken to my core throughout the night this was among the worst sleeps i've ever had on a train anyway let's get up and see what it's like outside we should be in the blue mountains by now [Music] wow you couldn't get any further from the red soiled outback which we were gliding through yesterday afternoon anyway i make it time for a shower being a wet room the entire bathroom becomes your shower which is fine but do make sure you don't leave any of your clothes out or they'll go swimming with you well it has to be said another stellar shower strong pressure and a consistent warm temperature perfect just as i'm changed we finally glide into our final stop of sydney central station let's grab my luggage and get off train for the last time it's certainly been one heck of an incredible journey [Music] well it's with great pleasure that i welcome you to the wonderful sydney opera house where we have arrived all the way from perth it's been honestly quite an incredible experience and i hope you've enjoyed coming along for the ride as always do let me know what you think down in the comments below and i'll catch you all again next time [Music]

Channel: Trek Trendy

Views: 2,176,704

Keywords: luxury australian train, australian train, indian pacific sleeper train, the indian pacific, luxury sleeper train, sleeper train, australian luxury sleeper, the ghan, indian pacific

Id: bMkOcbx0n-Y

Length: 28min 12sec (1692 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 28 2022