Australia's newest luxury train | The Great Southern | Adelaide to Brisbane

hi my name's Adam today i'm traveling on  a train called the Great Southern which   begins in Adelaide and runs to Brisbane  via Victoria the ACT and New South Wales   it's a three-day two-night experience so  come along and find out what it's like. in this video you'll get to take a look  inside both the gold and platinum cabins   see all the meals as well as the  kitchen where they're prepared   see highlights from scenery along the route and  discover the tours included as part of the trip. the Great Southern starts at Adelaide  Parklands Terminal in Keswick. at the time of filming passengers are required  to return a negative rapid antigen test before   checking in. The Great Southern was introduced  in 2019 and operates in December and January when   The Ghan is not running there are two classes  of travel gold and platinum each with separate   check-in queues. Large bags are normally checked  in while you take cabin-sized bags on board   let's see the engines get coupled to our train the Great Southern is operated by Journey  Beyond Rail Expeditions. We'll be hauled by   two NR class diesels the NR class diesels are  most often seen on interstate freight trains   but they also haul the Indian Pacific The  Ghan and The Overland. on today's train   there'll be 140 guests on board 33 staff and we'll  have an average speed of 85 kilometres per hour   once checked in tea coffee and champagne is on  offer there's musical entertainment provided   in the terminal before boarding. this is  our wonderful journey manager this is mario   now with great pleasure i would like to announce   that the Great Southern is available  for boarding. time to board today's Great Southern has 26 carriages and  is about 640 meters long these are the same   carriages as those used on The Ghan to Darwin  and the Indian Pacific to Perth and Sydney.   a crew member will welcome you and direct you  to your cabin yeah adam yes you're number 14.   okay thank you welcome aboard i'm traveling in  a gold single cabin this is Car A near the front   of the train the only carriages in front are  the crew accommodation power and luggage cars   there are 16 single cabins in this carriage here's  my cabin number 14. let's take a look around here's the seat which the crew will convert  to a bed tonight there's a table which you can   fold away and the footrest also doubles  as a bench seat if you have a visitor   there's space underneath to store your bag and  more space up here the room includes a basin   and you get these upmarket amenities there are power points you can hang clothes in  this cupboard there's also this little shelf which   is perfect for charging your phone there's more  storage space down here and also under the seat there's a bin under the basin and your towels are in here you can wind the blinds up you'll be allocated times for your meals   you'll also get a booklet with the off train  excursions which are included in the fare.   Good morning ladies and gentlemen if i can  have your attention please i just would like   to advise you that we are going through some  technical difficulties at the moment so you will   be losing power again for a few more minutes  and our departure is delayed. One of the two   power cars on this train has a fault so has to be  swapped over. There's a call button in each cabin and after a delay of almost an hour we're off time to look at the route our first stop  this afternoon will be at Stawell to visit   the Grampians tonight the train will pass  through Melbourne and when we wake we'll   be in southern New South Wales we'll stop in Yass  for a day trip to Canberra we'll reboard the train   in Goulburn passing through Sydney overnight  and after breakfast alight in Coff's Harbour   all up will travel more than 2600 kilometres  once back on the train it's the final leg to Brisbane a crew member will come around to  give you an introduction to the train and   to outline the features of your cabin and carriage there are two showers in this  carriage let's take a look each shower room has a toilet and  are also two separate toilets per   gold single carriage so four in  total there's a large modern shower these are full sized bathrooms  so quite a bit bigger   than the ensuites you find in the gold twin cabins time to find the lounge car the lounge is in Car E  so it's a bit of a trek but with all the food and   drink i know we're going to have i think i need  all the exercise i can get at the end of each   carriage there's a small kitchen where you can  make your own tea coffee and get filtered water we're in a tunnel in the Adelaide  Hills which is why it seems dark i'm traveling on this train  with my parents and uncle so   you might spot them particularly at meal times here's a quick look at what  a gold twin cabin looks like   for a detailed tour see my video about The Ghan unlike singles gold twins come with an ensuite all meals and drinks including wines and  spirits are included in the train fare the outback explorer lounge has a fully stocked  bar you can also get barista made coffee outside dining times and the off  train excursions this is where a   lot of passengers spend most of their  time here's today's schedule although   we're running slightly late because of  the issue with the power car in Adelaide Belair marks the end of Adelaide's suburban rail  network historic stone villages dating back to   the 1830s and some fabulous cool climate  wineries producing excellent pinot noir   and maybe riesling too. Mount lofty is the  highest station on the Adelaide to Melbourne line we pass a few vineyards in the  Adelaide Hills and a freight train the city of Murray Bridge is located  about 80 kilometres from Adelaide   and has a population of about 19,000 people we're now crossing the Murray River on  the largest rail bridge in South Australia   the bridge was completed in 1925. the Murray is just over 2500 kilometers  long making it australia's longest river we get another view showing  the length of the train it's time for lunch there are two queen  adelaide restaurants on this train this one   catering to passengers in the first four cars  and another towards the back of the train   looking after gold passengers in that  half of the train here's the wine list and the other drinks on offer and the menu staff will take your drinks orders first here are the entrees wagyu beef  Bresaola grilled kangaroo loin and the mains grilled Coorong Mulloway  fillet grilled Murray Bridge pork loin   and this is roasted wild mushrooms   and of course who can go past dessert  this is Riverland apricot and plum trifle   and Murray River salted caramel and  hazelnut ice cream as you might have   worked out many of the meals use ingredients  from the regions that the train traverses we're now crossing into Victoria the only  train serving Horsham in western Victoria   is the twice weekly Overland  from Adelaide to Melbourne i have to admit the run-up to this journey was  a little stressful with the pandemic border   restrictions and ever-changing rules i wasn't  even sure if it was going to happen but once   you're on board the train's left you've got a  drink in your hand and you can watch the scenery   you really relax into it and almost forget about  all the troubles of the wider world ladies and   gentlemen we will soon be entering the Grampians  region of western Victoria we will be stopping in   the town of Stawell founded in 1853 and known as  the gateway to Grampians National Park. Stawell   also plays host to the famous Stawell Gift foot  race which has been run every Easter since 1878 there are three tour options  known as off train experiences   to choose from in the Grampians  i went with the Venus Baths walk the Grampians are now visible in the distance there's coaches to take passengers  on their respective tours local guides take us on the  short walk to the rock pools once the staff confirm all passengers  are back from the various tours   the train which has been waiting in  a siding returns to Stawell station   because the platform is much too short for  the length of the train the train will need to   make two stops picking up the passengers in the  first half of the train and then in the second   during this process the train blocks the level  crossing which you can see in the background there's also a driver change here which is why  the engine has stopped early on the platform shortly after re-boarding it's time for supper  i think they call it supper give in the hour and   that there's no entree just main and dessert  i can't show you a range of dishes because we   all chose the same meal the buffalo ragu it was  delicious and the warm pear and ginger pudding the   staff have put up decorations in the lounge car  for new year's eve the train has its own on-board   musician Andy who moves between the various  lounges and also takes requests from passengers i may or may not have played Free Falling in  excess of about two or three thousand times   the crew make up your bed during your evening meal they provide branded slippers  and there's a night light   on the floor we're now passing through  melbourne that's a suburban train good night happy new year you might  be wondering why i'm awake so early   sleep on the train is dependent on a number of  factors principally noise and movement both of   which are affected by the quality of track and the  speed of the train i recommend using earplugs or   noise cancelling headphones but i will say  that the bedding materials are very plush   and comfortable we stop in Junee in the Riverina  region of New South Wales to change drivers   Pacific National has a depot here and  the town is something of a rail hub   this station building dates  from 1883 and is heritage listed here's the schedule for today you can have  breakfast any time between 7 and 9 a.m time for our first breakfast on the train all  passengers are offered juice tea and coffee this is the muesli this is the full breakfast and these are the Shakshuka style eggs it's always impressive when you see  the full length of the train on a bend wi-fi is available in the lounge car but it's  dependent on a Telstra mobile signal there's   also a 500 megabyte data limit there's a moving  map if you want to keep track of where we are time for a coffee before our day trip to Canberra all passengers will be taken  on a tour of Parliament House   including lunch before going on one  of the following three tour options have a great day we'll travel to Canberra by coach the train pulls forward to allow passengers  in the back half of the train to alight although there is a rail line into Canberra the  platform and passing loops on the line are far   too short to accommodate the Great Southern the  train would also need to take a circuitous route   via Goulburn that would take a lot longer  than transporting passengers by bus from  Yass. We're just crossing Lake Burley Griffin  over on the left the square building is the national library we visit the senate and the house of  representatives before lunch in the Great Hall this is Daintree Barramundi with local  potato and this is the Armidale lamb rump   dessert is mango coconut  and passion fruit indulgence a lot of people think about Parliament House they don't think about everyone thinks politics  but i think about the catering. This is inside   one of the parliament house kitchens where  the catering staff demonstrate making souffle later we're taken by bus to Goulburn in  the Southern Highlands to reboard the train obviously not that one which is a  freight train from Brisbane to Melbourne so far it's been a really good journey  really well organised lots of really   unique experiences good food good wine so yeah  it's going really well now we have an opportunity   to look at a platinum cabin these cabins convert  into two singles or a double bed no bunks here   they're almost twice the size of a gold twin cabin  they also feature a full-size ensuite bathroom this is a platinum club carriage which  serves as both a dining room and a lounge car there are two kitchens on the train one  looking after the front half of the train   and this one looking after the back the  staff are prepping for dinner service here's a closer look at the kitchen and this is  the Junee lamb rump on offer for dinner tonight i also had a chat to the train manager Mario.  My job involves ensuring that all our guests   and staff on train are having a wonderful journey   from from the staff point of view and my  point of view it's all about our guests   it's one of those experiences traveling on a  train where you will never have that opportunity   if you go on a cruise or you or if you're  flying because there's always something to see and and you meet so many people you strike  up friendships, you know the stories the   conversations ... and and we all see  this country together in a way that   constantly evolves and surprises us it's you  know it's like the sunrises and the sunsets   it's all magnificent but  will never be repeated again dinner time the entrees include grilled duck breast  and smoked kingfish with beetroot   the options for main are Junee  lamb rump, slow cooked beef cheek   or roasted baby carrot tart. dessert options  include Peach Melba and a cheese plate later in the evening we pass  through the suburbs of Sydney when we awake the environment is  a lot wetter and more tropical here's today's itinerary today's tour options include a  coastal boardwalk, a guided bike tour   a visit to a lookout with a tour of Coffs  Harbour or a helicopter tour but that costs extra Nambucca Heads enjoys a  subtropical climate with an   average high of 27 degrees celsius in  summer and 19 degrees celsius in winter we eat breakfast in front of someone's  house while waiting to pass a freight train this is the chai bircher this is blue swimmer crab with corn pikelet thank you and baked banana slice i'm leaving the train here in Urunga for  the boardwalk but other passengers are   staying on board to travel 30 minutes north  to Coffs Harbour where the other tours begin   Urunga Boardwalk is at the junction of  the Bellinger and Kalang rivers and takes   you to where the rivers meet the ocean  with views of the Great Dividing Range you might spot some local wildlife the bus takes us on a quick tour of  Coffs Harbour before we reboard the train again the train needs to make two  stops to pick up all the passengers   and during this time blocks a level crossing we pass banana plantations and before long it's time for  our final meal on the Great   Southern lunch this is the grilled  tropical mango chicken salad and the chicken quesadilla and here's the grilled swordfish dessert features mango parfait  caramelised pineapple and coconut sorbet   this region of New South Wales is called the  Northern Rivers and it's not hard to see why Casino is served by two daily  XPT services from Sydney   one continuing on to Brisbane  and one terminating here we're about to cross the border from New  South Wales into Queensland and in a couple   of hours we'll be arriving into our destination  Brisbane. The journey overall has been amazing   delicious food you know very sumptuous  meals a great wine and alcohol selection   all your wants and needs are catered to  i definitely recommend this trip it's been really   enjoyable it's just such a lovely way to travel  to see the countryside and you know the scenery   has been really varied quite changing beginning  with Adelaide Hills which which are very pretty   then heading across the plains of western Victoria  through the Grampians and then up into New South   Wales and that the beautiful Southern Highlands  and then it changes again once we woke up this   morning and we're in rainforest type area with  was very wet and green and scenic and now we've   got mountains as we're on the New South Wales  Queensland border and you're never bored in fact   you don't have much free time at all because you  spend a lot of the time on tours eating drinking   anyway stick with us to the end and we'll show  you what the rest of it the journey is like   we're about to travel on one of only two  railway spirals in New South Wales this   will allow us to climb 30 meters and cross the  ranges into Queensland the Cougal Spiral was built   during the great depression and is now heritage  listed the train will cross this bridge shortly   as we climb the gradient why not have a look at  the cost of this trip as some people would say   the fares are a little on the steep side i paid  1779 australian dollars for this trip which is the   cheapest fare on this train a gold single cabin  booked more than six months in advance which gets   you a 20 discount compared to booking closer  to the travel date a gold twin cabin is only   marginally more per person if you're traveling  with someone else and includes an ensuite bathroom   and of course platinum fares are substantially  more is it expensive yes but you have to remember   that the fare is all-inclusive as well as your  accommodation it includes all your meals and   drinks including alcohol as well as the off-train  experiences from the time you arrive at the train   station in Adelaide until the time you step off  in Brisbane you shouldn't need to spend a cent   when you look at it like this i  think the fare can be justified   we're now in the Scenic Rim region of Queensland  service in the lounge car stops about an hour   before our arrival in Brisbane with guests taking  advantage of the call for last drinks we're now on   the outskirts of Brisbane the train terminates at  a freight terminal in Brisbane's southern suburbs guests traveling in platinum class get a  chauffeured car to their final destination   time to say goodbye to my cabin passengers in gold will be transported by coach you might be wondering why the train doesn't  run into Roma Street station in Brisbane CBD the standard gauge platform at Roma Street is too  short for the Great Southern and has no locomotive   turning or run-around facilities tomorrow morning  the Great Southern will head back to Adelaide   but over four days and three nights with a  different range of stops to the northbound   journey the southbound train stops at Coffs  Harbour for a seafood dinner on the beach   and has two full-day tours one in  the Hunter Valley or Port Stephens   and another in regional victoria or  Melbourne the fares are slightly higher i really hope you enjoyed  coming with me on this trip   make sure to subscribe so you don't  miss my next video. Hope to see you then!

Channel: From the Window Seat

Views: 368,235

Keywords: train videos, trainspotting, great australian trains, australian railways, travel by train, great railway journeys, sleeper cabin, The Ghan, Indian Pacific, great southern rail, train review, great southern train review, great southern review

Id: aNwngtPigTE

Length: 35min 1sec (2101 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 01 2022