R for

Rail trips

I have to tell you that this isn't my favoured mode of transport.

I travel to work in a train every weekday and I find it monotonous.

I imagine an epic train journey would be on the Orient Express, the cities of Europe, the luxury of the accommodation, the incredible scenery and the richness of the food. It sounds romantic and old world.

I have a partner who has no such imagination and has been trying to talk me into taking a train trip on the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Queensland.

The blurb on the website is pretty enticing. 'A spectacular journey comprising unsurpassed views of World Heritage Listed rainforest, steep ravines and picturesque waterfalls within the Barron Gorge National Park. Constructed between 1882 and 1891 it is considered an engineering feat of tremendous magnitude. Hundreds of men were employed to build the 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges that stand as a monument to the pioneers of tropical North Queensland.'

The trip is a tolerable hour or so and you can see the butterfly farms, the rainforest and the scenery. And if we go in winter, that sounds like a train trip I can handle.

BUT mentioning this trip was just a prelude to the real reason for his bringing up train travel.

My husband wishes to travel for 3 days and nights on the Indian Pacific which is a trip from Perth to Sydney (or visa versa) from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (get it?).

If you read my “N” post you would know of my aversion to the Nullabor – guess which bit of Australia the Indian Pacific crosses to get to Perth!! 4,352km. One of the longest train journeys in the world and not an iota of romance in it.

The Indian Pacific stops a few times to allow people to stretch their legs and there are scheduled stops at Broken Hill and Adelaide for people to do a bit of sight seeing or shopping. But you are stuck on a train for 3 days and nights! Perhaps he could go on the epic journey and I can fly to Perth and meet him at the station.