ITINERARY

THE GHAN

South Australia – Adelaide Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin

Travel from Australia’s south to north on one of the world’s greatest train journeys. Board in Adelaide and watch South Australia’s rolling green hills make way for desert, the rusty Red Centre and finally the tropical splendour of the Top End.

AT A GLANCE

DAY ONE

ADELAIDE – ALICE SPRINGS Look out at the small, rustic railway Board Adelaide midday towns and vast tracts of Aboriginal land, where communities have maintained Settle into your cabin or seat and their connection with the land for watch Adelaide’s gracious edges thousands of years. In the morning, flatten into wine country, desert and you’ll cross the Northern Territory border scrubs. Pass through coastal Coonamia and travel through the small bush >> Adelaide – Alice Springs (25 hours) and Port Augusta. Cross over Dog town of Kulgera and over the sandy Fence, the world’s longest fence and Finke River. Take in the multicoloured >> Alice Springs – Katherine (15 hours) speed through Cadney Homestead vistas with morning tea before arriving >> Katherine – Darwin (4.5 hours) at the gateway to the Painted Desert. in Alice Springs. >> 2 nights on board The Ghan ITINERARY

DAY TWO AND THREE USEFUL LINKS

ALICE SPRINGS – KATHERINE Gorge past magnificent sandstone cliffs The Ghan http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/ Arrive Alice Springs midday or fly over its interconnecting gorges on a helicopter. Get up close to the birds trains/the_ghan Explore Alice Springs on one of the many and animals of Nitmiluk National Park Adelaide whistle stop tours. Learn about the area’s on a nature cruise or canoe down the outback pioneers or immerse yourself in its http://www.australia.com/en/places/ Katherine River. If you just want to explore adelaide.html Aboriginal history with a Central Arrernte the town, take the shuttle bus and hop guide. Visit a working camel farm or see off at attractions such as the Railway Northern Territory the region’s birds and wildlife at Alice Museum, historic Springvale Homestead http://www.australia.com/en/places/ Springs Desert Park. Fly over Simpson’s and the local Aboriginal art gallery. nt.html Gap and the Larapinta Trail on a helicopter Alice Springs or go quad biking across the desert. To Depart Katherine early afternoon http://www.australia.com/en/places/ see the sights at your own pace, take the Pass through the old gold mining town alice-springs.html 70-minute shuttle bus with an experienced of Pine Creek and Adelaide River, once a guide and hop off as you wish at the major World War II military headquarters when Larapinta Trail attractions. Reboard in the late afternoon the Japanese were bombing Darwin. http://www.australia.com/en/ and watch the train pull out of Alice before itineraries/nt-larapinta-trail.html the sunset flames on the horizon. In the Arrive Darwin late afternoon Katherine morning you’ll race through the gold- The dusty plains make way for tropical http://www.australia.com/en/places/ mining town of Tennant Creek and into the foliage as you roll into the capital of nt/katherine.html historic pioneering township of Katherine. Darwin. Your Ghan journey ends here, but you can continue your adventure Darwin KATHERINE TO DARWIN in Darwin’s parks, harbour, historical http://www.australia.com/en/places/ Arrive Katherine morning attractions and outdoor festivals and darwin.html markets. This is also your gateway Hop off in Katherine just after breakfast Litchfield National Park to the waterfalls and rock pools of and head off on one of the many half-day http://www.australia.com/en/places/ Litchfield National Park and the colourful tours. You can cruise down Katherine nt/nt-litchfield-nat-park.html communities of the Tiwi Islands.