Out there: Enjoying authentic outback experiences in the height of luxury on board The Ghan

Upgraded experiences

My cabin is a delightful, if compact, space that feels like the Golden Age of rail meets modern Australia: think locally sourced walnut timber, polished brass and subtle indigenous prints, all of which take inspiration from the surrounding landscape. Couples travelling together may prefer to book a Gold Premium Suite, which offers more space to move around, with double beds instead of fold-down bunks. Hotel-like touches in Gold Premium, such as a turndown and a nightcap delivered to your room in the evening, bring the service up a notch.

It helps the day take on a rhythm I could get used to: an after-dinner whisky and a sweet treat before bed, and then waking up to sunrises that illuminate the seemingly endless red desert landscape, in hues that offer something different every time. Breakfast is in the art deco dining carriage, with windows offering a front-row seat to spot kangaroos or other wildlife that may pass – one morning an emu struts right past, tail feather bobbing. And with most of the miles covered at night, days are spent off the train exploring.

At Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy, guests have a choice of experiences, with two new options recently introduced. When in Katherine, guests can embark on an Aboriginal-led rock-art cruise in Nitmiluk Gorge, while the Western Ventures excursion combines a visit to Simpsons Gap with Standley Chasm, setting off from Alice Springs. In Katherine, I opt for the aforementioned new option and enjoy a peaceful boat trip along the ancient Katherine River, flanked by sandstone rock formed millions of years ago.

We hear the story of how the Rainbow Serpent – a being that often comes up in Aboriginal lore – created the shape of the gorge as it slithered through the landscape. It’s humbling to hear these stories, passed down through generations of Aboriginal Australians – the oldest known civilisation on Earth – and told through the art painted on the rocks here.

Tastefully done

With the sun sinking towards the horizon, it’s back on board and straight to the bar carriage. Here, gold accents evoke rail travel’s glamorous heyday, while the colour palette takes its cue from the outback and the work of Indigenous painter Albert Namatjira. Both design touches are perfectly contrasted by sleek modern Australian additions, such as hand-blown glass lights made by cool Adelaide-based design brand JamFactory.

It’s the perfect place to sip a glass of crisp Aussie wine and watch the burnt ochre terrain roll by. Dinners are the high point of life on The Ghan, with the quality on par with that of an ultra-luxury cruise line. Dishes such as roasted duck breast with parsnip purée sit alongside the likes of crocodile dumplings and creations that champion Australian ingredients such as twice-baked Adelaide Hills cheese soufflé, lamb roasted with locally grown saltbush, and grilled Murray Bridge pork loin.

Wines in Gold Premium are all Australian, and I loved trying sparkling wines from the Barossa Valley and delicious reds from McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills. There’s no shortage of atmosphere in Gold Premium. Our host Kate has us in stitches every night. “You’ll see me tomorrow morning dressed in shorts like Dora the Explorer,” she quips. The former travel agent took one trip on The Ghan, became hooked and quit her job to work as a hospitality attendant on the train. And, as promised, the next morning she is channelling Dora and ushering guests out to their off-train experiences.

As it’s my first time in the Red Centre, I opt for the Ultimate Uluru Experience – a compelling aerial adventure from Alice Springs, soaring over the undulating James Ranges and sprawling, shimmering Lake Amadeus, before viewing the majestic, iconic rock from the skies. Seeing it come into view, rising up above the flat, open landscape, is quite an experience. I’m in awe, but then the arguably even more impressive Kata Tjuta – another sacred site close to Uluru – comes into view, with its red dome-like rock formations.

It’s a spectacular sight as our small four-person plane circles, allowing us to see it from several angles before we land close to Uluru so we can walk near to the sun-baked red rock, its surface like Mars. Looking up at this natural behemoth that continues to draw people from all over the world, thinking just how long it’s stood here and how long it’ll remain, offers a true sense of perspective.

Otherworldly wonders

Suitably wowed, it’s on to Alice Springs Telegraph Station for a special dinner under the stars. The highlight is an appearance from local astronomer Dan, who points out key southern hemisphere constellations including the Southern Cross. It marks an epic end to an epic day in the Red Centre. Our last off-train jaunt allows for one final, technicolour marvel before the parched red landscape turns into coastal hills and our journey concludes.

We board a scenic flight from the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy, over enormous Lake Eyre – so big its basin spans nearly a sixth of Australia – and on to the otherworldly Painted Hills. These geological marvels were formed by glaciers when this part of the world was still attached to Antarctica, and its different minerals – including volcanic rocks whose provenance experts can’t explain – create a spectrum of colours from lilac to yellow. It’s a mind-blowing natural phenomena that, just like those sunrises, makes this trip through the Australian outback a truly magical one.

Pair it with a cruise to the Kimberley

Make it a rail-and-sail adventure by adding on a cruise to the pristine Kimberley before clients board The Ghan. Journey Beyond’s 16-day Coastal Quest package includes a 10-day sailing with Ponant, from Broome to Darwin, taking in some of the wilderness region’s most stunning spots, best accessed by water. Clients will witness the mind-bending Horizontal Falls, described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest wonders of the natural world”, and Jar Island, where clients can see rock art, including the world’s oldest detailed depiction of people.

There’s the option to soar over the four-tiered Mitchell Falls in a helicopter, while those seeking wildlife will be able to spot green turtles on the Lacepede Islands, saltwater crocodiles in mangrove forests at the mouth of the Hunter River, and all manner of wonderful birdlife. After a night in Darwin, guests board The Ghan – their home for a four-day rail adventure across the desert plains to Adelaide. The Coastal Quest package costs from £8,862 based on June to August 2025 departures.

Book it: A four-day Ghan Expedition from Darwin to Adelaide in a new Gold Premium Twin cabin starts at £2,589 per person, based on departures in April, September and October. The Ultimate Uluru Experience costs £757 and the Coober Pedy: Painted Hills & Lake Eyre Scenic Flight costs £636. 
journeybeyondrail.com