The Australian outback is one of the wildest places on Earth.
A vast void of deserts and semi-arid wilderness, it stretches across about 80% of the country’s interior — an area roughly equivalent to seven times the size of Texas.
Temperatures are extreme day and night, and except for being home to the world’s largest population of feral camels, the forbidding outback is largely uninhabited.
That makes it the perfect place to explore untouched nature at its finest: impossibly big blue skies, sunsets that can last for hours and some of the most awe-inspiring scenery on the planet.
But you don’t need to “rough it” to visit this remote region.
I took the easy path across the outback: from the comfort of an air-conditioned luxury sleeper train.
The Ghan is one of the longest train journeys in the world, spanning 1,851 miles (2,979 kilometers) and multiple climate zones, from tropical Darwin in Australia’s “top end” to the lush hills of Adelaide on the southern Indian Ocean.
How to ride the Ghan
The transcontinental service operates twice a week in either direction, north or south, and runs year-round (except for December through February, the hottest months during the southern hemisphere’s summer).
With top speeds of 71 miles (115 kilometers) per hour, the train could complete the entire journey in around a day and a half if it was running non-stop.
But that is not an option — the Ghan is not a commuter rail line.
It’s a tourist train that operates like a slow-moving cruise ship on rails, with several extended stops and guided excursions along the length of the route.
There are multiple itineraries with different tours, depending on where you embark, how long you want to stay on board, and what you want to see.
Even in the sparsely populated outback, there are several small towns you can visit while riding the Ghan.
These settlements are often hundreds of miles away from any other major city.
Most offer unique insights into Australia’s aboriginal history and culture — as well as a stark reminder of the struggles the country’s European settlers faced when they started exploring this hostile desert landscape in the 19th century.
The Ghan lets you experience the region’s rugged beauty and heritage without ever needing to lift a finger. Which is why this train is a highly rated bucket-list adventure for so many travelers, including Aussies.
Rhyll Woodall and her husband started dreaming about a vacation on the Ghan more than 10 years ago, after catching their first glimpse of the outback from an airplane window on a domestic flight.
“We saw the big brown land while flying from Melbourne and suddenly realized how vast Australia is,” said Woodall.
“And we thought, we’d like to do it.”
She booked the longest run currently possible: “The Ghan Expedition,” a southbound, three-night journey that departs from Darwin.
That train stops in Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy before arriving in Adelaide on the fourth day, some 75 hours later.
