The new improved and longer ghan who's going

$1745 eh! That's a family ticket is it BEAM ME UP SCOTTY


Hooroo
Ray

I travelled on the new souper-douper Brisbane to Cairns tilt train last year and guess what? On the return trip, the ruddy thing had to be towed back to Brisbane by a lowly diesel engine, commandeered from a passing freight train, after its computers finally spat the dummy just south of Cairns!

It was like something from a Thomas the Tank Engine book!

So much for millions of dollars and modern technology,

Dennis
Westport 18ft full van
Falcon AU sedan
www.damor.net

Hey Grilled Toonfish - I rang them this week and the $1745 is Gold Kangaroo (1 person) for 56 hours on the train. $445 for Red Kangaroo (sit up). For a holiday with a difference the bloke and I are going to drive to Adelaide (with all camping gear and fishing boat and gear) leave car there - fly to Darwin, hop on ghan on Wednesday and hop off in ADelaide Friday afternoon. Then we are going fishing for a week down the Gulf. I'm too scared to think about equation of dollars/hour. Figure I'll only get one chance. The Gold Kangaroo is supposed to be first class sleeper etc - brochure hasn't arrived yet.

evening all
they also have a tour going the other way from melb
bus to adelaide ghan to darwin 3 nights around darwin / kakado return flight to melb have lost the brochure so not sure of cost but not cheap but i suppose that depends on whether you are a train buff or not includes all meals and accomadation i think

steve
ps thanks for the interesting bits and pieces about the river and whats happening up there ruth. imagine a 03 gu 4.2tdin the picture
as i am having trouble sizing the picture

G'Day Toonfish,

It is pretty pricey. I understand it is $440 for a normal seat, $1300 odd for Red Roo class sleeper and $1700 odd for Gold Roo sleeper. I think the diff between Red and Gold Roo sleepers is the quality of the food and the club car and a few other service extras. This is per person each way!!!

If you want to take the Navara it will cost you 899 bucks from Adl to Dar each way.

I looked at taking the car up from Adelaide on the train, doing a bit of touring around (over to Kakadu) and then returning on the train. If I went myself in Gold Class it would be nearly 5 grand! If I drive the Prado up and back then it would be less than that for the whole trip including a couple of weeks touring around up there. I reckon about $1000 of diesel for the 8-9000km. Leaves $4000 to spend along the way!

I am sure they will sell stacks of tickets to the target market of Int tourists and grey nomads that can't quite physically manage to run a van rig.

Maybe when I retire!!!

StevenLPlaydoe GXL TD Manual
It's on order, Delivery in April '04.
This pic will have to do till then. Can't wait!!!

Thanks for the input guys very handy to know
$440 is ok for a situp not sure on $900 for a car though , wonder how much truck freight would be?.
i would love a nice long train trip like this (go the diesel) , not sure about the family though or rather my kids g,ing up the other passengers, lol
Sounds like fun Ruth good to hear you girls like to fish and what a top spot you are going to , a few freinds do pro fishing there a few months of the year then roo hunting down here (if you like that kind of work).

Hope this rail system keep tourism up and doesnt end up a ghost line like some ofour older lines have here in vic.1999 NISSAN NAVARA DUALCAB
DIESEL 3.2 & SPRINGY CARLTON TOY
2 awestruck kids (dads driving!)

Thanks for the invite Willem. Probably see you well before the train trip (proposed for Dec this year) as we are due in Adelaide on 4 March for 21st on weekend and thought we might beg cup of tea on way down or back. Will email you on that. Depends on whether we can get out of here? Water is 7.4 metres today - little sandflies everywhere. Very hot here but had a call this afternoon from the Birdsville Mailman (no, the one after Tom - Bill Wilson) and he was sweltering on the River at Morgan in 42 degrees, that what it was here - but very high humidity.
Now Toonfish, the brochure on The Ghan arrived today. Well, it's like this. The Gold Kangaroo gives you a plush cabin with twin bunks (!!!!!) and if you want the De-Luxe Cabin (one only on the train - which has the double bed) then that's an additional $395 per night (and you're on the train two nights). For this you get your own video player and complimentary bar. Beautiful brochure. All meals are free with Gold Kangaroo - NT Barramundi with braised capscium and desert lime aioli etc. I'm thinking that the $5K would go better towards the new fishing boat. Unless, bloke was prepared to pay for the separate carriage as in the Prince of Wales Carriage (the one Gough Whitlam was in) - sleeps 10 or the Sir Hans Heysen Carriage - these can be added to the train especially for you - Price on Application! Fishing boat wins.