Ever felt like you were lying sideways in a blender and trying to sleep? That was us on the Indian Pacific Train last night! I have taken lots of train rides in my life – Via, Amtrak, English, French and Italian trains along with the Ghan in Australia however I have never felt like I was being heavily vibrated all night long! Even the staff on the train said that the travel to Broken Hill, our next stop, was a bit “rough” last night! Great! We had just gotten rid of our “sea” legs and now we had to get “train legs”!
I was up early – at about 5 am as I could not handle the rocking and rolling anymore – half concerned I was going to fall off the narrow twin bed and the other half was that my back was getting sore from the jostling. I decided to visit the “bar” car which was right next door! Well, on a moving train, using a walker to get from carriage to carriage is a bit of a challenge! I first had to figure out how to open the door! In the “folds” of the protective covering between the cars, there I found a green button which flipped open the doors – not inward to the car – but towards me, teetering on the platform between the two train cars with my walker collapsed! Try again – this time I put my walker in a different position so when the doors flung open I could propel myself forward – success! Lets just say I did not enter the bar/sitting area car that elegantly however I remained standing which is good! There was a train attendant already there and I think I shocked her with my abrupt entrance! She offered me some tea, however I had a can of my old standby with me – Coke Zero – so I consumed that instead. I then had some peace and quite, albeit a bit wobbly, to do some writing! Only issue – no internet! So this is coming to you later alligators!
After a while, Andrew met me and we went for Breakfast. While we were on the waiting list for breakfast a man named Henry was wearing a Canada sweat shirt, and as I was wearing my Canada ball cap – I asked him where he was from! Oh, he had bought this shirt when he was on the Via Rail train from Toronto to Vancouver a couple of years ago, as he had gotten cold and he just liked wearing it – he was from near New Orleans! I was not aware that the dining car sat people in 3’s or 4’s so eventually a table came up and the hostess sat Henry with Andrew and I for breakfast. I know this is going to be VERY hard to believe, however from the point that we met Henry until we said goodbye, I do not think I said more than 10 words, other than to order my breakfast! He talked NON STOP about everything under the sun, including the orange haired individual that is causing havoc in the USA right now. Very opinionated American man! He was traveling with his wife, however she was resting so he had gotten up early. They were on the train from Perth to Sydney and were not getting off in Broken Hill as his wife did not feel like taking a tour. I was surprised how well Henry was able to breathe in his breakfast while still talking to us! Luckily they needed our table, so Andrew and I proceeded to leave and Henry was still talking to Andrew and the hostess intervened with my walker and said that there are others waiting for the table! As we left she apologized for sitting us together however most people on the train, after the 3 days from Perth, will not sit with Henry for meals due to his verbal diarrhea!
Once we are off the train, we got on motor coaches and we were off on our selected off train experience which is “Silver City Highlights”. This is a description of the tour:
“Departing from Broken Hill Station, this tour takes guests on a scenic drive through the heart of Australia’s outback. As you journey to the Living Desert State Park, knowledgeable drivers share fascinating insights about the rich history and unique landscapes surrounding Broken Hill. Arriving at the park, guests will experience the famous Living Desert Sculptures, a collection of striking sandstone artworks set against the backdrop of the vast desert. While soaking in this captivating scene, enjoy the flavours of native teas and Wattleseed brew, adding a touch of local culture to the experience.
Next, the tour heads to the Sulphide St Railway & Historical Museum, where a guided tour reveals the town’s vibrant past. Explore exhibits showcasing Broken Hill’s mining heritage, early railways, and its role in shaping the region’s development.
The tour concludes with a visit to the iconic Line of Lode Miners Memorial. Perched on a hill overlooking the town, the memorial offers breathtaking panoramic views, a moving tribute to the miners who contributed to the town’s legacy.”
What an AWESOME tour this was! It was about a 45 minute bus ride through Broken Hill (aka Silver City due to the mining) to the Living Desert State Park where we saw some emu’s beside the road ranging free – those are some BIG birds! It is really cool to see them run in the outback with their tail feathers fluffing behind them – unfortunately I did not get a picture of it! Soon we arrived at the Living Desert State Park and got to walk around and look at the various sculptures that were there that had been carved by people around the world.
Now at the Living Desert State Park, we parked beneath the Living Desert Sculptures which are 12 sandstone sculptures in the middle of the desert outside Broken Hill. They are located on a 1 km walking trail that is located on a hill named Sundown at the top of the park. On April 1, 1993, an artist named Lawrence Beck organized a sculpture symposium of artists from around the world to carve into giant sandstone blocks weighing more than 53 tonnes that had been shipped by local contractors from Broken Hill, at no cost, in from the Wilcannia region in Australia. Apparently, Broken Hill is home to many artists and is known for its paintings, but not sculptures. The actual carving of the sandstone was very difficult as the tools that the artists were provided were not strong enough. So more time and tools were needed and finally, six weeks later, the artists unveiled their creations, and now this site is one of the most photographed in the Australian outback. While we were there at about 11 am, I can see how the light at sunrise or sunset would affect how these sculptures would be viewed and the different moods they would portray. Here are some of the sculptures with the name, their artist and where they live!
Panorama view from the top of the sculpture hill towards Broken Hill town.
We then got back onto the bus and drove into Broken Hill and up the huge tailings pile left from the mining days, to the top to the museum to represent the miners of the area. It was a pretty powerful exhibit and area! Here are some of the pictures that Andrew and I took –
View from top of tailings pile near visitor centre –
I did not make it to the display honoring the Miners as I got stuck in the washroom (locked out) – here are Andrew’s pictures of what he saw –
Next we drove back into town to the Railway Museum – that was quite a display! It seemed to be a labour of love from the community based on what I saw – a bunch of retired people who volunteer and keep the Railway Museum going each day – including a 96 year old volunteer in the gift shop! The experience started with a skit put on by two of the volunteers and then we could take various tours of the trains and museum on display. Andrew and I split up at this point so he could go climb onto the early trains where I took the accessible tour thought the museums.
After that wonderful tour, we got back onto the bus and re-joined the Indian Pacific Train – first for lunch, then to spend the afternoon and then for evening dinner and an overnight right to our next stop – Blue Mountains! The food on the Indian Pacific Train was unbelievably good – especially from a gluten free perspective!
When we got back onto the train, we realized our lunch time on our dining card matched the time on the clock! We were not told very much about our dining card other than these were our dining times. We therefore went through to the dining car and were seated for lunch at 1 pm. We shared our table with a lovely mother and daughter who live just south of Brisbane, AU. The mum is not only a Celiac, but dairy free too! We got to share some gluten free buns for lunch and I had a wonderful swordfish filet for lunch with a delicious green curry risotto. I had maple ice cream for dessert!
Then it was back to our carriage and bedroom for some afternoon relaxation and further blending action from the tracks! I proceeded to almost complete the winding of the wool that I had bought on Kangaroo Island – the wool I bought at the Pike Place Market is still in jail in the suitcase somewhere in the baggage compartment of the train! I still do not know what I am going to make, however as I think I mentioned previously, I have enough for a short sleeved sweater and the wool is just heavenly to feel!
It was amazing how fast the time when by – we watched out our window and there was a road next to the train along with some pipes. Along that path we could see both kangaroos hopping and emu’s running – it was fascinating to see! When I took the Ghan with Karen we did not see all this wildlife! Also our Ghan trip was overnight – if I remember we boarded in the afternoon and ate dinner while traveling along the outback and then slept overnight and woke up in Alice Springs. Today we actually got to see some of Australia go by our cabin window!
Eventually 6 pm rolled along and we made our way through the bar/sitting car to the dining car. It was at this point in time I figured out the doors on the train! I did not have to push the darn green button beside the door, which was pretty awkward to do with a walker in front of you – instead the wait staff on the train pushed a button on the ground next to the door and the door opened! Now why did someone not mention that to me? You learn by observing sometimes!
For evening dinner we shared our table with a couple from outside of Sydney. They were pretty Australian like and the gentleman was very opinionated. He also was not impressed with how the train was bumping along! We had a great dinner again – I had some cauliflower soup, that was okay, some very moist chicken and then an “Eton Mess” which I first had in Ireland, as my dessert. I think this is the 3rd time I have had an Eton Mess now and I really liked this one – the one in Ireland the meringue was a bit hard, the one on the Noordam was just too sweet and this one was really perfect – a mix between soft meringue, fruit, whip cream and some custard. Not overly sweet – just perfect!
Back in our bedroom for the night, I was NOT looking forward to being rocked to sleep again tonight however what was one to do? Andrew looked pretty comfortable in his cocoon bed so off to sleep I went! I rocked away for about 3 hours and then a miracle happened – we had to wait for another train! Silence and stillness at 3 am! From then on I finally got some sleep!
Tomorrow we will be exploring the Blue Mountains which are a couple of hours outside of Sydney.