Train - Wheels on the Go

November 19, 2025 – Australia – Indian Pacific Train – Off Train Experience – Thrilling Rides in the Blue Mountains, Arrival in Sydney

November 19, 2025November 24, 2025Lmnei

Okay, morning came REALLY early today! That rock and roll train ride we are on is something that I will not miss. I much rather be on the sea which seems to have a pattern to its craziness than the sideways and up and down jerking of the train. Again, I felt like I was in a blender or a rock tumbler!

Our dining card indicated that breakfast was from 6:30 – 8:30 am. So around 7:45 am Andrew and I decided it would be a good time to get ready for breakfast and there was a knock at our door. It was Lily – the carriage attendant telling us that the train is arriving in Mount Victoria in 15 minutes and we need to leave what we want to have carried off the train for us in our room with a tag on it (which they provided the night before). That would be our roll aboard suitcase with our 2 days of clothes and various other items. Still in my night clothes we had to move fast! Andrew visited the bathroom/shower while I changed, took my medication and went to the next carriage to try and find something simple to eat like the chia pudding I had the day before. I ended up with toast for each of us (mine GF of course) and jam, coffee for Andrew and tea for me! They helped me carry it back to our room and we were able to have a quick breakfast before getting off the train. We said goodbye to our train compartment, and we got on the bus for our off-train excursion! Here are some pictures of the train and our bedroom that I took today –

Now that we have arrived in the beautiful station of Mount Victoria, we were ushered off the train and onto waiting busses. Once onto the bus and quite quickly onto a small highway, we had to stop for a “weight” check! While I have seen trucks having to do this in North America, I have never see busses do this before! We passed and the sign indicated that we could return to the highway – phew!

Today we are visiting the Blue Mountains, which are a World Heritage-listed area, known for their “soaring sandstone ridges wrapped in native flora”. Scenic World, which is where we are headed, includes four phenomenal mountain experiences – the Scenic Skyway, which takes you over ancient ravines, with 360-degree vistas and then onto the Scenic Cableway that glides over the forest to the valley floor and then up the Scenic Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world! Once we complete that, we will go to Echo Point Lookout, which is perched on the edge of the escarpment in the town of Katoombah, for lunch and then be taken to the train station for a 2-hour private train ride into Sydney Central Station where our Indian Pacific Journey will end.

The Scenic Skyride was like the Grouse Mountain gondola but about twice the size – it went from one cliff to another in the National Park. It was a bit scary hanging between the two points however the view was phenomenal! It was like going from one edge of the Grand Canyon to the other in about 5 minutes (although the edges of this Grand Canyon were closer).

Panoramic view I took from Skyride

Once we were off the Skyride, we moved to an area in the building where a guide met us, named Warren, who had set out Aboriginal information and he did a talk for us. It was fascinating! He is half aboriginal himself and has spent a lot of time learning about the aboriginal people of Australia. There are over 200 different nation groups around Australia all with different languages or dialects. What intrigued me the most though was the gift that his mother gave him when he was in his 20’s which was a red kangaroo hide with his family “tree” drawings on it in the aboriginal language. He held it up for us and explained how it shows his parents, uncles, aunts and then him and his wife and two daughters. It also shows his aboriginal name, which is mother gave him and what his strengths are. The other interesting thing is that this belongs to him and when he passes away, it will be buried with him – it is not something that his family keeps. They believe that when the person’s life ends, so does their journey on the hide and so it is buried with them too.

There were other things on the tables that we talked about also – from eucalyptus leaves which smelled wonderful when you rubbed them, to different things the aboriginal people create and or use like blades or spear heads out of rock, wooden implements or plants which are very similar to the indigenous people in British Columbia.

Next, after visiting the ladies room and seeing a sign that is all so common in tourist areas these days, we went downstairs to get on the Cableway which would take us down, DOWN to the valley floor. Holy smokes – it was a good thing I was sitting down as when the car launched forward it suddenly went down a huge DROP and I am NOT a roller coaster type person! My stomach was in my throat! My mother would NOT have liked this either!

Now at the bottom and feeling much better, there was a wonderful boardwalk which we walked along and our guide, Warren, talked about the different features of the cliffs above us and how the nations would traverse down them at certain times of the year. He also talked about the different plants that we saw such as umbrella ferns. The floor of the valley did contain a mine many years back and while it has now been closed off, the entrance and the furnace where they burned the fire which pulled the oxygen through the mining shafts was still evident.

Then we came upon the “Scenic Railway” which I thought Andrew and I had seen on a railway show already on TV so I was expecting this “steepest railway in the world” to be an actual train with an engine. Warren, the guide said he would walk me back to the Cableway so I could ride back up, however I know how much Andrew likes trains so I said I would go down the 12 stairs and get onto the train – thinking it was a TRAIN. Okay, now, in all honesty, this was NOT a train ride. It was a reverse rollercoaster in my opinion, and it was NOT fun. There were signs about adjusting your “ride” to be laidback, original or cliffhanger. Warren took my walker folded up in a bench two rows in front of us however I was a BIT concerned when I saw the “train car” arrive and it was already on a slope and we had to get in over the edge and sit on the bench – the one that had different positions. I have NO IDEA what position our bench originally was in, however I am suspecting it was a cliffhanger situation and the train took off before we could figure it out and upwards and forwards we flung! I felt sorry for the man in front of me as I fell forward against the bar that was above the seat and put my knees into his back! All I could do was hang on while we were at a 50 degree climb upwards back up to where the Cableway originally left from. Holy cow (and a few other choice words) that is something I did NOT need and then I had to climb 20 stairs to get up to the building! Oh joy, I love it when people are up front and tell me what to expect. I think this is going to take me a few days to recover from! It was fun but my heart – yikes!

Now on solid earth, we got back on the bus – which I have neglected to point out is a wheelchair accessible double-decker bus, and we were driven to the Echo Point Lookout where there are some lovely restaurants, where we then had lunch, courtesy of the Indian Pacific Railway. We then were able to walk around the Echo Point Lookout and take pictures (and go shopping) and eventually our red double decker bus came to pick us up again to ferry us through the town of Katoombah to the train station. Oh wait. There were 2 red double-decker busses there and there were people on our bus that did not belong! They had to get off first. Then a couple of blocks later, a man from our group realized he left his jacket and wallet at the restaurant, so we had to go back and rescue it before getting to the train station! Good thing the train was delayed getting to the station!

Panorama view from Echo Point:

The train ride into Sydney was really nice. The train was a double-decker for the most part and really clean. We were able to sit on the entrance level where there was accessible seating and it was a very comfortable ride! I of course made use of the time and made a desk out of my walker and did some blogging now that we have re-joined civilization and my internet now works!

Train we rode from Blue Mountains to Sydney

At the Central Station, we then caught a taxi to take us to the Pier One Hotel which is right under the Sydney Bridge. We had planned to stay at this hotel when we were coming in 2020 and I had booked it far enough in advance so that we were able to stay on points as it is a VERY expensive hotel! It is about a 10-15 minute walk to Circular Quay which is on the other side of the bridge and right in front of Circular Quay is the Overseas Cruise Terminal where we arrived on the Noordam!

We got checked in and they put the ramp out for me so I could get into the hotel and then they explained that the lift that normally is used to get up the 8 steps from the entrance into the hotel was out of service, so there was a different way I could enter the hotel from the other side of the pier, which we then used later that night. The service at this hotel was unbelievable. QUOTE. We were upgraded to a room with a Juliette balcony (I had booked a water view) which was wonderful as it was HOT in Sydney so being able to open the balcony door was really nice!

Andrew and I went down to the restaurant for dinner and as we had a fairly good lunch, we just had some appetizers instead. I had some octopus on potatoes with pesto which was awesome and Andrew had some shrimp toast and fries – which were also gluten free as they have a gluten free fryer in the kitchen! After dinner we went for a walk along the piers – one to stretch our legs and to try and get the pain in my hip sorted out and second, I had found a laundry service that was near the hotel called “Wash on the Rocks” which would do a bag or two of laundry for you! We wanted to see where it was located so we could drop off some laundry the next day!

We then retired for the night. I am really excited about tomorrow as we are going to meet my friend from Class Software in Manly Beach! Sarah and her husband moved to Australia in early 2000 as Sarah is part Australian by birth and they have had a family here. On top of that we get to take a ferry!

November 18, 2025 – Australia – Indian Pacific Train trip – Off train experience – Visit to Broken Hill

November 18, 2025November 24, 2025Lmnei

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.

Stopping just outside of Broken Hill – Outback

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!

“Facing the Day and the Night” Edwardo Nasta Luna – Mexico City, Mexico

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 –

On top – Visitor Centre on left, Miners Memorial on the right

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 3^rd 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.

November 17, 2025 – Australia – Flight to Adelaide, Check-in to Indian Pacific Railway, Seppeltsfield Winery dinner and back to the train!

November 17, 2025November 22, 2025Lmnei

We were off in good time to get to the Melbourne Airport – this time we took the tollway and it was much faster! I do not mind driving surface streets if it is at night like when we arrived at 10 pm however when it was going to take double the time to drive to the airport on the surface streets vs. the tollway, the tollway was the way to go! The rental car company only adds a dollar to the toll, so that is not a bad expense to save that much time. Pretty smooth drive to the airport and we got the car filled up with petrol and returned with no issue.

Moving to check-in – for the domestic airlines in Australia they are REALLY big on self check bagging which is getting more popular in Canada. However if you have a mobility device to check in like a walker, it does not allow you to get your baggage tags! Andrew could get his baggage tag but not me. That requires an agent intervention. Also they weigh EVERYTHING here! They asked how much my walker weighed and I guessed (a pure random guess) 8 kg and she went and weighed it and guess what? It was 8 kg! Good to know! So it got is baggage tag along with my luggage and then the dreaded putting it onto the luggage belt happened. On the luggage belt, which you are supposed to do yourself, it is weight and sized. If it is not correct it is rejected. Our first suitcase was rejected for some unknown reason – however I knew it was the right size and weight – it said it was only 9 kg and I knew it was about 20 kg. We tried again as the agent came back with my walker and magic! It worked! Technician proximity syndrome rules again! The rest of our luggage was onto the belt and whisked away just fine.

Andrew, not sure what planet he was on or if he had not had enough caffeine, returned our baggage cart with my roll aboard suitcase which normally contains my medical stuff, however this time, as we were getting on a train had our clothes for 2 days, and left it on the cart! Another passenger saw it sitting on the returned baggage cart and came and got Andrew to mention that he might want the bag. Oh the trials and tribulations of traveling! Now we are set, bags checked, need to go through security! Security here in Australia is great! They have the more advanced bin system like YVR is putting in where there are 4-5 stations where people line up to put their things in bins and the bins are fed under the table so there is no waiting for them. Also, as I think I already mentioned – there are no walk through scanners or body scanners where you have to hold your arms up – you just stand sideways with your arms crooked and your feet apart between to wide walls and they can tell if you are carrying anything or not. As I carry a battery pack for my phone and laptop, in Australia, it needs to carried on you so I carry it in my purse as it always needs to be inspected after going through the scanner. Overall – very fast process and no laptops or other electronic devices need to come out of bags which is also awesome! Less crowding at the security lines!

I did neglect to mention that we did have a LITTLE issue with seating on this flight. Originally we were assigned seats 15A and B however the computer reassigned us to 27A and 27B as I cannot sit in an exit row due to having a declared disability (using a walker). That is an issue as in Australia rows 16 and higher board from the back of the plane and I was NOT going to climb those stairs! They did find seats for us more forward in the plane which was great – however I was a bit concerned when I first saw our boarding passes!

We arrived at the Adelaide Airport with no issues and picked up our luggage (as we had been her only 5 days prior) so we knew where we were going. It is not a large airport! We had passed the Taxi Stand when picking up our rental car the first time through so this time we just went to the Taxi Stand and got a taxi to take us to the Parklands Train Station in Adelaide to catch the Indian Pacific Train. The instructions for the train were not very specific – I knew that it left at about 10 pm at night, and that they were serving dinner at the train station prior to that, and it was recommended that we check in about 3 hours in advance. It was now about 3 pm so I figured we were pretty early, as when we drove up in the taxi there was no one to be seen such as the counter pictured below! Sure enough though inside the station there were people at the check-in counters more than happy to help us! We got our luggage checked in to Sydney and then the roll aboard checked in which was going to be placed in our train bedroom. We kept our knapsacks with us as at that point they contained my electronics and medication.

We sat in the lovely waiting area at the train station and eventually a really nice lady named Meg came and joined us – she works for Journey Beyond who runs the various Australian trains – The Ghan (which I have taken to Alice Springs with Karen however it runs Adelaide to Darwin and back), The Indian Pacific (Perth – Sydney and back), The Great Southern (Adelaide to Brisbane and back) and the Overland which is a day train from Adelaide to Melbourne and back. Today, Meg was making sure we had all the pertinent information that we needed for the evening and she also checked in with regards to my dietary needs. We found out that we were actually taking a bus to a winery that was about an hour away for dinner and dancing and then would be returned, with the other train passengers who had gotten off the Indian Pacific at a stop a bit earlier and gotten on similar busses, at the Adelaide station at about 10:30 pm to start our journey to Sydney.

Just before 5 pm the bus driver came and got Andrew and I so that I could get on the bus and he could stow my walker. There was another lady who also used a walker, younger than me, who also was helped onto the bus by her husband. We ended up sitting with them at dinner time. The drive to the winery was lovely – my pictures did not work out though that I took through the bus windows – they are all blurry! The one thing that I did learn was they have two different kinds of wines vines in Australia – they have the vines that go on trellises like we see in North America and then they have “bush” vines which are much older and have come from Germany. Both are hand picked, however the bush variety are harder to harvest and are much more expensive a wine.

At the winery we were lead into another shed – so Aussie – and a beautiful display of the wines that the Seppeltsfield Winery produces. I was also really glad to see they had a unique vintage on hand called Coke Zero too for those who do not drink wine! Andrew was very happy with the wine selection that came with both dinner and the after dinner port! Shortly after arriving, we were seated – first all the people who were on the train were seated in their sections based on the train – there is Platinum, Gold Premium and Gold accommodation. Then there was the table for the “joiners” as we were called – the 18 people, including Andrew and I that got on in Adelaide who were on a separate bus.

The food was exquisite – I have no other words to say – I cannot comment on the “shared platter” food as I was fed my own plate due to the possibility of cross contamination with gluten, however my pesto chicken was moist and tasty – such an excellent job at cooking it for a banquet situation of about 200 people! The “shared platter” food was a selection of roasted beet root, eye fillet beef, marinated chicken with basil/pesto and crispy chicken skin, along with a bowl of potatoes and carrots. The chef then came up on the bandstand and talked about the history of the winery and the food preparation and how it is all locally sourced. Then he talked about the dessert, which were brownies and some other assorted items, however the port that the winery makes was included in the brownies. Now I cannot report in on the brownies, I had a wonderful GF ice cream, fruit and chocolate shavings desert, however Andrew had both the port (mine and his) and the brownie and he did say they were very good! I think really good as check out that last picture! He had no issues falling asleep that night!

The winery then did a demonstration of how they “burn” the cask to age the port to enhance the flavour. The layer of burnt wood acts as a filter stripping away unwanted flavours from the spirit as it ages and mellows any rough edges. As char, it also gives breaking down hemicellulose in the wood surface to form disolvable sugars that create caramel, toffee, nutty and maple flavours. Unfortunately as I was seated, along with the lady beside me, I could not see the demonstration, however Andrew got a picture of it afterwards! They used a flame from a propane tank to do the job.

Then the band started playing and the fiddler who was part of the band came down onto the dance floor and lead the dancers around the dining room as she played along – it was a really fun thing to watch! Along with having to use the loo, which was located outside, I also took a walk at that point across a little bridge to stretch my legs in the still warm air of the evening. On my way back the chef was standing outside in his white jacket, so I thanked him so much for my awesome gluten free meal and that it is so comforting to be able to come to an event like this in Australia and be fed (along with bread), which is a luxury that we often do not get without extra work or advance planning in Canada. He appreciated the feedback!

Soon after I returned from my walk outside, we were lead back to our respective busses for the 45 minute drive back to the train station – this time it would be shorter as we were not going to be in Adelaide rush hour traffic! We quickly boarded the train, met our train attendant named Lily, and got settled into our bedroom! I have more pictures tomorrow of our compartment, tonight it was fairly dark so the only picture I got were from the outside and a very happy train sleeper – not for long though!

Tomorrow, after breakfast, the train stops in Broken Hill, which is a fairly important town in the history of Australia and it’s mining industry – more on that tomorrow!