A look at 35 trips that highlight some of the most interesting, scenic and rewarding railway journeys in Australia and New Zealand.
35 trips that highlight some of the most interesting, scenic and rewarding railway journeys in Australia and New Zealand. They include the renowned long-distance journeys, such as The Indian Pacific in Australia that takes travellers on a three-day trip from Perth to Sydney or the The Northern Explorer in New Zealands North Island that stretches from Wellington to Auckland, as well as those that traverse stunning scenery, such as New Zealands TranzAlpine train or the Spirit of the Outback in Australia. There are also routes on which restored steam locomotives operate and other lines included for the wonder of their engineering.
Trains are a great way to travel in these countries, taking you at ground level past superb scenery that often cannot be seen by any other means of transport. David Bowdens entertaining text describes the route, the major features of interest along the way and any special technical details about the locomotive or the track.
| Introduction |
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6 | (2) |
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8 | (2) |
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The Australind: Perth to Bunbury |
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10 | (4) |
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Hotham Valley Tourist Railway |
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14 | (2) |
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16 | (2) |
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The Indian Pacific: Perth to Sydney |
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18 | (8) |
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26 | (2) |
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The Overland: Adelaide to Melbourne |
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28 | (6) |
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34 | (2) |
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Pichi Richi Railway: Port Augusta to Quorn |
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36 | (2) |
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The Cockle Train: Goolwa to Victor Harbor |
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38 | (2) |
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40 | (2) |
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42 | (4) |
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46 | (4) |
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50 | (4) |
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54 | (2) |
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56 | (2) |
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58 | (4) |
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Sydney to the Blue Mountains and the Scenic Railway |
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62 | (4) |
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66 | (2) |
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68 | (4) |
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Sydney to the South Coast |
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72 | (4) |
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76 | (4) |
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Australian Capital Territory |
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80 | (2) |
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82 | (4) |
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86 | (2) |
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The Spirit of Queensland: Brisbane to Cairns |
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88 | (4) |
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Brisbane to the Gold Coast |
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92 | (2) |
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The Spirit of the Outback: Brisbane to Longreach |
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94 | (2) |
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The Inlander: Townsville to Mount Isa |
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96 | (4) |
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100 | (4) |
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104 | (2) |
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The West Coast Wilderness Train |
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106 | (6) |
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112 | (2) |
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114 | (2) |
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The Ghan: Darwin to Adelaide |
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116 | (8) |
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124 | (2) |
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Bay of Islands Vintage Railway |
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126 | (4) |
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The Northern Explorer: Wellington to Auckland |
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130 | (4) |
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134 | (4) |
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Glenbrook Vintage Railway |
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138 | (4) |
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142 | (2) |
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The TranzAlpine: Christchurch to Greymouth |
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144 | (6) |
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The Seasider: Dunedin to Oamaru |
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150 | (2) |
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152 | (4) |
| Resources and acknowledgements |
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156 | (2) |
| Index |
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158 | |
David Bowden is a freelance journalist based in Malaysia, specializing in travel and the environment. While Australian, he's been living in Asia longer than he can remember, but returns frequently to his home country and has a particular enthusiasm for the revived railways there. He is the author of Enchanting Australia, Enchanting Bali & Lombok, Enchanting Borneo, Enchanting Indonesia, Enchanting Langkawi, Enchanting Malaysia, Enchanting Singapore and Enchanting Vietnam, all published by John Beaufoy Publishing.
