An absorbing description of 35 trips that highlight some of the most interesting, scenic and rewarding railway journeys in New Zealand and Australia. They include the renowned long-distance journeys, such as The Northern Explorer in New Zealand's North Island that stretches from Wellington to Auckland, and The Indian Pacific in Australia that takes travellers on a three-day trip from Perth to Sydney, as well as journeys that traverse stunning scenery, such as New Zealand's TranzAlpine train or the Spirit of the Outback in Australia. Also included in this new edition is New Zealands' Coastal Pacific that runs between Picton and Christchurch, now fully operational again since being shut in the aftermath of the 2016 earthquake.
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 Bowden's 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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28 | (2) |
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Pichi Richi Railway: Port Augusta to Quorn |
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30 | (2) |
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The Cockle Train: Goolwa to Victor Harbor |
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32 | (4) |
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36 | (2) |
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38 | (4) |
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42 | (4) |
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46 | (4) |
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50 | (2) |
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52 | (2) |
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54 | (4) |
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Sydney to the Blue Mountains and the Scenic Railway |
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58 | (4) |
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62 | (2) |
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64 | (4) |
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Sydney to the South Coast |
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68 | (4) |
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72 | (4) |
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Australian Capital Territory |
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76 | (2) |
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78 | (4) |
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82 | (2) |
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The Spirit of Queensland: Brisbane to Cairns |
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84 | (4) |
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Brisbane to the Gold Coast |
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88 | (2) |
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The Spirit of the Outback: Brisbane to Longreach |
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90 | (2) |
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The Inlander: Townsville to Mount Isa |
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92 | (4) |
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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 Railway |
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106 | (4) |
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110 | (2) |
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112 | (2) |
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The Ghan: Darwin to Adelaide |
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114 | (8) |
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122 | (2) |
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Bay of Islands Vintage Railway |
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124 | (4) |
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The Northern Explorer: Wellington to Auckland |
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128 | (4) |
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132 | (4) |
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Glenbrook Vintage Railway |
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136 | (4) |
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140 | (2) |
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The TranzAlpine: Christchurch to Greymouth |
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142 | (6) |
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148 | (2) |
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150 | (4) |
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The Coastal Pacific: Christchurch to Picton |
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154 | (2) |
| 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.
