After three nights in Darwin, we're rather looking forward to hitting the tracks!

The Ghan is one of the world's iconic trains. The name "Ghan" is a namecheck for the Afghans who with their camels were brought out to Australia in the mid-19th century to help open up the continent's red centre and forge a route from Adelaide to the north coast. The first rail line opened in 1929 connecting Adelaide with Alice Springs it was 2004 before the line was continued on to Darwin. By that time, the original Ghan had ceased to be an important part of Australia's infrastructure and had become exclusively a tourist attraction.

We're southbound from Darwin, through Alice Springs to Adelaide.

A little under 3000 km in around two and a half days on a train almost a kilometre long, 36 carriages with 200 paying guests and 50 crew all pulled along by two locomotives. Luckily, unlike our 6 travel companions we decided to fork out for Platinum Class - more space, fewer people and better food!! I say "luckily" because all six of our travel companions end up with Covid which hit them soon after we arrive in Adelaide and pretty near certainly contracted in the much more crowded space of Gold Class. We escaped, and happily our six travel companions recovered without the "dreaded" infection hitting them too severely.

On the southbound journey from Darwin, the Ghan only stops in Katherine (around 400 km south of Darwin) and in Alice Springs, the "dead" centre of Australia before arriving in Adelaide.

Frankly there's not a whole lot to see either on or off the train on this two and a half day journey with the exception of Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. We choose the helicopter flight over the Gorge which gives us a glimpse of all 13 sections (and the opportunity to look down on our fellow travellers who are doing the tourist boat cruise and only see one section).

It all probably looks better at the end of the wet season, rather the end of the dry when we visit. We are treated though to a pretty spectacular thunderstorm.....

......and of course some great food and wine!