That seven-day Japan Rail Pass experience brought back memories of much slower trips between Brisbane and Rockhampton as a kid on his way to visit the grandparents.
Later, an impecunious student rode the Rattler between Townsville and Brisbane on mid-term breaks from Townsville Teachers College.
There was a social aspect to travelling on the old Southbound Student Non-Express. Admittedly, it took a while to get there. The train stopped at all stations and quite a few places that weren't to allow swifter, more significant traffic to pass.
Those factors combined to get Hughesy thinking of rail travel again.
Once financial constraints associated with paying off the Little House of Concrete disappeared, I started thinking of train trips. The fact that they turned out to be the Indian Pacific and The Ghan would probably come as no surprise to anybody au fait with the options within Australia. There are others, but when you're talking long-haul rail, those are The Two.
Madam wasn't entirely convinced.
News that the Indian Pacific was celebrating its 40th birthday overcame that hurdle.
The celebration involved a free upgrade from Red to Gold Class if we booked a couple of nights' accommodation and a tour in Perth. That enough to persuade her that the idea was a goer.
The fact that a mid-August departure coincided with the W.A. Wildflower season had nothing to do with it.
Thursday, 12 August 2010 Friday 13 August 2010 Saturday, 14 August 2010 Sunday, 15 August 2010