--- type: "Article" title: "The Indian Pacific — a touch of train magic" description: "The Indian Pacific is a 4-day, 4,352km, 65-hour journey from Sydney on the Pacific Ocean to Perth on the Indian Ocean. It's the ultimate in old-fashioned romantic travel." resource: "https://travelmemo.com/site-review/indian-pacific-train-journey" author: "Justine Tyerman" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 27 tags: ["Experience", "Review"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/australia" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/europe" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/sydney" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/asia" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/new-zealand" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/review" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/restaurant" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/culinary-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/hiking" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj", at: 2026-07-04T13:46:57+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: indian-pacific-train-journey.md#photos title: "Original photography by Justine Tyerman" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj" last_modified: 2018-06-19 timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:46:57+00:00 --- # The Indian Pacific — a touch of train magic > The Indian Pacific is a legendary four-day, three-night, 4,352km train journey across Australia from Perth on the Indian Ocean to Sydney on the Pacific Ocean, offering luxury accommodation, gourmet dining, and dramatic outback scenery. ## Destination Australia — spanning Perth (Indian Ocean) to Sydney (Pacific Ocean), crossing three states including Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales. ## Getting there The Indian Pacific is operated twice a week by Great Southern Rail, departing from Perth and Sydney train stations. Bookings available through Rail Europe (raileurope.com or 09 377 5415). ## When to go The article does not specify a recommended season, though desert sunrises and sunsets are highlighted as a major attraction throughout the journey. ## Why visit A rare opportunity for leisurely, luxurious transcontinental rail travel across Australia's dramatic and ever-changing landscapes, combining gourmet food, live entertainment, no WiFi enforced relaxation, and remarkable off-train excursions. ## What to see - **Nullarbor Plain** — Immense, flat and treeless expanse with mesmerising desert sunrises and sunsets. - **Blue Mountains** — UNESCO World Heritage area featuring sandstone escarpments, cliffs and waterfalls. - **Avon Valley and Western Australian wheat lands** — Green valley and golden farmland near Perth in the early stages of the journey. - **South Australian desert rock formations** — Strange and striking geological features crossing the interior. - **Kalgoorlie-Boulder Super Pit** — Giant open-cut gold mine on the western fringe of the Nullarbor. - **Broken Hill** — Australia's oldest mining city and film location for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, with art galleries. ## What to do - **Off-train excursion to Kalgoorlie-Boulder Super Pit** — Tour of one of Australia's largest gold mines. - **Sunrise breakfast at Rawlinna** — Outdoor breakfast at a remote Outback settlement on Australia's largest sheep station. - **Stop at Cook ghost town** — Refuelling stop and visit to an abandoned Nullarbor settlement. - **Breakfast at the Oval in Adelaide** — Stop in Australia's festival and arts capital. - **Drag show at Broken Hill** — Live performance at the Palace Hotel, famed as a filming location for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. - **Hiking in the Blue Mountains** — Guided hike with Blue Mountains Guides in the UNESCO World Heritage area. - **Dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant** — Three to four courses with starched white tablecloths, silver cutlery and fine china. ## Good to know There is no WiFi on the train, making it a forced but reportedly therapeutic digital detox. The train travels at a leisurely 85km/h. Gold Service cabins are private. The journey runs twice a week in both directions. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-Aussie-Outback.jpg" caption: "The Indian Pacific in the Aussie Outback. The wedge-tail eagle is emblazoned on the locomotives and carriages. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "Railways trains journeys getting around outback", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2005-12-02 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-Outback-Australia.jpg" caption: "The Indian Pacific snaking through Outback Australia. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-Australia-red-desert.jpg" caption: "The Indian Pacific travelling through Australia's red desert interior. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "GSR Indian Pacific Sydney to Perth", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2007-10-01 credit: "Photo by Steve Strike" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-Broken-Hills-Pinnacles-Mountains.jpg" caption: "The Indian Pacific heading east towards Broken Hill with the Pinnacles Mountains in background. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2017-04-04 credit: "andrew gregory" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-kangaroo.jpg" caption: "Icons of the Aussie Outback! Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Outback-Explorer-Lounge-Indian-Pacific.jpg" caption: "The Outback Explorer Lounge in a rare quiet moment. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2015-04-08 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Queen-Adelaide-restaurant-Indian-Pacific.jpg" caption: "The elegant Queen Adelaide Restaurant served magnificent cuisine in style with starched white tablecloths, silver cutlery, fine china and superb service. Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2015-04-08 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Indian-Pacific-Gold-Service-twin-cabin.jpg" caption: "I had this Gold Service twin cabin all to myself. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2011-09-01 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/barman-Brendan-Indian-Pacific.jpg" caption: "Barman Brendan pouring bubbly at the bar" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-17 geo: {latitude: -31.9426, longitude: 115.8775} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Mattie-breakfast-Rawlinna.jpg" caption: "Mattie entertaining us at breakfast at Rawlinna" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-18 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/sunset-Aussie-desert.jpg" caption: "Sunset in the desert is a magical sight" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-17 geo: {latitude: -30.9942, longitude: 119.3402} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Justine-Nullarbor-Plain.jpg" caption: "Justine at Cook on the Nullarbor Plain" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-18 geo: {latitude: -30.6156, longitude: 130.4132} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Shelita-Justine-Christina-drag-show.jpg" caption: "Justine with Shelita and Christina after the Main Drag show at the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-19 geo: {latitude: -31.9598, longitude: 141.4637} - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Nullarbor-Plain.jpg" caption: "I was mesmerised by the flat horizon and landscape of the Nullarbor Plain" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] captured: 2018-06-18 - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/textures-Australia.jpg" caption: "I was entranced by the colours and textures of Australia. Picture by Great Southern Rail" keywords: ["Australia", "The Indian Pacific"] ```