The Great Southern Rail Journey

From lunch it was a battle through Melbourne traffic down toward Geelong and then out to Inverleigh siding to our awaiting train. The lounge car was buzzing as everyone regaled their adventures of the day before our final evening aboard the Great Southern.

South Australia

This morning we woke for our final morning on the train*. Parked up in a siding in the Belair National Park in the Adelaide Hills we enjoyed another beautiful breakfast before returning to our cabin to pack up as we descended down into the Adelaide Parklands Terminal – our final destination.

Journeying from Brisbane to Adelaide over four days, we were immersed in some of Australia’s most spectacular coastal and inland scenery while tucking in to creative menus that showcased premium local food and wine. Travelling 2885 kilometres across four states, the Great Southern ‘Coastlines and Capital Cities’ rail journey was certainly an epic journey!

After travelling on the Ghan in 2023 it was inevitable that my husband and I would be drawn back to the joy of rail travel. This time we decided to take a journey on the Great Southern ‘Coastlines and Capital Cities’. The Great Southern operates from December to February, departing Brisbane each Monday, over 4 days/ 3 nights. The journey can also be done in reverse, departing Adelaide each Friday, over 3 days / 2 nights.

Hanworth House – Leaving Brisbane

The tour officially departs from Hanworth House, a historic home set in East Brisbane, as the train is too long to depart from the central Roma Street Rail Terminus. The train averages 711 metres in length with 2 NR class locomotives, 2 power vans and 28 carriages accounting for the 1,626 tonnes of weight!

The wonderful hospitality of Journey Beyond begins the moment you reach Hanworth House, where you are warmly greeted, checked in and supplied with your cabin number and travel lanyard. Once checked in, a light breakfast and beverages are provided, all to the background sounds of the resident musician - who also accompanies travellers on the train journey. A history of Hanworth House is provided before boarding onto coaches for the half hour transfer to Acacia Ridge Freight Terminal, where the train was all set up ready for departure.

Once onboard, the carriage host ensured we were settled into our cabins, providing a cabin tour and essential information. Our mealtimes and off-train experiences were confirmed, so all that was left was to sit back and relax. Our Gold Twin cabin featured a private ensuite with shower and toilet, all stocked with the necessary essentials. The lounge within our cabin provided a spacious and comfortable base to soak in the views.

Departing Brisbane, we travelled south into the rolling hills of New South Wales. The Rail Manager advised over the train pa system when we crossed the border and reminded us to reset our watches to New South Wales time. The lounge car also features a computer monitor with a rolling map that indicates the train’s current location to help you keep up to date with the train’s progress.

Lounge and Dining Cars

We headed into the lounge car to sit and mingle with other guests while we waited for our scheduled lunch. The lounge car has wonderful panoramic windows and a range of seating options from which to take in the view. The lounge car also has a bar where one of the Journey Beyond crew are ready to provide you with a range of complimentary premium wines, spirits and beers as well as soft drinks, tea and fresh coffee. Snacks, canapes and fruit are also available – not that you will ever go hungry though as the meals provided are both delicious and plentiful.

All meals onboard the Great Southern are served in one of the restaurant cars – our allocated dining car was the Queen Adelaide dining car. The staff do an incredible job of providing you with a three-course meal and drinks within a tight window of 45 minutes – allowing for three separate service seatings! A menu is provided which showcases the cuisine of the local area through which you are travelling. You have the choice of two to three options for each course. No matter what option we chose the food was beautifully presented and delicious.

Onwards to Coffs Harbour

After lunch we were able to settle into the rhythm of our journey and enjoy the passing landscapes as the Great Southern made the journey down to the coastal town of Coffs Harbour. Coffs Harbour train station, like most of the stations that the train stops at, does not have a platform long enough for the entire train to stop and so sections of the train disembark in stages until we are all safely off the train and into the waiting coaches. The coaches would normally make the transfer to Charlesworth Bay for canapes and drinks on the sand whilst the sun sets behind the hills. The signature outdoor dinner is then served under lights to the sounds of the on-board musician and the waves of the nearby beach. Unfortunately, the threat of rain meant that the dinner under the stars was pre-emptively moved to the stunning Pacific Bay Resort where we were welcomed with canapes and drinks outside before moving into the restaurant for our meal. After a beautiful meal, capped off with the best banoffee tart I have ever tasted, we met our coaches for the return transfer to Coffs Harbour station to reboard our train for a final nightcap before retiring to our cabin.

Returning to the train the cabins had already been transformed into sleeping mode. The Gold twin features a bunk set up with a top bunk dropping down from above the day lounge and the day lounge converting into a bed as well. A ladder made access to the top bunk a simple process and once up on the top bunk a guard rail could be locked into place for peace of mind. Our off-train excursion details were placed in our room along with a lovely after dinner mint to cap off the day. We then fell asleep to the rolling motion of the train, ready for the next day of adventure!

Newcastle

This morning we enjoyed breakfast on board before reaching Maitland Station near Newcastle – the jumping off point for our off train excursion. Options included exploring Newcastle, a Hunter Valley wine experience or exploring Port Stephens by either land or sea. We chose the Port Stephens by Sea experience and were blessed by beautiful weather and calm waters. After a coach transfer to Port Stephens we boarded our 78-foot catamaran to be once again greeted by excellent service, snacks and drinks. The catamaran took us out into Nelson Bay where dolphins were quickly located. The boat then continued to explore more of the bay with a very informative commentary on the area, it’s history and features.

After returning to land we were transferred to the nearby Port Stephens Golf Club for another outstanding and decadent lunch. From there we transferred back to the train for a relaxing afternoon travelling through the spectacular Hawkesbury River region. As we neared Sydney our on-board musician set up in our lounge car and serenaded us with her guitar and beautiful voice before dinner. After a sumptuous locally-inspired dinner it was back to our cabin for another night of slumber to the rhythms of the train as it trundled along the rail toward Melbourne.

Melbourne

This morning I awoke to another beautiful day. Laying in bed I gazed out of our cabin window to see the Murray River, signalling our departure from Albury in New South Wales and our entry into Wodonga in Victoria – our third state in three days! Today we were leaving our train at Broadmeadow for our Melbourne off-train experiences. The choices today included a visit to the National Art Gallery, Old Melbourne Goal or the Melbourne Cricket Ground – all followed with lunch at Eureka 89 – or the option to stay on board to Inverleigh siding and then explore a winery in the Moorabool valley. As I had chosen the MCG tour I alighted at Broadmeadow.

The MCG tour was definitely one of the highlights of my train journey. Guided by a Melbourne Cricket Club member we were taken behind the scenes to areas of the MCG normally out of bounds, all while being regaled with the history and stories of the ‘G’. The Australian dressing room, players suites, media room were all explored before ascending to the library and into the famed ‘long room’. Leaving the MCG I had a heightened appreciation for the G and lots of trivia to share!