Wednesday 8 January 2014

Legendary Ghan Celebrates 10 Years Of Extended Service


February 2014 marks a decade since The Ghan completed its extended route from Adelaide to Darwin. Prior to that, it only ran from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the Red Centre. Today The Ghan offers an iconic cross continental rail service. To celebrate, Great Southern Rail is offering travellers 20% off their most popular packages on bookings made between the 6 January and 28 February 2014. The offer is valid for travel between the 1 May 2014 and the 31 October 2014.

Discounted fares from Darwin to Alice Springs or vice versa start from £525 (AU$952) per person travelling in Gold Class or from £1052 (1,832 AU$) per person travelling from Darwin to Adelaide (and vice versa). The price includes all off train tours, all standard beverages, including soft drinks, beers, standard wines and spirits and meals.

Passengers travelling on the Ghan will have the opportunity to explore some of Australia’s most fascinating towns and landscapes. In three days and two nights, covering 2,979km, travellers can make their way leisurely from the Northern Territory’s capital of Darwin all the way to Adelaide. But who in their right mind would not get off the train for a few days to explore the quintessential Australian landscape around Alice Springs?

On board The Ghan travellers have time to soak up and enjoy the moving landscapes as they change from lush green when leaving Australia’s Top End to dust red as the train makes its way through the heart of the Red Centre and then return to green as it travels through the vineyards surrounding Adelaide.

The name of The Ghan comes from the pioneering cameleers (many of them Afghans or Ghans as they were more commonly known), who were the first to establish a permanent trail to the Red Centre over 150 years ago. When the train departed Adelaide on its inaugural journey to Darwin, it was the longest passenger train in Australia’s history, stretching more than 1km with two locomotives and 43 carriages. For further information on the Ghan visit: www.greatsouthernrail.com.au