The Spirit of the Outback - from booking to adventure

 

When we arrived back from our 6 month Aussie Trip we were eager to go somewhere else. It's not that we don't like being at home, we do, but travelling this beautiful country while we can is something we really want to do. Anyway, Peter had always wanted to do a train trip - me not so much, but that's what I said about a cruise, and look what happened!!

So this blog is about the train experience - from booking to adventure. We originally wanted to book a train trip to Cairns, but they were all booked out months in advance. The Queensland Rail booking agent told us about a special, two for the price of one, so we booked a first class sleeper on the Spirit of the Outback for the end of November 2021, also taking advantage of the benefits afforded to seniors. Next we booked the accommodation. We looked at all accommodation options and decided on the Longreach Motor Inn, right across the road from the station and one block back from the main street, and it had a pool. I'll make a different post about the hotel and Longreach. We were due to leave on Saturday, arrive in Longreach on Sunday, stay 4 nights, leave Longreach on the return train on Thursday, arriving back in Brisbane on Friday. A weeks adventure. Well, on the Thursday we received a phone call from Qld Rail letting us know that part of the journey would now be by bus!! No thank you, we want the rail experience. The recent floods, it is wet season - but early wet season, meant the tracks were unsafe. We have already been to Longreach twice in 2021, so it's the rail travel experience we want not the bus. Qld Rail gladly changed our booking to February, the earliest they said we could get 3 sleepers. That meant we would have to delay our  NSW van trip. Not ideal, so I got onto their website and easily booked 3 sleepers for early January. Rang the hotel and changed the booking again. No confirmation came through from Qld Rail, so rang again. No booking!! Booked again while on the phone for end of January. Bookings were almost full but we got 3 sleepers in the same carriage, but Jonnie was at one end and we were in the middle. A day, one day!, after booking the new tickets we were notified that the train would not be leaving on Saturday, but on Friday - due to track work. I emailed to query if a bus would be substituted or if the return trip would be altered - no reply. A week later we ran again and were told the train would arrive a day early but leave on time, and no buses were anticipated at this time. Fingers crossed. Rang the hotel again! So, we have tried 3 times to get on this train, with this special - what happens next? The Thursday service is cancelled until the end of February. We needed to decide whether to reduce our stay from 4 nights to 2, or increase it to 10 nights. We like Longreach, but ten nights in the off season was way too much and way too expensive, so we again rang the railways and changed our booking from the now non existent Thursday train to the Monday train. 2 nights. Rang the hotel AGAIN!!

We rang to check everything was ok the day before, I checked the website daily to see for service updates. YAY the day came, we were all packed, I did the service update check and it said train cancelled!!!! WHAT!!! We rang yesterday, all was good. Rang again, they checked and said all was good, website must be wrong. We were dropped of at a suburban Brisbane station to catch the train to Roma Street. The local train is included in the fare. So we started the adventure at Enoggera Station.

The train was empty, many people are choosing to stay at home in these unpredictable times.

Arriving at Roma Street, we were unsure where to go as the signage for country trains is not visiable until one gets to the actual platform. We had to ask an employee manning the ticket turn-styles where we needed to go. Platform 10.

We checked the one bag we had. We knew the cabin/room/sleeper (not sure what to call it) was small and would only accommodate a small overnight bag, so even though we were now only staying 2 nights the three of us easily packed a small suitcase. Baggage allowance is 20k per customer for economy and 2 x 20kg per customer for sleeper. Check in was easy and the staff member who checked us in was good. We waited in the passenger lounge area, as it was warm and the lounge was air-conditioned. We were the only ones there.

Boarding was quick at 5.55pm. We first needed to show our proof of vaccination to be able to dine in the dining car. Then we went to our sleeper.

We are travelling from Brisbane to Longreach, a distance of 1325kms. It should take us approximately 26hrs. Travelling along the Central Railway Line, which was constructed between 1867 and 1892, we will travel along side some highways we have driven on before. The adventure begins. We left Roma Street right on time at 6.10pm. We travelled through familiar suburbs and watched the changing scenery from city to country before the darkness of night left only 'fairy' lights in the distance. The train, was made up of 8 carriages, and two locomotives. We were in carriage D. 

Each sleeper has a tiny wardrobe that holds two pillows for the bed, a 240volt power-point, a pull down washbasin, with towel and soap, tiny pull down table and two coat hooks.

When the bed is made up, it has a top sheet and a doona. The cabin is quite cold with the aircon so I had a blanket as well as the doona. I had watched a few YouTube videos so was for warned about the cold, I even had a cardigan in the hand luggage.... and used it.

This is the only train in Queensland that has sleeper cabins. The cabins are either single or twin, and include all meals, an amenities pack, and a portable entertainment tablet is available. At night, when all was dark outside, I watched two first release movies each way. Helped pass the night. Sleeper cabins normally have the Tucker Box for dining and the Shearers Rest Lounge for socialising. The Shearers Rest carriage was being serviced, so the Economy Lounge was available for all passengers. We liked the art deco design of the lounge area.

All the staff were wonderful and went out of their way to assist us and the other passengers. 

Our dinner time was 7pm on the way to Longreach, and 6pm on the return, in the Tucker Box carriage.

The food was amazing. Dinner and Lunch included a beer, wine or soft drink. Peter had beer, I had a moscato, and Jonnie had a coca-cola.

The Chocolate Torte was so rich. On the way back Peter had the Bread and Butter Pudding...... and half of my Chocolate Torte.

Breakfast was at 7.30 on the way to Longreach, and 8.15 on the way back. Choice of hot breakfast with 'eggs your way' or.....

.... Cold breakfast of fruit, pastries and youghurt.

 

We were really surprised with the quality of the food, even though it was the same menu each way. Would have been good if there was a different menu on the return trip.

Lunch on the way to Longreach Peter had Barra, he said it was ok, and Jonnie and I had the vegetarian option. 

On the way back he and I had the Chicken Ballotine. I didn't like it, and Peter said it was better than the barra. The vegetarian choice was so good. This is the chicken dish.

 Dessert was poached pears

or cheeseboard. It came with blue vein cheese, and I requested a substitute for the blue vein on the way back.

On the way to Longreach we had a high tea after Balcaldine. A sausage roll, quiche, spinach filo, profiterole (either coconut - pictured, chocolate mouse, or cream), and coconut rough slice. There was no afternoon or morning tea on the return trip.

The train passes a lot of towns steeped in history and the commentary about each place or feature was excellent. Each cabin we were in also had a poster with information of the area and its history.

The Spirit of the Outback trip is well worth doing. We loved all of it, the staff, the food, the commentary, the scenery, not so much the cold aircon in the cabin. We will do it again.