Much of Oceania consists of small, remote
islands so there is no rail network infrastructure
except on Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.
There are some fantastic train journeys
in Oceania but the system is not extensive,
journeys are often slow and in Australia
long distance rail can be quite expensive.
Also the train system in Australia is not
centralised and the gauges are also different
sizes so it is often difficult to get interstate
connections. For example to get from Brisbane
to Sydney you must first take a bus over
the border from Queensland into New South
Wales and take the train from there. New
lines are still under consideration for
example Alice Springs to Darwin.
AUSTRALIA
Trains run all along the east coast including
the well used Sydney-Cairns route and between
major cities like Sydney to Adelaide, Canberra,
Melbourne and Perth. From Adelaide, there
are also trains running north to Alice Springs.
Great
Southern Railway (GSR; website, tel:
13 21 47) runs most of Australia's great
classic rail journeys, like the long-distance
Indian Pacific between Sydney and Perth
and the Ghan from Sydney and Melbourne to
Adelaide up to Alice Springs. All backpackers
with Nomads, VIP or YHA cards receive a
50% discount on travel.
Rail Passes
The Austrail
Pass allows you to travel in economy
class anywhere on the rail network for 14
days, 21 days or 30 days. The Austrail Flexipass
allows a set number of economy-class travelling
days within a six-month period. There are
eight day, 15 days, 22 days and 29 day passes.
These passes are only for non-Australian
passport holders and must be purchased prior
to arrival in Australia. Passes are also
available for travel in one state in Victoria,
Queensland, New South Wales and Western
Australia. Other passes available include
East Coast Discovery (eastern states), Backpacktracker
Pass (New South Wales) and Great Southern
Railway Pass (Indian Pacific, The Ghan and
The overland trains).
Tickets
Train tickets are only available at the
train station for local journeys from ticket
machines or windows. You can be fined if
you get on a train without a ticket, even
if you plan on buying one at the station
you get off at. For long distance journeys
you can now buy online at the appropriate
state railway site or go into the main station.
Travel agents will also sell long distance
train tickets. It is best to book the long
distance seats well in advance. The railway
booking system is computerised and any station
(except metropolitan lines) can make a booking
for any journey around the country. Telephone
13 2232 during office hours and you can
connect to the nearest station.
Metropolitan and
suburban lines Major cities in Australia like Sydney,
Melbourne and Brisbane offer various day
or weekly roving passes where you can get
join tickets for use on all transport. Normally
it includes the bus and train. In Melbourne
it also includes the tram. In Brisbane it
may also include the River Cats (ferries).
All large cities like Brisbane, Sydney,
Melbourne and Adelaide have an inner city
train system. Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and
Perth are still just too small. However
Sydney and Melbourne are really the only
cities with a comprehensive metro style
system and Melbourne has the only underground.
In Adelaide the train line functions more
as a means of getting into the city as opposed
to moving around as the city centre is so
small anyway. In Brisbane there are several
inner city stations and these connect with
many of the suburbs.
Interesting routes
There is a fast speed train between Melbourne
and Sydney but on other routes travel by
train can be slow. Also the prices of long
distance trains is not necessarily cheaper
than flying as internet deals on Qantas
and Virgin Blue have very affordable tickets.
Also the time saved by air is attractive
and unless you can afford a sleeper, train
travel can be less comfortable.
Country and outback routes tend to be slow
but both educational and well serviced.
Some of the more popular routes include
the following and stops are frequent to
allow visitors time to see some of the outback
towns:
The Spirit of the Outback
This is a 24 hour journey from Brisbane
to Longreach. It departs twice weekly. A
commentary is given on the way out.
The Ghan Railway
This route from Adelaide to Alice Springs
(and soon to Darwin) traces the famous route
by the Ghan Line of the early 20th century,
named after the Afghan cameleers that came
to stock the route with supplies.
NEW ZEALAND The Tranz
Scenic rail network connects major destinations
in the North and South Islands. In the north
island there is a twice-daily service between
Auckland and Wellington and a Wellington
to Palmerston North service. In the south
island there is a Picton to Christchurch
line which also stops along the coast, a
scenic route called the Tranz Alpine runs
Christchurch to Greymouth via Arthur's Pass.
Discounts are also available for rail travel
with hostel cards. Two passes are available:
Best of New Zealand Pass and the New Zealand
TravelPass.
There are some small tourist-oriented rail
services. The Taieri
Gorge Railway runs from Dunedin to Middlemarch
along the spectacular Taieri River Gorge
with coach connections to Queenstown. Travelpass.co.nz
offers rail travel options for New
Zealand. Some passes combine coach and ferry
travel.
SAFETY
Travelling by night is inexpensive, but
never leave your belongings unattended and
make sure the door of your compartment is
well locked. Train stations are not the
best places to spend the night although
they are generally well attended by police.
