Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
spending a lot of money on food. Treat yourself once in a while but stick to the BBQ—it's not Australia
without putting some “shrimp on the barbie,” right?
TRANSPORTATION
Locally, you'll find that medium to large towns have bus systems that cost around $2 USD. In the largest
cities in Australia, you will also find a commuter rail and tram system that extends into the nearby suburbs.
These train rides cost $2-3 USD. Prepaid day and weekly passes are available that reduce the rate of the
daily fare.
In Melbourne, there is a free bus called the “Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle” that has a set thirteen-
stop route around the city, stopping at all the main attractions. Sydney and Perth have free local bus service
around their downtown (CBD) area but not to all the tourist sites.
Trains
Australia has a small train system that mainly covers the east coast. The rail system is split up among various
carriers:
Countrylink:
Covers the east coast, primarily Queensland and New South Wales via their
coach network and Sunlander trail
The Ghan:
Running from Adelaide to Darwin in the middle of the country
The Indian Pacific:
Running from Sydney in the east to Perth on the west coast
The Overlander:
Melbourne to Adelaide
The Rail Australia Alliance (railaustralia.com.au) has extensive information about train times and re-
gional rail networks.
There are a handful of smaller train lines that connect one or two cities, but the four above are the only
regional networks. One problem with the Australian rail network is that trains are infrequent (sometimes
only one per week) and regional lines are not connected for seamless train travel to different parts of the
country. Because of this, and the high cost of tickets, I would skip taking the train as your means of trans-
portation.
If you are interested in taking the train, take the scenic multiday train journeys on the Ghan and the In-
dian Pacific route. These multiday sleep routes offer an amazing experience and a unique way to see the
countryside. Nora Dunn from theprofessionalhobo.com remarks, “My favorite way of seeing Australia is by
train. Epic train rides like the Ghan and the Indian Pacific track across the vast outback and provide a land's-
eye view of this great continent. And although it's not as cheap as a bus, it's not as expensive as you might
think for what you get.” And she is right because you can get some amazing discounts on those tickets!
Typically, the Ghan costs $1,450 USD for an adult ticket on a sleeper train, though those holding a YHA,
ISIC, or VIP/MAD card get a discount to $1,000. The Indian Pacific costs $1,400 for an adult ticket and
$1,050 for a youth ticket. This fare just includes the price of the train and your accommodation (seat or bed,
depending on what you order). The basic fares do not include meals, though they are available to purchase
on the train. Higher service tickets (gold or platinum) do include food.
