Making tracks

Journeying through the outback aboard this classic locomotive puts any daily train commute to shame.

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As The Ghan steadily chugs through the Australian outback, burnt orange and ochre hues flash past the dining cart window. Each day, the shifting landscape is mirrored in the dishes before us: fragrant buffalo curry, grilled saltwater barramundi with kūmara noodles and coconut sauce, twice-baked Adelaide Hills cheese soufflé. It's hard to imagine that once upon a time, this same route was anything but upscale.

When The Ghan first travelled between Adelaide to Stuart (now Alice Springs) in 1929, passengers were at the mercy of the outback. Breakdowns were frequent and with no railside assistance in those parts, everyone was expected to pitch in. A flatcar stacked with spare parts trailed behind and legend has it that while stranded in the middle of nowhere for a fortnight on one trip, the driver shot wild goats to throw on a barbecue for passenger sustenance.