Time to hit the tracks

Slow travel is the most enjoyable way to go, and it doesn't come much better than on a luxury train for a five-day, 4300km journey from Perth all the way to Sydney on the famous Indian Pacific.

- BERNARD O'SHEA

There's something incredibly satisfying about completing the transcontinental train ride from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide on the Indian Pacific.

I like to think of it as the leisurely man or woman's ultramarathon, done in comfort and style. It's a 4352km route, and I've done it twice. I didn't even raise a sweat. Give the man a medal!

My first crossing was in 1990 when it was fun but functional, a three-day government-run service enabling people to travel long distances at a time when domestic flight prices were exorbitant. Now in the hands of Journey Beyond, it's an easy-paced, five-day "experiential" odyssey. I'm looking forward to doing it in style and reviving the memories.

Good vibes