4 DAYS on Australia's LONGEST Train Journey: The INDIAN PACIFIC
2024 ж. 13 Сәу.
322 987 Рет қаралды
I spent 4 days onboard the Indian Pacific, Australia's longest train, crossing the entire country from Sydney to Perth.
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Amazing to see... and my heart almost skipped a beat when you past Forrest Airport, my parents run the airport, they are the only two residants living in Forest. Believe it or not it can get quite busy, they get a lot of bookings. There are 5 guest houses and my mum cooks up a fantastic meal for the overnight guests while my dad helps with refueling the planes and does a fab job keeping everything running smoothly. So chuffed to see this ... thank you 😊
Wow that's awesome...its amazing that we see this airport which fulfills an important role and here's the daughter of the two operators commenting here...
That’s incredible! Amazing story. I’ll have to try and get out there at some point!
to fuel your private plane? @@noelphilips
Please do! It's an amazing place. Watch your travels all the time, so this one was extra special.. ☺️@@noelphilips
You gotta try and fly there. Maybe a collab with Stef Durry would be fun!!
People on the cheese tour: "Cor, wish I had a bit of wine to go with this" People on the wine tour: "Cor, wish I had a bit of cheese to go with this"
That's how they get you to buy another ticket for the whole journey.
The staff on the train seemed to really enjoy their work great attitudes and smiles.
In 1979 I took this train both ways. I had just turned 20 and this was my first trip on my own from Toronto. Spent a month touring Oz with a rail pass. No one from the railways had any idea what it covered, so I ended up with a room both ways at zero cost!! That was a bargain of a life time. It is an awe aspiring trip. Can't believe it has been 45 years since I was on that train.
Was it a proper service train back then? It would be nice to have a proper service as opposed to just a tourist train, but I suppose there's no way it could compete with air. 😅
I was born that year, so interesting to hear the story!
Hi Noel. I was born & raised in Sydney from the 1980s & I can tell you why they're called THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. The eucalyptus leaves of the gum trees emits vapour which from a distance during sunny days creates a blue haze. You can see this clearly from Sydney's Northern Suburbs like Hornsby, Castle Hill & Pennant Hills. So, if you're ever in Sydney again in the warmer months, take the train up the Main North or North Shore Line & look west & you'll see the blue haze. It also snows on the Blue Mountains because they are around the 1,000m-1,200m of height where snow falls at the 33deg latitude.
spot on.
I live in the Appalachian Mountains in the United States (southern West Virginia), and we have a similar phenomenon here. Not the same type of trees, but picturesque mountain views here, especially near sunrise or sunset, will show the blue tint.
i used to live in the castle hill/pennant hill area but moved out. and if you live there you can really see why its called the blue mountains
@@davidfrench5407 I have been to WV in the Winter & Autumn. Actually got to ski your state back in 2010 during that Arctic tundra you had, so I had a fantastic experience skiing Snowshoe and the powder was amazing, great memories of all that powder. I experienced deer jumping infront of me somewhere between I81 & Marlinton. I have no idea where I filled up along i81 for gas, somewhere around Harrisonburg, let the sat-nav take me & it shut-down because I was in the radio-silence area, so I was driving very lost. All that snow, all those deer. I was amazed at how good the coffee was in Marlinton, a mountain bike shop which was surprisingly delicious. Not used to American coffee tasting great, if you're ever in Australia, you'll see what I mean when it comes to coffee, we are more particular than Italians when it comes to coffee. Don't think I'll ever be back in WV, long story why I went there, but unless I have a need to ski Snowshoe again, probably won't be back there. The people in WV were adorable to me, it's a shame how they have very little opportunity but are the sweetest to Aussies visiting. Flying in & out of Yeager APT for my first visit are a memory I'll never lose, propeller planes & cold mountain winds shaking the planes around. Flying out of Yeager APT with all those Canadian coal miners was something, having to be moved around the plane to balance it for take-off.
@@hipixstudio We probably might've passed each other along Castle Hill Road or watching a movie in Castle Towers. Oh how it's changed, all those houses built in the 70s-90s are being flattened to make way for apartments, even the architectural Brutalism nostalgia of the old Baulkham Hills Council Chambers along Showground Road are gone, that was a nostalgia landmark for those born & raised in the North Shore/Hills District. Spent alot of time there in the 2000s. I moved out of Sydney, live in Newcastle now. I do go back to the North Shore because of family & I still have friends in the Hills. You should see the old farms along the north of Samantha Riley Drive, it's all houses with Colorbond, basically Glenwood without trees. The cows & golf course at Norwest near Solent Circuit are now just houses. Ice Rink is gone. Should change the name of Castle Hill to MOUNT BRUTALISM.
My husband was a driver on this train as well as The Ghan , The prospector and finishing his time driving the Freight trains round Western Australia before retiring . 47 years all up . Absolutely loved it .
"When I get Cockburn..."😉 this is just like "Katherine's landing strip" last video! Noel's having fun with these town names lately 😂❤
Noel saw you didn't run in to thae Cockburn innuendo bingo as the KZhead police.. loved the Vlog.
Might need to see a doctor if you got Cockburn
It's what you want to try to avoid while sunbathing on a nude beach 😁
Or just being Wilde-Olivia Cockburn
pronounced coburn of course ;-)
This is the best Aussie vid I've seen. Can't wait to see the next ones. All the Aussie staff seem more friendly than anywhere else you've been.
It’s not a day of nothing crossing the Nullarbor - it’s the brightest of skies, the stillness, peace and the amazing colours of the earth and scrub. It’s an incredible place when you really appreciate the isolation and sheer vastness of Australia 🇦🇺
Is the name Nullarbor a reference to the lack of trees? "Null" (No/Not/None) "Arbor" (Tree)?
It really is a day of nothing, don’t sugar coat it. Australia is one of the flattest driest places on earth and compared to almost any other long travel train journey on earth there is Sweet FA to look at.
@@skyhawk_4526 yep, its a giant slab of limestone basically.
Ya don't get it, do ya... Best stick to the city mate.@@contactluke80
@@skyhawk_4526 Correct - The colonialists call it that.
“This week, I see a cow.” Me too, Noel. Me too. Great video!
😂😂😂, Noel’s the best. 😊
Top Gear / Grand Tour vibes 😊
Great to finally catch up with you mate - after just missing each other so many times. Looked like an epic trip through the middle of nowhere!
24:28 If you're ill in the middle of nowhere, they would actually send a plane to pick you up and take you to the nearest major city. That's how big Australia is.
I’ll be taking the Indian Pacific Sydney to Perth March 2025. After spending some time in Perth, I’ll be flying to Darwin where I’ll get on the Ghan train from Darwin to Adelaide. I’ll be 75 and I’m not sure when I’ll get back to Australia so wanted to do both iconic train rides.
Excellent idea. Enjoy our vast outback from the comfort of the train 😊
As an Australian (an Ex Pom from Bournemouth), I have a deep, passionate love of my vast, adopted home, quintessentially displayed on the Nullarbor. Its huge bowl like azure skies, the jeweled sea as seen from mammoth cliffs and its far shimmering horizons. To me, it's not 'nothingness' at all. It is the Never Never, the home of the Dreamtime. Here you can truly appreciate the ingenuity of the indigenous nations thriving for 60,000 years on such an unforgiving land and the tough will of the first settlers, who would have thought they had landed on Mars. There is some incredible cave diving to be done on the Plain too by the way. Her beauty and her terror, the wide brown land for me. (with thanks to Dorothea McKellar)
If you get sick in Cook then you don't drive to the doctor, they come to you. There's an airstrip there that the Royal Australian Flying Doctors can use to land their Pilatus PC-12s and PC-24s. Broken hill where you didn't get off the train is one of their bases.
Have a base at Adelaide as well :)
But....What are their fees?
@@cruisecrazy7066 It's Australia, not The USA, health care won't bankrupt anyone down there. They're a non-profit charity organization so there are no fees for service.
@@cruisecrazy7066 Pretty much nothing we're not the US we have "evil socialist" universal health care.
Cockburn is definitely where those doctors are most needed.
Now do it on a Greybound bus
He already has like 3 times😂
Don’t you just love the Aussies, no attitude, no Drama , nice and organised and so so Friendly 😊, this Vlog was so interesting and epic , thank you so much , thoroughly enjoyed it 😊🇬🇧
Glad you enjoyed it
On sunnier days the Blue Mountains have a very noticeable blue colour to them, I'm told it comes from the haze of the eucalypts refracting light differently or some nonsense like that.
In the hot sun Eucalyptus oil partly evaporates with water creating a blue haze
@@roddevereaux1830finally a correct answer - the same reason why the Darling Ranges in Perth are blue from a distance (but they are so small that aren't called mountains, but there are a few places called Mt. Something or another) in the hills
@@roddevereaux1830 On extremely hot days around 40°C / 104°F that effect can be seen in gum forests such as the "Blue Dandenongs" east of Melbourne. On those days the slightest spark can create a bushfire.
It's the eucalyptus burning off the smoky gums
For this type of journey it really makes one appreciate the natural beauty of barren far reaching landscapes. My eyes would strain for any glimpse of life either on the ground or in the air. I love the politeness of the train staff and the fact that they keep records of who gets on and off the train when the train stops. Thanks for taking us with you, I would do at least one other train line. 👍
I live for Noel saying "This Week". Never gets old : )
Hey, I’m subbed to you too! Two vastly different channels and their subject matter 😅😂 - please don’t let Noel to be ever be on your channel if you know what I mean 😅😂
Best theory as to why the Blue Mountains got their name ever! Can't wait to hear your description of drop bears.
I love your videos so much. I am disabled and pretty much housebound so I am travelling the world vicariously through your content. What an amazing planet we live on. Thank you so much for sharing your passion. Your humour and honesty is infectious 😀
Thank you!
I have done both the Ghan and the Indian Pacific in the last few years and both trips were a lot of fun. On the Indian Pacific, maybe I lucked out but as a single my carriage of singles and section of the train had an average age of 51 and we jelled really quickly and well and spent a lot of time in the lounge car, our host and bar man (from Perth to Adelaide section of the trip) also seemed to relax into our good vibes. We had 2 carriages of singles and 3 carriages of doubles+ for a total of 58 passengers in our section and represented 37 countries! which was pretty crazy. I think like most travel the more you are willing to put in the more you get out. If you haven't done log distance train travel before though then they may not be the best introduction to it as there is not a lot of opportunity to get off the train.
I did this in 1999 but in cattle class. Jesus that was a trip! Met some great people and we all got absolutely sloshed in Kalgoorlie.. great experience!
Can't do that anymore. The train has been privatized and the coaches and economy sleepers removed. Only has luxury and super-luxury classes.
@@haweater1555 is that right.. what a bloody shame! Although it was a very hard trip the memories will stay with me and my wife for the rest of our days!
@@PillSharks I am in Canada. Our version of a transcontinental train still runs with both basic coach and luxury sleepers. I did this journey as a young traveler 30 years ago. I would like to do it again (in basic sleeper) soon before it's threatened with privatization which would make the trip only affordable to foreign tourists. The Canadian train has a rear observation lounge and high-level scenic domes and more awesome scenery which set it apart from the Aussie train.
@@haweater1555 that’s another train journey I’ve always wanted to do.. my parents have and loved it but my father did part of it in the 70s as he was thinking of emigrated to Canada from the UK after meeting a Canadian girl.. he did that and he also hitched a ride in a truck through the Rocky Mountains as her father owned or was very high up in Allied van lines and got him a lift to save on cost.
They're called the Blue Mountains because the eucalyptus oil from the trees makes the air look blue.
Absolutely! We need more train videos. Ghan and Overland would be really lovely!
Excellent to see the Indian Pacific Noel. I Live in Springwood (Blue Mountains) and hear this train on Wednesdays & Sundays climbing the mountain going past my place. I once caught a similar train back in the late 80s called the 'Southern Aurora' where i made the mistake of having a few beers then ate a bowl of icecream shortly after for desert. A few hours later of constant movement and i was feeling very green.. Live & Learn they say. Hope you enjoyed Australia.. Cheers Mate
I've driven across the Nullarbor many times over several decades Noel. The highway doesn't follow the railway line so there are more towns before and after the Nullarbor. But the Nullarbor itself is pretty much the same, with the longest stretch of straight road in Australia and about the third longest in the world. Glad you made it to Perth in reasonable comfort but for the price they could have given you a more comfortable bed. I've slept better than that in the bush on the side of the road!
I’ve watched the review by several travel geeks. The same complaint is of the extremely bumpy rails and no sleep. I always enjoy your reviews! Enjoy!
To be fair, the track was laid between originally 1910 and some updates in 1970.
Do remember that the HSTs were not just operated in England, they ran extensively throughout Wales and Scotland, and still do in the latter!
Hi Noel, Yes, please do more videos of overnight trains. I love it!
The airport is actually the Edinburgh RAAF base. And yep, the target audience for Journey Beyond’s trains is 60+! The Overland is a great service that you should definitely do, though the service is somewhat neglected by Journey Beyond as it’s more a contractual obligation for them as opposed to the Indian Pacific/The Ghan/Great Southern
I live in the flight path and it's a joy to hear an F/A-18 every once in a while...... did you cringe as much as I did when Noel pronounced Nullabor wrong? Fark that was painful.... lol
@@robdotcom71 Hearing him say Null 'arbour constantly did my head in.
@@robdotcom71 Yes that bit was cringeworthy.
60+? Mate i'm 50 and i'd rather be dead than go on a journey like this.
It's an accessible bathroom in the hotel, so you can also use it when you're in a wheelchair (there are handles everywhere too). That's why it's so huge I think.
Yea it is
Brilliant video Noel, nice suprise bumping into Dennis love his Chanel too. Stay safe see you on the next one.
Great video. We love the mixture of on and off train footage. It feels like actually being taken there with you. Excellent work. Many thanks.
"The mountains are mountain coloured" - Quite!
I really enjoyed that. I would love to see you do more long distance train journeys. nice to see Dennis Bunnick too!
Cheers Noel. Good to see Dennis pop up in one of your videos 👍👍
I've not watched this yet, but I know I'm going to love it. The Paul Lucas video is honestly one of my favourite travel videos on KZhead
"This Week...I see a cow." - Noel Philips 2024
Definitely got the cheese and wine for this video! But it’s sunny here today for a change 😂 so also sat outside. Great video as always Noel 👌🏻 thank you for posting!
Yeh!!! A sleeper train long route with Noel. Have been waiting a while for a new train vid. You've made my day. Lots of love from South Africa
Always such a joy to watch your videos & to listen to your commentary Noel. You never cease to amaze me 👍🏻
Loads of storage 5:03 world smallest cupboard 😂 would of been good if you shown us some more of the train and not out your window!!
Another great video Noel. Yes, the NSW part of the journey, being the 1st night, is the roughest. I found the rest of the journey was smooth. Cook and especially Rawlinna were all great stops. Let's see the Overland journey next week, please! 🙂
Awesome video, as usual. Love your channel, stay safe out there!
Great video Noel, gives me a real feel about what that trip is like. And running into Dennis was a bit crazy. I enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
Those "HST" you saw in Sydney is actually the "XPT" which run between Brisbane, Dubbo, Sydney and Melbourne. You should do a trip on one someday before they get replaced. Would suggest Brisbane due to it being the longest route they do.
Just did the relatively short trip to Canberra last year on one of these. It was uncomfortable and very slow.
@@stephanguitar9778 that was an XPLORER. XPTs don't go to Canberra.
Did a trip 30 years ago from Melbourne to Sydney on one of those in a seat. Was grateful for the stopover in Wagga Wagga at midnight to stretch the legs.
Those trains were uk designs built by comeng under license at granville nsw.
@@paulgerrard9227 loosely based on our intercity 125s
One of your funnest videos, love seeing all the sights of 4 days in some of the most remote locations, keep it up Noel.
Glad you enjoyed
I’ll be on the Indian Pacific in June! Can’t wait, thanks Noel!
Fantastic video as always! It was great to see Dennis too - you guys are top class travel youtubers, and it could be really fun to see you two team up some time for something epic!
My wife's grand father was one of the Foreman who laid the Original Standard gauge tracks from Eastern WA all the way through to Geelong in Victoria
Always find it a real shame they got rid of the red Class on the Indian Pacific and the Ghan - budget travellers have now been priced out of taking these trips.
Great video.... I'm starting to like the long distance train ride videos more then the airport/ plane rides. But will be watching all your videos as long as you put them out. 👍💪 Great job.....
Brilliant video Noel. The staff seemed brilliant & really engaged
BTW, The Blue Mountains get the name from all the Eucalyptus trees which on warm days, release Eucalyptus oil into the air. From a distance it gives the impression that the mountains have a blue hue to them, hence 'Blue Mountains'
Nice to see you on the rails for a change. A good honest review of the trip.
Glad you enjoyed it
Would love to see more stuff like this, and spending time taking footage of the area when you can. The pace of train travel makes it extra fun to me. Loved the little interactions with the staff and the aerial shots
Great Video Noel. Been waiting for this one since we did the trip together....and I got my boof-head in the background of some of your shots! I'm keen to do The Overland Train myself one day. When you come back, give us a heads-up and we'll tackle that one too. I've got some video from The Indian Pacific as well. Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. My favourite holiday in Australia.
I did the trip West to East some years ago. Back then, the train stopped in Forrest and Kalgoorlie as well as Cook. I broke my trip in Adelaide and spent the best part of a week there. It’s a lovely city. I also wandered around Broken Hill which was quite an experience. Like you, lack of sleep was an issue on those bumpy rail tracks. Freight is king on these routes in Australia.
I've never been to Australia but I've watched (or rewatched) hundreds of hours of Aussie Gold Hunters. Kalgoorlie almost feels like my hometown.
@@d.jensen5153 Coober Pedy is also fascinating (it’s opal mining there).
without bacon? GASP! THE INHUMANITY
You never sausage a tragedy😏
I’ve donde the exact same trip few years ago . Took a sleeping pill for sleep well , it’s a little bit bumpy and noisy sometimes but part of the charm . I loved every part of that journey .
This was a GREAT video. More of this please.... :-) Thank you Noel and have a great day
I’m getting Will/Trek Trendy vibes from your “THIS WEEK” intro! XD Lovely adventure as always, Noel - thank you for sharing!
That’s not a good thing 😂 that guy is pretentious af
Trek Trendy? Got to be the most obnoxious KZheadr of them all. 🙄
Cameo from Dennis - awesome
Absolutely love your videos Noel, learned so much about the world watching them. Just read about Cook being on the edge of Nullarbor Plain, a plateau twice the size of England. Crazy how big Australia is. Thanks again look forward to the next one
Another trip added to the bucket list! Great video, glad you are protecting your skin with that hat! 🙂 Would love to seen the top to bottom train journey 😊
I am sure if anyone at Cooke seriously needed a doctor the Royal Flying Doctor service would be called.
Lots of down time on that voyage thanks for taking us along
Hello Noel! Amazing trip to west Australia, uauuuu! And what a night sky! The best to your travels!
Thank you for this Noel, I’m booked on this trip next week, from Sydney to Perth, so it’s nice to have a preview. The single cabin may not be absolutely enormous but it looks as though you’ll spend most of the time in the lounge anyway. I must admit that I am absolutely looking forward to the trip.
Feeling under the weather today. Can't think of a better way to cheer up than a vid like this. My bucket list country and my bucket list way of seeing it. Thanks for this! Amazing journey.
Trains aren't a great way of seeing the country, FYI!
I just went thru 10 days of I think the flu of some sort…. Massive chest congestion and fever 🥵 wish you the best
You are simply the best 🥳 Fantastic Noel, Thanks so much for this fantastic trip❤
Wow, thank you!
Noel+ Australia = ❤. Great video as always!
I loved that vlog Noel, hoping to do that one day myself, train journey across Australia, its on my bucket list, thanks again for bringing us all these fantastic contents, well done once again 👍👏🏻👏🏻
Dude!!!!!! 😂😂 They are called the Blue Mountains because on hot days, the oils from the eucalyptus trees send off blue hues lol
Nu-ugh
Pronounce it Nullah-bore, not Null-arbor
He's a bit of a peasant at times innit.
I've always loved anything to do with transportation. I even dreamt of being a bus driver in my native Adelaide when I grew up but did other things. I'm hardcore plane lover so wasn't sure how you'd make this interesting but once again I was totally entertained from start to finish Noel another great job! All the best to Rachael and the kids.
Loved this trip. Noel lives an incredible life ❤
That’s amazing about Cook and Forrest I assume that the workers have to live on site and periodically rotate out and a new crew takes their place?
Yes they live there. My parents run Forrest Airport at the moment.
I’ll be honest I love all your travel content but I’m such a train nerd so do more of these 😂😂😂
Well done and entertaining. Looking forward to your (hopefully) soon-to-occur next Australian cross-country (cross-continent) train trips, whether top to bottom or side to side. Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you for an HONEST review of this trip. So many KZhead channels travel first class and are catered to. I’d still like to try but realize to set the bar a little lower. Love to see the other train trips.
I believe it's pronounced "co-burn", just like the suburb in Perth
As it generally always is except in Noel's head!
Good old Pan Pacific Perth Hotel...was a quarantine hotel during Covid lockdowns , many a person was locked in those rooms for 14 days 🤣.
I really enjoyed this stream as always good job Noel . Can't wait to see the next one.😊
Thanks for the visit
That looked like an amazing trip. Going to Australia is on my bucket list. Busy ticking off other closer trips in Europe or South America. Thank you for the great content. I look forward to more Australia train trips.
love the videos keep it up love when you come to Aus you should definitely check out bonza on your next adventure.
I’ve had 4 Bonza flights booked, 3 have been cancelled. Not a good start, even refunds take months..
Great video, Noel. I love the Aussie accents. Brought back fond memories of our trip on the Great South Pacific Express in 2000 from Sydney to Brisbane. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
Glad you enjoyed it
Looks like it would be an interesting trip. If I ever make it to Australia, I would like to do this. Great to see you with one of my other favorite KZheadrs, Dennis.
In case a fellow Aussie hasn't mentioned it, Nullarbor has a Latin etymology. Null = nil/no/none + arbor = tree. Explains so much of what you (don't) see.
What camera do you use?
So you didn’t bother going platinum class then to have your own En Suite
It's already super expensive for even the basic cabin that he got.
Ghan price like 5k i thought would love see noel do it definitely but is costly n already done that run when landed in Katherine n Alice
Platinum class is 5 figures easily
Noel this was amazing to join u on this fantastic trip across Australia . I always think you are so like a friend of mine who at this very moment is in Australia visiting family . Yes i would love to see u go top to bottom. Thank u very much
Love watching these videos. Should be on tv with these . Keep up the good work ! Stay safe 👍
Glad you like them!
amazing to see diabolically overpriced
You do seem a tad embarrassed when you meet people that recognise you Noel.
He doesn't seem to be able to interact with people...
@@frederickvondinkerberg7721 He comes from a long highly technical IT career as do I. Most of us are somewhat introverts and while we can communicate with people after we've met them, the initial meeting can be clumsy.
As do I... but I have to speak to people... you have to force yourself to speak, be heard and have something to say
@@frederickvondinkerberg7721 I guess I'm not clear on why that is important here. This is Noel's channel. He puts out videos here for us to watch at no charge to enjoy. He has every right to be however he choses in any given situation. Life isn't always about putting yourself forward to be accepted by everyone. Maybe thats what you do, but again, that's your choice as it should be. What Noel produces and puts up here on YT is his choice, as it should be.
@@s35bonanzapilot84 seriously get over yourself.. All I pointed out was that he has poor interactions with his fans, it's called criticism and he puts himself in public with these videos and and as such will face criticism... which is my choice...
Loved this episode, thanks mate. 😊😊
Great channel and content Noel, both entertaining and informative. Keep up the good work!!
Glad you enjoy it!
Null-r-bar? It's null-a-bore. I actually find it kinda funny to hear people mispronounce places in Australia.
I'm not even Aussie and kills me hearing people saying 'Cairns'
He's a northerner, they are not known for their ability to speak normally
There are certain places that most people who have an interest in this sphere we live on know how to pronounce, even if they've never actually been there. Nullabor is one of those places! Some of us even know that the name is derived from the Latin for "no tree".
@@frederickvondinkerberg7721you're right bruv he doesn't even know what apple and pears are fam u get me?
You can get rid of the 'fam' part, only people with the IQ of an underripe turnip talk like that