Old Ghan Railway Tour

Old Ghan Railway Tour
From AUD AU$6,995.00
  • Duration: 6 Days (approx.)
  • Product code: 50GAS8
Old Ghan Railway Tour – Follow the Old Ghan railway line from Port Augusta to Alice Springs with Pitchi Ritchi railway to Quorn then 4WD via the Old Ghan Railway & Overland Telegraph Line (OTL), via Beltana Farina Marree via Lake Eyre shore walk, Curdimurka, Coward Springs, Strangeways, Algebuckina, William Creek, Oodnadatta, Dalhousie Springs, Mt Dare, Simpson Desert, to Alice Springs. Small Group 4WD touring from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Broken Hill, Marree, with Lake Eyre Flight  optional

Daily Overnights + Highlights

If from Sydney - via Broken Hill pickup option with Peterborough 3 gauge yard, stunning light show and overnight - please ASK 

Depart from Adelaide - Arrive day prior to visit the National Rail Museum & rail photo exhibition next day

Day 1 - Pickups from 8 am from your CBD location to visit the National Rail Museum & rail photo exhibition. Depart Adelaide 12 noon via.Port Augusta, Pt Wakefield, wind farms, Pt Pirie port and rail history, Spencers Gulf to visit the Wadlata Outback Centre then overnight Port Augusta

Day 2 - The Rail Ride - 

Ride the steam train Pitchi Ritchi Afghan Express from Pt Augusta to Quorn, Inspect steam engines, engine sheds and yards 

Depart Port Augusta railway Station 10:30 am - See the ancient Flinders Ranges landscape unfold before you on the full-day Afghan Express from Port Augusta Railway Station to the historic outback railway town of Quorn.

Travelling the old Ghan route over red earth and bluebush plains from Port Augusta, you'll watch the ranges creep ever-closer before entering the Pichi Richi Pass with its rocky outcrops, dry riverbeds and beautiful hilly scenery.

The Afghan Express is the name railwaymen gave to the passenger train that ran from Terowie to Oodnadatta, through Quorn, in 1923. In time, this was abbreviated to the Ghan. 

The railway was ultimately extended to Alice Springs by 1929. The Ghan used the Pichi Richi Railway route until 1956 when a new standard-gauge railway from Stirling North to Brachina bypassed the narrow gauge railway through the Pichi Richi Pass.

  • Half-day journey from Port Augusta Railway Station - Port Augusta to Quorn  (37 km)
  • Approximately 2 hour journey,
  • Wherever practicable, original Ghan steam locomotive NM25 and genuine timber-bodied carriages built in the late 1920s will be used
  • Diesel services use an historic Ghan locomotive, either NSU52 or NT76
  • Single (one-way) tickets are available for a one-way journey from either Port Augusta or Quorn
  • Departs Port Augusta at 10.30 am, and arrives at Quorn at approximately 12.15 pm.

On arriival in Quorn, we enjoy lunch, and an engine shed and workshop tour. Closed-in footwear must be worn on workshop tours for safety reasons.- Overnight Quorn

Day 3 - Leaving the railway yards of Quorn, we now travel by 4WD visiting railway towns and history of Hawker, Kanyaka Station, Marree Beltana, Farina, Parachilna, see the Leigh Creek coal mine site, In Marree see the Old Ghan loop & cattle yards, 2 Old Ghan engines,2 rail gauge platform, Tom Kruse “Outback Mailman” truck Tom Kruse museum and the Marree Rail History Museum, - overnight Marree Hotel

Day 4 - Travel the Oodnadatta Track following the Old Ghan track and OT line visiting active Mound Springs and railway stops enroute including to Curdimurka, Beresford and Margaret Siding to Coward Springs (hot spa available) to view the Ghan Engineers Shed and museum - Onwards to Strangeways (Telegraph Station site)  and Angedool to William Creek Rocket Park and  William Creek hotel for overnight 

Day 5 - At William Creek take a Lake Eyre flight (optional extra) then by 4WD travel Old Ghan route via Algebuckina Bridge (the largest on Old Ghan) and visit the Pink Roadhouse and extensive Railway Museum and precinct at Oodnadatta for overnight

Day 6 - Leaving Oodnadatta we head for Dalhousie Springs for hot springs swim under the palm trees. Overnight Mt Dare Hotel

Day 7 - Onwards to Finke, Rodinga Siding, Maryvale Station & Aboriginal community, Ewaninga Rock art - Overnight Alice Springs and celebration dinner

Day 8 - Morning visit to Alice Springs National Transport Museum – Optional flights home or Ghan to Adelaide or Darwin or tour to Darwin via Devils Marbles & /or Lost City - Overnight Alice Springs

 Day 9 Optional - Alice Springs optional extra day or tour to Uluru via Western MacDonnell Ranges, Meerenie Loop & Palm Valley

Our Lake Eyre component has time for an optional spectacular 1 hr flight with Warburton Groove which includes viewing Cooper Creek, Warburton Groove (the major inflows), Elliot Price Conservation Park, Campbell Point, Jackboot, Halligan & Belt Bays, Lake Eyre South, major islands & landmarks. Learn of the Marree Man giant sculpture. Visit Lake Eyre South shoreline, Mound Springs ( including “The Bubbler”) in the Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park and the old Afghan created palm grove of the old Ghan town of Coward Springs with great railway heritage. Plus Painted Hills flight option.

Includes Alice Springs Transport Museum & historic steam engines and railway steam engine workshop visit.