Review: Indian Pacific Gold Class, Perth to Sydney

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It’s a crisp autumn morning in southern Australia when I get the invitation to hop a flight to Perth to ride the iconic Indian Pacific rail service back across the country to Sydney.

The air at home is cool and fresh, and jumpers have long since been awoken from their hibernation in the bottom drawer. For me, boarding the Indian Pacific at East Perth Rail Terminal is not unlike pulling one of them over my head for the first time of the season; there’s a comforting sense of familiarity involved. I rode the Indian Pacific’s sister train, The Ghan, from Adelaide up to Darwin three years earlier — and many aspects of the Indian Pacific are identical: same carriages, same lounge and dining cars, and the same impeccable service from our cabin attendants. Amongst the many things that operator Journey Beyond Rail does well, staff recruitment and training possibly top the list.

Watch our video of this experience: 

INDIAN PACIFIC Gold Service, Perth to Sydney, Australia 2024 | Cabins, Dining, Off-Train Experiences

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Much water has passed under the rail bridge since my trip on The Ghan. It was pre-pandemic; masks were worn only by medicos and social distancing was something you did at a party to avoid an ex. Interest rates were low and the country was running on all economic cylinders. Yes, a lot has changed, but as I settle in on the Indian Pacific and sip my first glass of bubbles in the Outback Explorer Lounge, it’s a welcome relief to put the worries of the world to one side and just enjoy this experience — be it same-same, or otherwise. Time will tell.

The Indian Pacific covers a whopping 4,352 kilometres on its transcontinental journey between the Western Australian and New South Wales capitals, and makes four or five stops for passenger off-train experiences — including in the South Australian capital Adelaide. The trip is a thousand kilometres longer than on The Ghan and currently takes four days. It’s set to increase to five days from 2025, which will enable additional stops to be added to the schedule, including in SA’s Barossa Valley and the heritage mining town of Broken Hill in outback NSW. Current stops in Kalgoorlie, Cook, and the Blue Mountains will be retained.

I’m travelling in a Gold Twin Cabin, which would ordinarily sleep two guests in spacious bunk beds (top and bottom). During the day, the beds fold away, and the cabin is configured with a comfortable three-seat lounge and side table. The wood panelling and gold light switches give the space an old-world feel. There’s a petite-but-fully-functional ensuite bathroom, a half wardrobe, and space to store a reasonable amount of luggage (the train requests that full-size suitcases be checked in for the duration of the trip). Iron your evening wear before leaving home and bring it on board in a suit pack. Smart casual attire such as linen pants and light pullovers will serve you well. Gents, it’s not mandatory, but pack a sports jacket to jazz things up.

All meals and drinks on board the Indian Pacific are included in the cost of your fare. The Art Deco-styling of the Queen Adelaide Restaurant cars salutes the golden age of rail travel and is suitably sumptuous; think brocade curtains with gold trim, etched glass dividers between tables, a pressed metal ceiling, and starched white tablecloths and napkins to match. Lunches are generally two courses, dinners — three, and the presentation is extraordinary given you’re dining on a train and kitchen space is presumably limited. Breakfast will stand you in good stead for the day and comes complete with barista-made coffee.

Each table in the restaurant car seats four, and if you’re traveling alone you’ll likely be seated with other guests for at least some of your meals. It’s a nice opportunity to mix and mingle, and I meet some fascinating fellow passengers over the course of the trip — including a lovely lady who served as Bob and Hazel Hawke’s cook at Kirribilli House! Hazel was partial to a good family roast. Aren’t we all.

The remaining hours of your day drift by in a dream-like way. Enjoy a beverage in the bar, curl up in your cabin with a good book, or just gaze out the window lost in thought as the kilometres fly by. Somehow the Indian Pacific manages to polish off an entire continent before your very eyes.

The off-train experiences are efficiently executed and mostly memorable. To be honest, the late-night stop in historic Western Australian mining mecca Kalgoorlie on day one feels a bit odd, as we board coaches for a tour of the dark and largely deserted town centre. The Indian Pacific’s upcoming change of schedule will mean a morning visit to Kalgoorlie — making it much easier for passengers to appreciate the town’s impressive cache of period architecture. We swing by the Super Pit, which is interesting to see — even in the dark. This huge open cut gold mine operates 24-7, and huge dump trucks (which look like Tonka toys from our vantage point) haul ore up from the mine floor day and night.

The following day, we disembark in Cook — a dusty speck in the midst of South Australia’s portion of the vast Nullarbor Plain. Cook was one of several settlements that supported the construction of the Trans Australian Railway in the early 20th century. Today it’s all but abandoned; just one or two permanent residents remain to service the Indian Pacific. Civic infrastructure like the empty school, bedraggled basketball courts, and filled in swimming pool hark back to a time when this was a thriving outback community.

Overnight, the outback morphs into the outer suburbs of Adelaide. While our stop here is relatively short (just a couple of hours) we’re given a choice of three or four off-train experiences. I decide to visit the buzzing Adelaide Central Market for a guided tour and breakfast on the go, sourced from various vendors by our informative guide. It’s delicious fun.

Departing Adelaide, we travel north-east towards the NSW border and beyond to Broken Hill. Raising my cabin blind the following morning reveals heavily frosted grazing land and the scenic splendour of the Blue Mountains in the background — our final stop of the trip. It’s beautiful-but-bittersweet, as those like myself who are taking part in one of the off-train experiences here must farewell the Indian Pacific for good (it continues straight on to Sydney). We’ll complete the final leg of the trip on a chartered public train later in the day.

At the end of an easy guided bushwalk from Scenic World in Katoomba, rugged up in one of my trusty jumpers, I gaze at the age-old splendour of the Three Sisters rock formation at Echo Point — and this incredible journey feels complete. Familiar? Yes. The same? Anything but.

Need pre-trip accommodation?

Vibe Hotel Subiaco Perth

Looking for some pre-trip accommodation? It’s easy to assume that you must stay in Perth’s CBD. Not so! Characterful neighbourhoods packed with period architecture, bustling cafes, popular pubs, and vibrant street artscapes fringe the city, and Subiaco is a textbook case. Just a ten-minute drive from the city centre (12 minutes from East Perth Rail Terminal), this leafy enclave is home to Vibe Hotel Subiaco Perth — a stylish nine-level accommodation option, with a striking decor and full suite of amenities.

The guest rooms are tastefully furnished, with well appointed bathrooms that anyone would be pleased to call their own. Fast, efficient, complimentary in-room Wi-Fi will keep you connected throughout your stay, while the in-house pool and gym will make short work of any extra holiday calories consumed.

Speaking of which, the hotel’s rooftop bar and eatery — Storehouse — turns out fabulous fare, crafted from the finest locally sourced produce. Push the boat out on the chef’s table menu and wash it all down with a delectable Velvety Blossom cocktail. The city views are sensational!

This post was published thanks to Imagine Fashion.

The writer travelled as a guest of Journey Beyond Rail and TFE Hotels.

Have you travelled on the Indian Pacific in Gold Class? Join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Additional images: Bigstock

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