Victorias Neverending Debt Spiral

[onetrack]

The 'Ghan is far from cheap unfortunately, and I can't really see why they charge so much. They could add a few more cars and reduce the cost to a better level. At around $2500PP for the cheapest seats, it's definitely not good value, IMO. You also MUST book a long way ahead, if you want a seat, and want the best price.

 

Some say, "Oh, but, it's 3 days and 2 nights and 7 meals in a luxury moving hotel, and you're paying for the views!". However the views can get pretty boring over a lengthy distance, and 2 nights in a luxury hotel gives you more room to move, and a better bed - for probably less than $500PP. 7 meals, even at $100 a meal? - and I think the value of the Ghan still falls short.

The Ghan is not a high speed service, either, as it could be. The locos are speed limited to 115kmh, and they often only cruise around 100-105kmh - on the more open sections. The average speed for the whole trip is 85kmh.

 

From Greece (Athens), we went to Turkey (by air - Sabiha Gokcen, Instanbul), then to Cairo, then 1st class (air - Qatar Airways) to Doha, then business class on a B777, Doha to Perth. That flight from Doha to Perth was a special, it was only $1900 - and it remains the best flight I've ever been on. 34 seats in business and only 9 occupied! Meals cooked to order (no set menu) and the best lay-flat seats (complete with inbuilt massage!) that I've ever laid in! 10 hrs of pure bliss!

 

Edited September 28 by onetrack

[Jerry_Atrick]

@ $2,500 per person, I convert to £ and it doesn't seem so bad 😉

 

My brother did the Ghan in winter I think and loved it.. The views of the Kimberley's apparently were stunning.. and it does most of their travel at night, stopping at selected stops during the day for tours, etc., and are included in the price. 

 

Those sort of train journeys are never going to compete with alternatives, and they are marketed for the unique experience, I guess. I thought about taking the Orient Express, once.. But forget it: https://www.orient-express.com/la-dolce-vita/search-itinerary

 

With: 

 

The Ghan is not looking bad. Admittedly, the Orient Express looks a mighty fine train to take. 

 

 

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Blimey those YT algorithms are clever.. this came up in my feed : 

 

[onetrack]

The Ghan doesn't travel through the Kimberley region, so someone has misled your brother. The region it does travel through is the more heavily timbered, semi-tropical region between Darwin and Katherine, but that area has nothing on the Kimberley region, which is in the far North of W.A.

 

The Kimberley region possesses some of the most stunning and most remote areas of Australia, including the Mitchell Plateau, the Horizontal Falls, the Ord River and the Ord River Dam, Parrys Lagoon, the Gibb River Road, and Purnululu (the Bungle Bungle Ranges). 

[red750]

Dan's statue

 

[facthunter]

Jeff Kennet  specified the Conditions and Dan Qualifies. Ironic and the Libs are pissed off, but too bad.. That's how the cookie crumbles.. They'd be better devoting some time to the Shambles their Victorian Party is in.. Nev

[spacesailor]

It appears. 

NSW fills it's coffers  by way of the  motorist .raking in mutimillions monthly. 

It's the biggest " cash cow " here.

spacesailor

[red750]

[Jerry_Atrick]

Throw any pollie's statue in the mix

[facthunter]

The Murdoch media is revving this one up..   Nev

[red750]

On a news update on Ch 7 -

 

The Allen Labour goverment says it has no funds to cover a billion dollar blowout in the Metro Tunnel project.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Have you got a reference for that as the only thing I could find is an AFR headline thst says the taxpayer has to cover the latest budget blowout.. which is stating the flaming obvious as the tax payer funds everything public 

[red750]

As I said, it was from a Channel 7 newsbreak in a commercial break during an evening program I can't recover it or post a link.