– 2 nights aboard The Ghan Expedition from Adelaide to Darwin or vice versa

– All-inclusive meals, fine wines and beverages

–  A regionally-inspired menu paired with a selection of local wines

– Immersive Off Train Experiences in Marla, Alice Springs and Katherine

Marla (only from Adelaide to Darwin)

While you may not have heard of outback town Marla before, it’s fair to say it’s worth the early start just to see the sunrise over this South Australian desert landscape.

Located closer to Alice Springs than Adelaide, Marla is just shy of 1000 kilometres into the journey. The train arrives in the dark and guests are welcome to step off to stretch their legs as the sun light slowly bathes the surrounding outback, and start their day with a steaming mug of coffee and bacon and egg roll.

Take a moment to enjoy the stillness on this short 45 minute stop with the promise of the day stretching before you. Re-board the train (you can even hop back into bed!) and brunch will be served from 10am.

Alice Springs:

– Simpsons Gap discovery walk: A four kilometres walk through a magical location where important elements of flora, fauna and Indigenous culture come together.

– Desert Park: Exclusively guided walking tour to unravel ancient cultural stories, breathtaking landscapes, mysterious animal life and geological marvels. The Nocturnal House will bring you the lives of desert animals closer, especially the iconic bilby and mala.

After a spectacular free flight bird show you will be allowed to get close and personal with the birds and trainers during a private training session. See the resident dingoes before viewing a film on desert evolution on the big screen or alternatively take time to enjoy some retail therapy in the gift shop

– Alice Explorer: Visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base to learn about the vital medical care the service provides to thousands of Australians living in Outback Australia.

– Spend some time at the Reptile Centre, where you will meet Terry the Saltwater Crocodile and a range of other scaly friends such as goannas, frillneck lizards and thorny devils.

– Travel by coach to the historical precinct of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Here you’ll learn about day to day life of the first European settlement in Alice Springs and how the station played a pivotal role in bridging the isolation and communication gap between remote Australian towns. Established in 1872 to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide, it is the best preserved of the 12 stations along the Overland Telegraph Line.

Optional upgrade:

1. Spirit of Mt Gillen Helicopter flight: The helicopter flight will take you up and over Alice Springs to experience amazing views of Simpsons Gap – one of the most prominent water holes in the region – Mt. Gillen Ridgeline and the Larapinta Trail.

It’s only from the air that you’ll experience the sheer magnitude of this ancient and timeless land. Absorb the spirit of the Outback as your pilot reveals its mystery through detailed commentary.

Don’t forget your camera to capture memories of these unique and unforgettable landscapes that will last forever. After your flight, enjoy a swim in the pool or the hotel facilities while you wait for your transfer back to Alice Springs Rail Terminal. This really feels like a touch of luxury in the centre of Australia.

Cost per person: AUD 225 will be payable direct to the Hospitality Attendant (limited availability). If you choose this experience, you will not be able to participate in the included Off Train Experiences.

2. Pyndan Camel Tracks

The ride begins at Pyndan Camel Tracks yards and travels into White Gums Station. The track follows an avenue of Iron Bark and Mulga trees, across a clay pan flat, and climbs a slight incline to reach sweeping views across the MacDonnell Ranges through Temple Bar Gap.

Keep your eye out for kangaroos and wallabies, birds and lizards and don’t forget your camera for those spectacular panoramic landscape views.

Hop off and wander through the camel museum, or purchase your own memento of your camel experience from the quaint souvenir shop. Relax and listen to the sounds of surrounding bushland as you sit back with a cool drink and cuisine inspired by flavours of the bush.

Cost per person: AUD 80 will be payable direct to the Hospitality Attendant (limited availability). If you choose this experience, you will not be able to participate in the included Off Train Experiences.

Katherine:

– Nitmiluk First Gorge Art Cruise: As a more relaxed cruise experience, your guide will share some of the ancient secrets of the region as you gently cruise down the First Gorge, witnessing the awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs and sheer drops that reach amazing heights.

Listen to Dreamtime stories about the creation and significance the Gorge played in the lives of its traditional owners, the Jawoyn people.

Take a short walk to the top of the First Gorge to visit a stunning Indigenous rock art site where artwork remains even after thousands of years exposed to the elements. These works are ancient evidence of the existence of the Jawoyn culture in the area during the last Ice Age.

– Nitmiluk Gorge Cruise: Cruise down Katherine River as the large rock formations of the Gorge tower over the calm water. Nitmiluk is home to the Indigenous Jawoyn people and many of their stories centre around the Gorge.

Calls of the cicada resonate across the water between the massive sandstone cliffs while you cruise down the First and Second Gorges listening to stories about how the Gorge came to be named. The sheer walls of the Gorge, etched by time and the elements, are home to a myriad of plant and animal life, much of it unique to this area and all playing a role to the lives of its traditional owners.

A walk of approximately 500 metres over rocky terrain is required in both directions between the First and Second Gorges. It is suggested a good level of mobility is required to participate in this experience.

Optional upgrade:

1. Nitmiluk Gorge Helicopter flight

While science suggests that this stunning landscape was carved over the millennia by the elements, the traditional owners of the land, the Jawoyn people, believe that the Gorge system was created by Bula. The most important figure in Jawoyn dreaming stories, Bula and his two wives hunted across this land and in doing so he transformed the landscape through his actions.

Take a helicopter flight to fully appreciate the sheer enormity of the river. As you fly over all 13 gorges, see if you can follow the path of Bula as you move through the region as he did. A view from the air is the best way to appreciate the complexity of the system that makes up Nitmiluk Gorge.

Cost per person: AUD 80 will be payable direct to the Hospitality Attendant (limited availability). If you choose this experience, you will not be able to participate in the included Off Train Experiences.