The oldest line, the Ghan, runs from Adelaide to Darwin. It had just celebrated the 90th anniversary of the first journey it made from Adelaide to Alice Springs on 4 August 1929.
The train is impressively long. At the airport-style check-in counter, whilst sipping free glasses of Croser (Adelaide’s answer to champagne) or juice, and a singer/guitarist provided gentle, steady background music, we were assigned to our cabin. Ours was one of the five per carriage, aligned down one side of a corridor. They are snug but comfortable with a couch, fold-down table, couple of recessed shelves, two mirrors, and a large sealed window. Each has its own toilet, hand basin, and a surprisingly powerful shower. The train also has a carriage just for single travellers, with cubicles dispensed on either side of a serpentine passageway. Here, toilet and shower facilities are shared.