Latest news with #JourneyBeyond
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A trip on The Ghan is billed as one of the world's greatest train journeys
I'm enjoying dinner under the stars at the old Alice Springs telegraph station – one of the highlights of my trip on The Ghan – when suddenly the lights go out and the haunting sound of a didgeridoo can be heard emerging from the darkness. It's a brief moment of pure magic. I'm going south, a journey of almost 3000 kilometres from Darwin through the heart of the red centre to Adelaide. It's an all-inclusive trip with food, drink and off-train excursions, which you select from a range of options at time of booking, included in your fare. It's the extra touches that help make the excursions a highlight of the trip. At the Alice Springs dinner, we're treated to camel rides, a blacksmith, a live band, and marshmallows for toasting over a bonfire. I also have a picnic lunch at Simpsons Gap during a trip to Standley Chasm, and visit Nitmiluk Gorge, the opal town of Coober Pedy and the Breakaways. Journey Beyond, which owns this and several similar services, including the Indian-Pacific, has the tourist-train model down to a fine art. Dining is gourmet, the wine list top-notch. Our crew is efficient, enthusiastic and, here's the clincher, genuine – no phony jingoism or pretentious service, just real people doing a job they love, and doing it very well. For the first part of the journey, my gold-class twin cabin has a comfy bench seat that attendants convert into a bed while I'm off having a pre-dinner snifter, a dinky bathroom with a (very efficient) shower and luxe toiletries, a big window, room for my carry-on bag (bulky luggage is checked in), subtle lighting and a book nook next to the bed. Between the excursions, socialising and eating, however, there's not much downtime. I barely touch my stack of books. Our crew is efficient, enthusiastic and, here's the clincher, genuine – no phony jingoism or pretentious service, just real people doing a job they love, and doing it very well. The Queen Adelaide dining car is all etched glass and art deco ambience. Menus feature produce from the regions we pass through, with crocodile dumplings and grilled saltwater barramundi among the dishes on offer. The train has 715 passengers on board (at capacity it can carry 730), so it definitely helps to like mixing with strangers. Dining tables are shared, and the comfy club car promotes convivial interaction over a cocktail or two. I meet mothers and daughters, couples on honeymoons or celebrating 40th wedding anniversaries, groups of grey nomads, solo adventurers. The more pals you make, the richer the experience. After Alice, I am switched to Platinum class. My cabin is bigger, though a bit shabbier, with twin beds and a large, very smart bathroom. The combined dining and club car is sleek and modern, with the option here of a private table. It's nice but I find myself pining for my old Gold experience, which felt so much more train-like.
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
A trip on The Ghan is billed as one of the world's greatest train journeys
I'm enjoying dinner under the stars at the old Alice Springs telegraph station – one of the highlights of my trip on The Ghan – when suddenly the lights go out and the haunting sound of a didgeridoo can be heard emerging from the darkness. It's a brief moment of pure magic. I'm going south, a journey of almost 3000 kilometres from Darwin through the heart of the red centre to Adelaide. It's an all-inclusive trip with food, drink and off-train excursions, which you select from a range of options at time of booking, included in your fare. It's the extra touches that help make the excursions a highlight of the trip. At the Alice Springs dinner, we're treated to camel rides, a blacksmith, a live band, and marshmallows for toasting over a bonfire. I also have a picnic lunch at Simpsons Gap during a trip to Standley Chasm, and visit Nitmiluk Gorge, the opal town of Coober Pedy and the Breakaways. Journey Beyond, which owns this and several similar services, including the Indian-Pacific, has the tourist-train model down to a fine art. Dining is gourmet, the wine list top-notch. Our crew is efficient, enthusiastic and, here's the clincher, genuine – no phony jingoism or pretentious service, just real people doing a job they love, and doing it very well. For the first part of the journey, my gold-class twin cabin has a comfy bench seat that attendants convert into a bed while I'm off having a pre-dinner snifter, a dinky bathroom with a (very efficient) shower and luxe toiletries, a big window, room for my carry-on bag (bulky luggage is checked in), subtle lighting and a book nook next to the bed. Between the excursions, socialising and eating, however, there's not much downtime. I barely touch my stack of books. Our crew is efficient, enthusiastic and, here's the clincher, genuine – no phony jingoism or pretentious service, just real people doing a job they love, and doing it very well. The Queen Adelaide dining car is all etched glass and art deco ambience. Menus feature produce from the regions we pass through, with crocodile dumplings and grilled saltwater barramundi among the dishes on offer. The train has 715 passengers on board (at capacity it can carry 730), so it definitely helps to like mixing with strangers. Dining tables are shared, and the comfy club car promotes convivial interaction over a cocktail or two. I meet mothers and daughters, couples on honeymoons or celebrating 40th wedding anniversaries, groups of grey nomads, solo adventurers. The more pals you make, the richer the experience. After Alice, I am switched to Platinum class. My cabin is bigger, though a bit shabbier, with twin beds and a large, very smart bathroom. The combined dining and club car is sleek and modern, with the option here of a private table. It's nice but I find myself pining for my old Gold experience, which felt so much more train-like.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Michelin meals on trains, in-flight sleeping pod rentals: Fancy travel's next stops
This story is part of the June 28 edition of Good Weekend. See all 21 stories. Let the good times roll Love the thought of rolling through Great Britain's bucolic beauty without the petrol stops? Belmond's Britannic Explorer will take luxury on British tracks to the next level when it launches in July with 18 sleeper suites. The train will offer three-night itineraries across three destinations – Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales. Expect lots of tea, and modern British cuisine overseen by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan. Three nights all-inclusive starts from £11,000 ($22,900) per person, based on twin-share accommodation. If you want the Rolls-Royce of trains, go for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – another one from Belmond. Its new Paris-to-Tuscany route launched in May, departing Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to arrive in Castello di Casole three nights later. It's priced from £9350 per person. This train also recently unveiled the L'Observatoire – a luxury sleeper carriage with interiors by artist JR – priced from, wait for it, £80,000 ($167,000) a night for double occupancy. Closer to home, in April next year, Journey Beyond will release its 'next-level platinum' cabin class on select trains. The Aurora and Australis suites (which you can find on The Ghan and the Indian Pacific) will be the Adelaide-based brand's most luxurious offering yet. The Aurora Suite is priced from $7990 per person ($11,890 per person for the slightly larger Australis Suite) on the two-night, three-day Adelaide-to-Darwin trip aboard The Ghan in November 2026. Take me to the river Along with expeditions, river cruising is the fastest-growing sector in the cruising category. Australian Pacific Touring started out doing local bus tours before branching out into overseas cruises. In April this year, APT launched Solara, followed by Ostara in June. The near-identical ships have 77 suites across three cabin categories, and hold 154 passengers and 60 crew. The sweet spot is the Balcony Suites, offering full-length, electric slide-down windows opening onto a French-style deck. Choosing APT means you'll never have to explain a flat white, or ask for the Vegemite while sailing on the Rhine, the Main or the Danube. An eight-day cruise from Munich to Amsterdam starts from $7645 per person in a Balcony Suite. Viking River Cruises began in 1997 with just four river ships; today, it's a juggernaut with about 80, mainly in Europe but also on the Mississippi and the Mekong. But the most immediate growth is scheduled for Portugal – with ships planned for the Douro River – and Egypt, where Viking plans to have 10 ships on the Nile by the close of 2026. These include Thoth, from October this year, hot on the heels of Amun, which is set to debut in September. Both cater for 82 guests and 48 crew. Our value pick is the 22-square-metre Veranda Stateroom, where, for $14,795 per person, you can book the 12-day 'Pharaohs & Pyramids' cruise. Loading Talking of next-generation river ships, Tauck is preparing to debut MS Serene in early 2026. The ship holds 124 guests and 41 crew, and will focus on the River Seine. A sibling, the slightly longer MS Lumière (for 130 guests and 44 crew), will be released at the same time. Both ships feature a large sundeck with a pool and bar area, plus The Retreat – a fitness centre, massage room and lounge area encased by floor-to-ceiling windows. An 11-day Bordeaux, Paris and The Seine cruise sailing in 2026 is priced from $10,990 per person on MS Serene. The pointy end Cathay Pacific became one of the few airlines to offer the privacy of a sliding door on its airline's business-class seats from late last year. While it's more of a sliding screen (you can see over the top), it still creates a 'cocoon in the sky' vibe. Each of Cathay's refurbished B777-300ERs has 45 business- class Aria Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, with all-aisle access. The seat is 53.3 centimetres wide, with a bed length of 190.5 centimetres when it reclines to fully flat. But it's the ultra-high-definition screen that has the biggest 'wow' factor. At a whopping 60.9 centimetres, it's perfect for film buffs. The Aria Suites are only on Cathay's refitted 777s and to date, only a handful have been refreshed. Cathay flies daily between Hong Kong and Sydney, London and Beijing. Business class is always expensive, but Webjet data for 2024 shows the airline was one of the most competitively priced options. Emirates has refitted 19 of its 120 B777-300ERs from nose to tail. Earlier this year, it began flying its refurbished four-class 777s between Dubai and Melbourne, putting its new 'Game Changer' first-class suites, with fully enclosed floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, on an Australian route. There are three flights daily between Melbourne and Dubai: two on refurbished A380s, and one on the refurbished 777 (flight number EK405). The 42 business-class seats are set out as 1-2-1, and are 52.6 centimetres wide, stretching to 199.6 centimetres when flat, and there's a 58.4-centimetre entertainment screen. Air New Zealand unveiled its first refurbished 787-9 Dreamliner last month and it flies between Auckland and Brisbane, Rarotonga, Vancouver and San Francisco. The airline has gone from having among the worst business-class seats to an acclaimed product across two pointy-end options – Business Premier (22 seats) and Business Premier Luxe (four seats) that come with sliding privacy doors. Seats in both areas are 54 centimetres wide, reclining to 203 centimetres when flat. An option to look out for 2026 is Air NZ's innovative SkyNest, which will only be available for economy passengers. SkyNest is the airline's bunk-bed-style sleeping pod, where you can book a four-hour session to lie down for considerably less than you'd pay for a business-class seat.
The Age
27-06-2025
- The Age
Michelin meals on trains, in-flight sleeping pod rentals: Fancy travel's next stops
This story is part of the June 28 edition of Good Weekend. See all 21 stories. Let the good times roll Love the thought of rolling through Great Britain's bucolic beauty without the petrol stops? Belmond's Britannic Explorer will take luxury on British tracks to the next level when it launches in July with 18 sleeper suites. The train will offer three-night itineraries across three destinations – Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales. Expect lots of tea, and modern British cuisine overseen by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan. Three nights all-inclusive starts from £11,000 ($22,900) per person, based on twin-share accommodation. If you want the Rolls-Royce of trains, go for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – another one from Belmond. Its new Paris-to-Tuscany route launched in May, departing Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to arrive in Castello di Casole three nights later. It's priced from £9350 per person. This train also recently unveiled the L'Observatoire – a luxury sleeper carriage with interiors by artist JR – priced from, wait for it, £80,000 ($167,000) a night for double occupancy. Closer to home, in April next year, Journey Beyond will release its 'next-level platinum' cabin class on select trains. The Aurora and Australis suites (which you can find on The Ghan and the Indian Pacific) will be the Adelaide-based brand's most luxurious offering yet. The Aurora Suite is priced from $7990 per person ($11,890 per person for the slightly larger Australis Suite) on the two-night, three-day Adelaide-to-Darwin trip aboard The Ghan in November 2026. Take me to the river Along with expeditions, river cruising is the fastest-growing sector in the cruising category. Australian Pacific Touring started out doing local bus tours before branching out into overseas cruises. In April this year, APT launched Solara, followed by Ostara in June. The near-identical ships have 77 suites across three cabin categories, and hold 154 passengers and 60 crew. The sweet spot is the Balcony Suites, offering full-length, electric slide-down windows opening onto a French-style deck. Choosing APT means you'll never have to explain a flat white, or ask for the Vegemite while sailing on the Rhine, the Main or the Danube. An eight-day cruise from Munich to Amsterdam starts from $7645 per person in a Balcony Suite. Viking River Cruises began in 1997 with just four river ships; today, it's a juggernaut with about 80, mainly in Europe but also on the Mississippi and the Mekong. But the most immediate growth is scheduled for Portugal – with ships planned for the Douro River – and Egypt, where Viking plans to have 10 ships on the Nile by the close of 2026. These include Thoth, from October this year, hot on the heels of Amun, which is set to debut in September. Both cater for 82 guests and 48 crew. Our value pick is the 22-square-metre Veranda Stateroom, where, for $14,795 per person, you can book the 12-day 'Pharaohs & Pyramids' cruise. Loading Talking of next-generation river ships, Tauck is preparing to debut MS Serene in early 2026. The ship holds 124 guests and 41 crew, and will focus on the River Seine. A sibling, the slightly longer MS Lumière (for 130 guests and 44 crew), will be released at the same time. Both ships feature a large sundeck with a pool and bar area, plus The Retreat – a fitness centre, massage room and lounge area encased by floor-to-ceiling windows. An 11-day Bordeaux, Paris and The Seine cruise sailing in 2026 is priced from $10,990 per person on MS Serene. The pointy end Cathay Pacific became one of the few airlines to offer the privacy of a sliding door on its airline's business-class seats from late last year. While it's more of a sliding screen (you can see over the top), it still creates a 'cocoon in the sky' vibe. Each of Cathay's refurbished B777-300ERs has 45 business- class Aria Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, with all-aisle access. The seat is 53.3 centimetres wide, with a bed length of 190.5 centimetres when it reclines to fully flat. But it's the ultra-high-definition screen that has the biggest 'wow' factor. At a whopping 60.9 centimetres, it's perfect for film buffs. The Aria Suites are only on Cathay's refitted 777s and to date, only a handful have been refreshed. Cathay flies daily between Hong Kong and Sydney, London and Beijing. Business class is always expensive, but Webjet data for 2024 shows the airline was one of the most competitively priced options. Emirates has refitted 19 of its 120 B777-300ERs from nose to tail. Earlier this year, it began flying its refurbished four-class 777s between Dubai and Melbourne, putting its new 'Game Changer' first-class suites, with fully enclosed floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, on an Australian route. There are three flights daily between Melbourne and Dubai: two on refurbished A380s, and one on the refurbished 777 (flight number EK405). The 42 business-class seats are set out as 1-2-1, and are 52.6 centimetres wide, stretching to 199.6 centimetres when flat, and there's a 58.4-centimetre entertainment screen. Air New Zealand unveiled its first refurbished 787-9 Dreamliner last month and it flies between Auckland and Brisbane, Rarotonga, Vancouver and San Francisco. The airline has gone from having among the worst business-class seats to an acclaimed product across two pointy-end options – Business Premier (22 seats) and Business Premier Luxe (four seats) that come with sliding privacy doors. Seats in both areas are 54 centimetres wide, reclining to 203 centimetres when flat. An option to look out for 2026 is Air NZ's innovative SkyNest, which will only be available for economy passengers. SkyNest is the airline's bunk-bed-style sleeping pod, where you can book a four-hour session to lie down for considerably less than you'd pay for a business-class seat.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- The Guardian
The ultimate WA adventure: small-group tours into the heart of the outback
Incredible experiences and natural wonders await in every region of Western Australia…if you know where to find them. A small-group tour with expert guides at the helm can take you deeper into this extraordinary land and bring every destination to life. Outback Spirit tours don't just take you to see the sights – they invite you to experience them. These carefully curated tours are designed for curious travellers looking for authentic ways to journey beyond the well-trodden attractions and discover the state's hidden gems. Tour through the Kimberley region. Photograph: Outback Spirit Journey through the wilderness of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Golden Outback in comfortable, purpose-built 4WD vehicles to get safe, unrivalled access to these outback regions. Handpicked lodgings – including exclusive safari camps – mean you'll end every day in comfort, surrounded by the wilderness that brought you here. In the otherworldly Kimberley region, one of Earth's last true frontiers, ancient landscapes unfurl in vivid red and ochre hues. Outback Spirit's flagship tour of the region includes a stay at Ngauwudu Safari Camp, an eco-retreat nestled at the gateway to Mitchell Falls (Punamii-Uunpuu). Ngauwudu Safari Camp, Mitchell Plateau. Photograph: Outback Spirit Cruising the Horizontal Falls (Garaan-ngaddim). Photograph: Journey Beyond – Horizontal Falls (Seaplane Adventures) You'll explore some of Australia's most astonishing terrain – the tiered pools of Mitchell Falls are a standout – and cruise the Horizontal Falls (Garaan-ngaddim) before marvelling at the surreal shapes of Purnululu National Park's Bungle Bungle Range, a World Heritage-listed site sculpted by wind and water over 350m years. Explore Purnululu National Park's Bungle Bungle Range. Photograph. Outback Spirit Along the way, expert guides illuminate the deep cultural significance of each site, sharing Aboriginal stories that bring these landscapes to life. Whether you're exploring on foot, or by helicopter, boat or 4WD, Outback Spirit's all-inclusive tours invite you to forge a more meaningful connection with the region. In the Pilbara, Karijini National Park offers a striking contrast: plunging red gorges and towering, spinifex-covered plateaux stretch toward a boundless sky. You'll walk through rock chasms formed over 2bn years, swim in pristine waterholes and experience the awe and quiet grandeur of country (the area is culturally significant to the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga peoples). To get there, you'll journey along the spectacular Coral Coast Highway to hang out with dolphins at Monkey Mia, snorkel at Ningaloo Reef (Nyinggulu) and cruise between the cliffs of Yardie Creek. Fortescue Falls in the Pilbara. Photograph: Outback Spirit Whether you're exploring the North West, or heading south into the Pilbara and Coral Coast, your journey will take you to Broome (Rubibi). If you're there between March and October, you may get to see the extraordinary Staircase to the Moon, a natural optical illusion caused by the full moon reflecting off the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay (Yawuru Nagulagun). Outback Spirit's South Western Explorer tour reveals a very different side of Western Australia – one of vibrant wildflower displays, soaring forests and the vast expanses of the Golden Outback. You'll walk beneath towering karri and tingle trees on the Ancient Empire walk, and delight in the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, where suspended pathways lead through the forest canopy. In Kalgoorlie (Karlkurla), you'll delve into the gold rush past before standing in awe of Wave Rock (Katter Kich), a 2.7bn-year-old granite swell shaped like a breaking ocean wave. And in the coastal gem of Esperance (Kepa Kurl), you'll be greeted by dazzling white-sand beaches, clear turquoise waters and wild, windswept beauty. In the Margaret River Region, gourmet indulgence takes centre stage, with lunch and tastings at a renowned local winery. To cap it off, you'll spend a night in the port city of Fremantle(Walyalup), visit the WA Maritime Museum – home to the legendary Australia II racing yacht – and cruise up the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan) to Perth (Boorloo). There's a dream adventure waiting for everyone in Western Australia. Discover more at
