We’re hoping on The Ghan for one of the world’s great train journeys. Travel through the heart of Australia in luxury while enjoying the all-inclusive food and beverages, well-appointed cabins and the Off Train Excursions that allow you to get a feel for the places the train travels through.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255093-d12951577-Reviews-The_Ghan…

30 day prompt, check out these links and discuss. You must discuss a minimum of 3 of the links. I’m very aware there’s a lot of reading to do but if we were actually traveling we wold be looking things up too and trying to figure out what to see and what to skip to maximize out enjoyment.

https://www.pinkroadhouse.com.au/oodnadatta-track/

my response: We’re traveling where John McDouall Stuart explored in 1859, and it would later become the path for telegraph cables. Can you imagine how amazing it must have felt to have communication from point a to point b? We take it for granted everytime we just grab our cell phones.

https://www.australia.com/en-us/places/northern-territory.html

my response: Alice Springs was a surprise, I felt like it was mirage at first. I blinked to make sure I wasn
t imagining it. Come to find out it’s the largest city in the Northern Territory and there’s tons of art and cultural exhibits, great food and clean bathrooms. I don’t know about you but I prefer my bathroom not to be moving. Yeah, I know I’m showing my age with this comment. I felt so guilty seeing the Kangaroo Sanctuary after knowing some of our group had kangaroo for dinner. They’re so adorable, especially when the little ones pop their heads up to look around.

https://alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/

My response: It’s sad that the desert park has remained closed to the public because of covid-19.

https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/

My response: Wow, the video gave some insight how the medical services work in the remote areas of Australia. 90 years of servicing rural Australia I can’t imagine not being able to walk into a doctor’s office if needed. Though with covid, it certainly has changed a lot. My yearly physical exam is coming right up and it’s business as usual except that I have to have my temperature checked prior to entering and confirm I haven’t been in contact with anyone. But there’s a huge difference when you don’t have the same instant access to the news, to medical facilities and household necessities to maintain your safety like bleach, masks, and hand santizers.

we’ll be dining in https://journeybeyondrail.com.au/guest-information/food-beverage/queen-adelaide-…

My response: It wasn’t five star but not for lack trying. The decor was interesting. The food presentation on the plates definitely could have been what you would see in Manhattan. I’m glad there were three courses because I’m a hearty eater and the portions could have been larger especially after being outside all day. I was starving.

BCoF prompt is about Australian literature:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_literature

Scroll through the different sections and discuss things you know about authors and the topic they wrote about.

My response: My first exposure to Australian authors was a children’s writer named Ethel Turner. She wrote Seven Little Australians which takes us on the adventures with these mischievous children. Until looking it up I had no idea that it was first published in 1894 and is still in print today. How cool is that?

Alternate prompt sent by Neva. Day 4 we catch a Ghan train in Adelaide. Have you ever ridden a train? What was it like? If you haven’t ridden a train what do you think it would be like?.

My response: I have ridden a train from Trenton, New Jersey to New York City. On another trip I went from New York to Boston with the older granddaughters where we met their mother and then they rode the train back onto Maine. And other occasions I’ve gone from Portland Maine to Boston and back to do holiday shopping. My most recent trips were to meet Vic in DC when he was working there, I’d leave out of Trenton, New Jersey which is 8 minutes from my house and three hours later I would be meeting him in DC for the weekend. I love riding on trains so this part of our trip is delightful. My only complaint is the bathroom moves, what can I say I’m getting older.

I’m enjoying spending times with the ladies in the dining car, enjoying coffee and tea as we all compare our adventures.