If you love train travel, this Australian journey ticks all boxes

The train: Great Southern, Brisbane to Adelaide

• The journey Brisbane to Adelaide with stops in Coffs Harbour; Newcastle, Port Stephens or Hunter Valley; and regional Victoria or Melbourne.
• Duration Four days and three nights
• Distance 2885 kms
• Carriages 28
• Passengers 236 (max)
• Crew 38

The train

This train has two personalities: For most of the year it’s The Ghan, the iconic rail journey between Adelaide and Darwin that’s been in operation since 1929. Come summer, after a change of uniform for both the staff and the train, it becomes the Great Southern, swapping desert landscapes for east coast beaches, wine country and gentle countryside. On this journey, the first on the Brisbane to Adelaide route in the 2025/26 summer season, I’m one of 211 passengers on the 1626-tonne, 711-metre, 28-carriage train.

The station

Boarding for the serpentine Great Southern is at Acacia Ridge freight terminal. It’s not the kind of starting point such a romantic journey demands, so check-in is off-site at the historic 155-year-old Hanworth House in East Brisbane. Under a marquee in its pretty garden, we nibble delicious sweet and savoury pastries, drink locally roasted Merlo coffee and fresh juices to the sounds of Melbourne guitarist and singer Max Garcia-Underwood, who’ll be our musician-in-residence for the journey. It’s an elegant pre-boarding experience that sets the tone. Once everyone is checked in and the formal welcome is complete, we board coaches in our assigned carriage groups to make the short trip to the station in south-west Brisbane. The coaches line up to our specific carriages, which is a good thing, as the heavens open just as we arrive.

The class

I’m in Gold Premium, the class between the luxurious Platinum and the very comfortable Gold. Each class has its own lounge/bar and dining carriages, so the only mixing is via the off-train excursions when everyone travels together. While Gold has a charming vintage Australiana vibe, Gold Premium is all refined Australian design. As well as the upmarket look and feel, it offers exclusive benefits such as additional checked luggage weight and premium dining.

The cabin/compartment

If you’re thrilled by train travel, there’s nothing quite as exciting as exploring before your luggage and personal items inevitably clutter the space. Gold Premium offers private twin cabins and every compartment is laid out identically: there’s a compact wardrobe behind the door, narrow shelves, a mirror and a light on one wall, standard and USB charging outlets for devices (although no in-room Wi-Fi), and a Tardis-like ensuite that looks tiny but manages to have enough room to do everything you need to comfortably, with the help of high-quality La Gaia toiletries that add a touch of hotel-style luxury.

Space is limited, obviously, but a small table by the window offers a place for resting a book or a drink. I have carry-on luggage only, so my small suitcase is easily stowed. Larger suitcases can be checked and retrieved at the end of the journey, a handy option for international passengers or travellers with longer itineraries. By the time I’ve checked out all the nooks and crannies and set myself up to read by the window, I’m itching for the train to finally start moving.

The dining and lounge cars

Two carriages along from my compartment are the lounge and dining cars, so I soon get used to the wobbly dance required when navigating the moving carriages. The lounge has a curved bar at one end and is fitted out with leather banquettes and swivel chairs in the same refined style as the cabins — elegant, but no great distraction from the colour and movement outside the windows.

One carriage on from the lounge is the dining car, which offers elegant tables of four. Cooking in a tiny kitchen where open flames are forbidden and the movement of the train hinders working with precision is like attempting a culinary obstacle course, but the Great Southern’s chefs rise to the challenge. At every sitting there are tempting offerings from a small well-chosen menu that wouldn’t be out of place in any fine dining restaurant. Dietary needs are noted at booking, but the kitchen is flexible enough to adapt the menu to suit.

Breakfast is my barometer of quality and the choices are excellent. There’s a range of eggs with all the sides on the menu, but I opt for corn fritters with avocado and a bean-and-tomato salsa one morning, overnight oats with berries and good sourdough toast with jam on another. In the evenings, the wine list and cheese platters are loyally South Australian, complementing the modern Australian menu.

The excursions

The Great Southern’s signature off-train experience is an unforgettable beginning to the journey. A private beach-side dinner at Charlesworth Bay, near Coffs Harbour, the evening begins with a sunset didgeridoo performance on the beach and a welcome to Country by Gumbaynggirr artist Matthew Flanders before a feast of Yamba prawns, Nambucca oysters, and line-caught snapper under the stars. Further down the coast the next day there are sea, city and wine country options. I choose the Hunter Valley and our excursion includes Brokenwood wines, a paired wine and chocolate tasting at Tulloch and lunch at Twine restaurant. In Melbourne, choices include some of the city’s key highlights (NGV, Old Melbourne Gaol or MCG, all with lunch at Eureka 89) or a winery visit near Geelong.

Chill time

I could spend all my time in my cabin enjoying the views and the gentle rocking of the train, but the need for Wi-Fi draws me to the lounge. I soon abandon all thoughts of work, as there is such a friendly atmosphere I can’t resist joining in. Before I know it, I’m drinking an espresso and chatting to my fellow guests about the day’s activities.

The service

Service is everything on a trip like this. From the glass of sparkling wine in my cabin on arrival, to the offer of a nightcap, it’s less about formality and more about genuine hospitality. I notice many small kindnesses — conversations facilitated, personal preferences noted. When I ask for my bed to be arranged so I’m facing the window and can see out at night, it’s an easy fix. Menu additions or subtractions, no problem at all. The staff are mostly young, enthusiastic and professional.

The verdict

Beautiful scenery, fine food, friendly service, good company and the cosy feeling of being rocked to sleep by the motion of the train at night. If you love rail travel, this journey ticks all the boxes.

Essentials

The Great Southern operates from December to January, departing Brisbane every Monday and arriving in Adelaide four days later (vice versa from Adelaide on Fridays for three days only). Fares are all-inclusive, including off-train experiences, onboard entertainment, unlimited beverages and nine meals, starting at $3790 per person (Gold Premium). See journeybeyondrail.com.au

Our rating out of five

★★★★1/2

On track

A signature dinner by a secluded beach under fairy lights? Yes please!

Off track

The windows on the train are fixed, so there’s no opportunity to feel the wind in your face as it speeds through the countryside.

The writer travelled as a guest of Great Southern and Journey Beyond.