Ummmm.......in WA we get a free return (or two single trips one way) per annum Pauline on our Centrelink Card for travel. This can be on bus or train to any destination in WA serviced by our public bus/rail system. This is the first time we have ever used it although we could have done so before.

By the time you add the cost of accomodation and car hire though it is not what I would call cheap compared to taking an RV of some sort, but still enjoyable and not having to drive to and from the destination was nice, also the accomodation.

which is the one you can take your car acrross to perth? i wouldnt mind doing that one day, just me and talk my little mazda 2 have a couple weeks in perth, i have relies over there, and then take my time across the nullabour..
and just stay in caravan parks or the odd motel if needed.. i might think about that for next year..

I have rellies in Perth too. Love to get there some day.

It's a great State Beth, but like anywhere in Oz try to pick the right time of the year (not that this always works, lol) for whatever part your going to stay in.

Worth a change now and then Gerty, I did the Perth/Sydney train trip many times in my Army days, but then they discovered it was cheaper to fly you over and didn't take as long, so now they do that for anyone going home on leave or on postings etc.

The train trip Perth to Bunbury a couple of years ago was good too, I had forgotten about that, we met up with Delta18's there and had a nice day out etc.

Last year we also went on Gulflander when we went to Normaton/Karumba and absolutely loved it.

I forgot to mention earlier that when in Kalgoorlie we visited the Royal Flying Doctor base at the airport, was very interesting and well worth a visit (includes the planes in the hangar etc), but the Broken Hill one we did last year was much better.

 

-- Edited by Vic on Saturday 8th of October 2011 06:57:52 PM

Sounds good Beth, love the name of the train!   My cousin live in Lower Wonga (Gympie).

Years ago there was a lot of talk about a predatory female whom these days would be called a "cougar" who loved young men, she was called "Grandma from Gympie".

Hi Vic - glad you enjoyed the trip . We love train travel but it is expensive without some type of discount.

pauline wrote:

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Beth you are always going somewhere doing something, great to see, keep up the good work.

Cheers

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  Thanks Pauline, I try. I'm really itching to take the caravan out, but still waiting for a couple of jobs to be done. Patience is a virtue, they say.

And Vic, that's funny. maybe I should take over the job!

 

-- Edited by Beth54 on Sunday 9th of October 2011 01:38:34 PM

Beth54 wrote:

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And Vic, that's funny. maybe I should take over the job!

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 That was one of the stories told around happy hour when I was in the Army in PNG.

We had a lot of Queenslanders with us including from around that area, and they would talk about how "Granny" would try to pick them up at a pub in Gympie (probably succeeded to after they had a few drinks and she looked more beautiful and younger, lol !)

I did meet a similar "cougar" once they called the "Black Widow", not to sure why, but that was in Liverpool in Sydney.......so being a "cougar" is not a modern thing !!

 

Beth54 wrote:

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There's a real 'black widow' doing time somewhere, not sure if USA or here. You might have had a lucky escape!  

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 I was thinking about it and I think the reason she was called the Black Widow was because she was a widow and wore black all the time.  She had a daughter too that used to join her in her escapades........Don't think she was interested in murder though, far from it! lol

No Colsa, they are fixed, however the twin seats swivel to face in the opposite direction if travellers (eg; family of 4) want to face each other.  

As the trip is a day trip (7 hours) there is no real need for sleepers.  The seats recline and have head rests, also plenty of leg room so very comfortable for nodding off.  I noticed some people had their own pillows, but you don't really need them.

The also have special areas for anchoring wheel chairs for anyone in them, and a disabled toilet.  The Prospector only does the Perth/Kalgoorlie return run, the Indian Pacific that goes from Perth to the East Coast has sleepers etc.

I found the Prospector to be more comfortable than any aircraft I've flown in and heaps more leg room, the trip seems to go by in no time.  When they aren't showing movies the ceiling mounted TV screens show the forward trip of the train, they must have camera's mounted on front of the train, so you can see what is going on at the front as well as through the side windows.