The Ghan Gold Premium introduces a new standard of train travel

Traverse Australia surrounded by lavish creature comforts in The Ghan’s Gold Premium carriages.

Whisking passengers through the Australian outback for almost a century, The Ghan has undergone countless upgrades since its first cross-country journey in 1929. While its amenities and cuisine continue to evolve with the years, the whimsical and romantic air associated with this tried and true way of travel remains rock solid.

The Ghan is a sightseer’s holy grail—an all-inclusive train ride spanning the southern and northern coasts of Australia, cutting through rarely explored terrain to bring you the best sunsets and skylines the country has to offer.

With the inclusion of Gold Premium, embark on a familiar route with the added luxuries of ultra-modern cabins, Gold Premium dining and lounge, all-inclusive Off Train Experiences and newfound travel essentials such as silk eye masks.

the ghan crossing a river — Travel the southern and northern coasts of Australia in luxury.

Cocoons of comfort

Switch off from the outside world and embrace the updated art deco cabins, home to exquisite brass detailing and plush fixed furniture with all the bells and whistles. The redesigned Gold Premium carriages feature Woods Bagot designs that pay tribute to painter Albert Namatjira’s lasting legacy of stunning artistic landscapes, and his impact seeps through the cabins and out to the newly designed lounge and dining carriages.

There are two variations of cabin configuration: Gold Premium Twin and Gold Premium Suite .

The Gold Premium Twin features comfortable lounges that convert to sleeping vessels when the desire to snooze becomes overpowering; the Gold Premium Suite comes fitted with a train-sized double bed for those who prefer to spread out a bit when they enter their REM cycle. Both options come complete with cosy cotton bedding and, as touched on, those enviable silk sleep masks that will soon become a staple in the getting-ready-for-bed routine. Keep an eye out for complementary amenities tucked away in the ensuite bathrooms attached to each cabin. Each cabin comes well-equipped with powerpoints.

the ghan gold premium twin cabin — The Gold Premium Twin features comfortable lounges that convert to sleeping vessels.

All-inclusive access

Both the twin and suite cabins give passengers access to some significant perks found aboard The Ghan.

For social butterflies, the Gold Premium Lounge is a mingler’s delight. Make use of the all-inclusive drinks menu and settle into the elegant booth-style seats that line the spacious carriage. From there, it’s only a matter of time before fellow rail riders will be regaling those around them with tales of their travels, either over a morning coffee or an evening cocktail.

Alternatively, bring a book for travel inspiration and perch on a chair near the window to lean into the serenity of a train ride. There’s no wrong way to ride The Ghan and everyone is free to move at their own pace.

Over in the Gold Premium Dining carriage, a feast awaits. From a berry-topped brioche in the morning, to a two-course, locally sourced lunch and a four-course dinner to round out the day, including regional and seasonal dishes like grilled Murray Bridge pork loin or a fragrant buffalo curry, nary a stomach will be left rumbling as you glide across the outback. As the carefully crafted menu is included in the train fare, there’ll be no reason to fret about choosing one or the other—when in doubt, get both.

Turn dinner into a buzzy affair and pair succulent dishes with the appropriate wines for an evening of merry bliss, before retiring to the cabins for a much-needed reunion with the eye mask.

the ghan gold premium diner — The Gold Preium diner offers a new luxury.

Off-train exploration

The Ghan isn’t merely a mode of transport – it’s a destination en route to the next. Included in the Gold Premium packages are a smorgasbord of off-train experiences that serve as an opportunity for legs to be stretched and sights to be seen.

For those travelling from Adelaide to Darwin, spend time in Marla and Katherine. Coober Pedy awaits those on the Darwin-to-Adelaide route, providing an opportunity to explore the opal capital of the world.

Regardless of which way the train is headed, passengers will stop in Alice Springs, often considered the centre of Australia. Here, along with a range of land-based experiences, there’s an optional upgrade available to join a 15-minute helicopter flight , providing a birds-eye view of Simpsons Gap, Mount Gillen Ridgeline and the Larapinta Trail all with expert commentary on what you’re seeing from the pilot. Another option is a guided camel tour through the MacDonnell Ranges.

For those on The Ghan Expedition, the star-soaked dinner at the Old Telegraph Station is a definite highlight, where the sky comes alive and each course is more delectable than the last.

dinner at the Old Telegraph Station with the ghan — Don’t miss the star-soaked dinner at the Old Telegraph Station.

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.

The Ghan is introducing the gold standard of train travel