Great Southern Rail Journey: Everything You Need to Know Before You Book
Of Australia’s great long-distance trains, the Great Southern is probably the one travellers know least about. The Ghan has the Red Centre, the Indian Pacific crosses an entire continent, while the Great Southern train Australia takes a rather less obvious (but fascinating) route through the south-east of the country.
By the way, we think the Great Southern is pretty good looking with the engines resplendent in a burnt ochre yellow!
It is also the new kid on the block. The first Great Southern train Australia left Adelaide for Brisbane in December 2019, making it considerably younger than its better-known stablemates. There’s an interesting reason for its summer timetable too. The Ghan traditionally takes a break during the hottest months in central Australia, allowing rolling stock from the same fleet to head south and operate the Great Southern train instead. And what a route it takes.
The Adelaide to Brisbane train doesn’t simply head in the general direction of Brisbane. It leaves South Australia, travels through Victoria, heads north towards through New South Wales, includes an excursion to Canberra, continues north before reaching its destination, Brisbane – the state capital of Queensland. The journey covers almost 2,900 kilometres across 3 days and 2 nights.
The journey south from Brisbane is longer, across four days and three nights and follows a different itinerary. After crossing into New South Wales by rail, the Great Southern reaches Coffs Harbour before continuing through the Hunter Valley region, with experiences including Port Stephens or Newcastle. The train then travels into Victoria, passing through the state’s High Country and offering the choice of Melbourne or a regional Victoria experience, before continuing west into South Australia and arriving in Adelaide.
Be careful to choose the itinerary that fits your time, budget and interests because both are unique in their own way, particularly when it comes to the off-train excursions.
So, if you’re considering the Great Southern train, what do you actually need to know before booking?
What is the Great Southern train?
The Great Southern is one of Journey Beyond’s experiential Australian rail journeys, alongside The Ghan and Indian Pacific. The important word there is experiential.
This isn’t simply an overnight train with a restaurant car attached. Your accommodation, meals, drinks and a programme of Off Train Experiences are wrapped into the journey. In that respect, it’s probably better to think of it as a touring holiday by rail.
When does the Great Southern operate?
This is the first thing we’d consider when planning a Great Southern holiday because its season is very short. The Great Southern train Australia operates during the Australian summer, with departures in December, January and February. The current Adelaide to Brisbane timetable has the train leaving Adelaide on Friday morning and reaching Brisbane on Sunday afternoon. That limited season is one of the reasons availability can disappear surprisingly quickly. The reverse journey has trains leaving Brisbane on Monday’s./
LOCO Journeys Travel Tip: If you have a particular date or cabin in mind, we’d be looking at the Great Southern around 12 months ahead. Journey Beyond offers Advance Purchase fares from six months ahead, subject to availability, but we wouldn’t interpret that as meaning you should wait until six months before travelling. By then, some dates and cabin types may already be difficult to secure.
If the train is the main reason for your Australian holiday, secure your Great Southern train first and build everything else around it. Don’t wait – chat to us now about availability.
What will I see travelling from Adelaide to Brisbane?
This is where the Great Southern gets interesting. After leaving Adelaide, the train travels through the Adelaide Hills before heading into Victoria and the Grampians, a major mountain range and national park in Victoria,, renowned for dramatic sandstone peaks, rich Aboriginal rock art, and hiking. Depending on the programme selected, experiences here can include exploring Halls Gap, walking to Venus Baths, enjoying views across the region or sampling local wines.
Next comes an excursion to Australia’s capital city, Canberra, where the focus changes completely. Current experiences include some of the capital’s major attractions such as Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and National Portrait Gallery.
Then, on your final day, you’re on the New South Wales coast around Coffs Harbour, with coastal experiences before rejoining the train for the journey north to Brisbane.
It’s an odd combination when you see it written down – the Grampians, Canberra and Coffs Harbour – but that’s actually one of the things we like about this journey. You’re seeing three very different sides of Australia in as many days.
What will I see travelling from Brisbane to Adelaide?
Travelling south from Brisbane gives you a different Great Southern experience. The first major stop is Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales coast, where the subtropical landscape and ocean provide a relaxed start to the journey. Depending on the programme selected, experiences here can include time around the coast, beaches and surrounding hinterland.
From Coffs Harbour, the Great Southern continues south through New South Wales to the Hunter Valley region. Here, the choice of experiences broadens considerably, with options that can include the Hunter Valley wine country, Port Stephens or Newcastle. It is another change of scenery, moving from the coast into one of Australia’s best-known food and wine regions.
The journey then continues into Victoria, travelling through the state’s High Country before another choice of experiences. You can spend time in Melbourne or opt for a regional Victoria experience, giving you the chance to see a very different side of the state before rejoining the train for the final journey west towards Adelaide.
Coffs Harbour, the Hunter region and Victoria make for quite a mix – and, just like the journey north, that’s part of the appeal. Over four days and three nights, you’re not simply travelling from Brisbane to Adelaide; you’re seeing several very different parts of eastern and southern Australia along the way.
What’s included aboard the Great Southern?
Quite a lot, which is important when comparing the fare with an ordinary train journey.
Accommodation aboard the train, all meals, wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks are included, along with the scheduled Off Train Experiences.
Food is a big part of the experience. Meals are regionally inspired and paired with Australian wines, and there’s plenty of opportunity to spend time in the lounge between meals and excursions.
So while the initial fare may look expensive compared with simply flying from Adelaide to Brisbane, it’s not really a fair comparison. This is your accommodation, sightseeing, meals, drinks and transport rolled into one.
What are the Great Southern cabin options?
There are now quite a few choices, ranging from the traditional Gold cabins through to the new top-end suites.
Gold Twin is what many travellers choose and for good reason. During the day you have seating beside the window and at night the cabin converts to upper and lower berths. You also have your own compact ensuite with toilet, basin and shower.
And when we say compact, we mean compact. This is a train, after all.
There is also Gold Single accommodation for solo travellers.
Gold Premium sits between Gold and Platinum, with refurbished cabins plus access to dedicated Gold Premium lounge and dining carriages and some upgraded inclusions.
Platinum provides considerably more space, with a larger cabin and a different level of onboard service.
Then there are the new Aurora and Australis Suites, introduced at the very top of the range. These offer separate living and sleeping areas and take Australian rail accommodation into quite different territory.
LOCO Journeys Travel Tip: Don’t assume you have to upgrade. Gold Twin gives you the complete Great Southern experience and you’ll spend plenty of time elsewhere – eating, enjoying the lounge or exploring off the train. If having more private space is important to you, however, then Gold Premium and Platinum are worth considering.
Frequently asked questions about booking Great Southern train journeys
What should I pack for the Great Southern?
Pack for what you’ll be doing off the train as much as what you’ll wear onboard.
You’re travelling in the Australian summer and getting off to explore along the way, so comfortable walking shoes, lightweight clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat are sensible.
A light layer is worth adding too. Air-conditioning and changeable weather can occasionally make things cooler than you might expect.
For dinner, and time in the lounges, smart casual is absolutely fine. People generally make a little more effort in the evening, but you don’t need formal wear.
One other practical point: checked luggage is stored separately and isn’t accessible during the journey, so keep medication, chargers, toiletries and anything else you’ll need for your nights aboard in your cabin luggage.
Will I spend the whole journey sitting on the train?
No, and this is an important distinction between the Great Southern and a conventional long-distance rail journey.
There is certainly time to sit back with a drink and watch Australia go past – which is part of the attraction – but the included Off Train Experiences break up the journey considerably.
On the Adelaide to Brisbane journey, you’re off exploring the Grampians on day one, Canberra on day two and the Coffs Harbour region on your final morning.
Travelling Brisbane to Adelaide, the journey extends to four days and three nights, with experiences along the New South Wales coast around Coffs Harbour, followed by the Hunter region and then Melbourne or regional Victoria before continuing to Adelaide.
If you’re concerned that three or four days aboard a train might be too much, we’d say the Great Southern is actually one of the easier Australian rail journeys in this respect. There’s a good balance between time aboard the train and time spent getting out and exploring along the way.
Who travels on the Great Southern?
It’s a mixture. There are international visitors, Australians seeing more of their own country, rail enthusiasts, couples celebrating something special and solo travellers. Generally, though, these journeys attract people who aren’t in a hurry.
The lounge and dining cars are naturally sociable and it’s quite normal to get chatting to other passengers over dinner or a drink. Equally, there’s no requirement to spend the entire journey making new friends. Your cabin provides somewhere private when you want some quiet time.
Is the Great Southern a luxury train?
Yes, although we think the word luxury sometimes creates the wrong picture. Don’t expect the enormous bedrooms of a luxury cruise ship, particularly if you’re travelling Gold. The real luxury is the way the journey works.
You unpack once. Someone else does the driving. Meals appear without you having to find a restaurant. Drinks are included. When it’s time to explore, your Off Train Experience has already been organised.
Then you get back aboard and carry on to somewhere completely different.
That’s a pretty good way to travel almost 2,900 kilometres.
Is Brisbane to Adelaide the same journey in reverse?
No, and this is worth knowing before choosing your direction. As already outlined, the current Adelaide to Brisbane called “East Coast Adventure” is three days and two nights, while the Brisbane to Adelaide journey called “Coastlines and Capital Cities” is four days and three nights. The latter includes a different programme travelling through New South Wales and Victoria before finishing in Adelaide.
LOCO Journeys recommends you don’t choose purely according to which city you’d prefer to start in. Look at the experiences offered in each direction first.
Is the Great Southern train worth it?
The team at LOCO Journeys think the Great Southern is a terrific train adventure, taking you to new destinations previously not included on Australia’s famous rail itineraries. What’s not to love!
The Great Southern has a very different feel from The Ghan and Indian Pacific. It doesn’t have the vastness of the Nullarbor or the drama of travelling through Australia’s Red Centre. Instead, you’re getting a changing mixture of mountains, cities, countryside and coast, with several very different destinations packed into a relatively short rail journey.
If you simply need to get from Adelaide to Brisbane, absolutely not. Fly. But nobody books the Great Southern train Australia because they need transport between two cities. You book it because you want the train to be part of the holiday.
It’s also a good option for travellers who have already experienced The Ghan or Indian Pacific and are wondering which Australian train to do next.
How far ahead should I book the Great Southern?
We recommend you book earlier than you might think. Start looking around 12 months before you want to travel, particularly if your dates aren’t flexible. As the Great Southern only runs for around three months of the year, there simply aren’t that many departures. Add Christmas and New Year holidays, international visitors and Australians travelling during summer and some dates can fill a long way ahead.
At LOCO Journeys, we can book the Great Southern as a standalone journey, but we can also make rather more of it. Add a few days in Adelaide. Continue your holiday from Brisbane into Queensland. Combine it with another Australian rail journey. Or simply let us work out how the Great Southern fits into a wider Australian itinerary. The important thing is to get the train booked first.
If the Great Southern Train Australia is on your wish list, send us your travel dates and plans. We can check the rail options, talk through the different cabin choices and help put together an Australian rail holiday that actually works.
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