It’s all in the name. The Indian Pacific. An iconic train that trundles across Australia from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.

The train, comprising 27 carriages, will cross three states, three time zones and traverse 4,352 kilometers at an average of 85 kilometers per hour. The train guitarist, Adam, sings a familiar nursery rhyme about trains as all 183 guests excitedly climb aboard for our five-day adventure.

The adventure begins

We’re a mixed bunch from all walks of life. Some are celebrating an anniversary or special birthday. For others, like me, it’s a long-held dream.

I make myself comfortable in my Gold Premium cabin, home for the next five days. As the train pulls out of East Perth Station, it creaks and groans before settling into a gentle rocking rhythm. With the cabin lights off and venetian blind up, I relax back on the three-seater lounge to enjoy the lights of suburban Perth as they flash by. Before long, I realize it’s almost time for dinner.

I sway from side to side as make my way along the narrow wood-paneled passage to the lounge where guests sip on pre-dinner drinks. There’s a feeling of anticipation about the adventure ahead of us.

As for the food, we’re in for a treat. Pork tenderloin and saltbush potatoes washed down with McLaren Vale Orlaro Grenache. It’s delicious. Chef de partie Jess Hite and her team work long days in the narrow confines of rocky kitchens to produce fine dining meals from fresh local ingredients.

While I’m at dinner, a hospitality attendant converts my lounge into a comfortable bed and places a chocolate and sleepy tea offering on my pillow. I’m traveling alone, and the upper bunk stays folded against the back wall. I soon fall asleep to the rocking of the cabin.

A stopover in the desert

In the early morning, it’s fresh outside and we rug up for our Kalgoorlie excursion. Traveling through the mining town, I learn that the bricks used to build St Mary’s Catholic Church contain traces of gold. Gold extraction techniques hadn’t been refined in those days.

At the Museum of the Goldfields, I wander through an old miner’s cottage and take the lift to the Ivanhoe Headframe viewing platform for an expansive view of the town.

Back on board, I stare out the window, my chin resting on my hand, thoughts swirling around my head until they slow and stop. I’m mesmerized by the scarcely changing scenery, the long stretches of rusty red earth dotted with grey saltbush. Nothing stirs. An abandoned midnight-blue sedan, wheels in the air, breaks the monotony.

We pass an airstrip edged with whitewashed rocks and, much later, a group of people seemingly in the middle of nowhere, stand beside a white four-wheel drive vehicle, waving as we pass.

The quiet of the Nullarbor

The train rolls into the Nullarbor Plain. It’s a flat limestone landscape covering more than 200,000 square kilometers. Perched on the bleached grey branch of a dead tree, eyes glued to the passing train, is the symbol of the Indian Pacific. A wedge-tailed eagle. In a flash, it’s gone.

We pass Australia’s largest sheep station, Rawlinna, without seeing a single sheep, and drop a mail bag for the three residents of Forrest, a former railway settlement.

We pull in at Cook (a tiny hamlet with a population of four) for a nightcap and some stargazing while the train refuels and rewaters. I love our guide’s description of the sky as a “library of stars.”

Leaving the Nullarbor, the landscape changes again. It’s surprisingly green after recent rains.

I’ve settled into the rhythm of the train, alternating between relaxing in my cabin and chatting with fellow passengers in the lounge. Most are Australian. Others have crossed the seas. All have tales to tell.

Occasionally the train coasts to a stop. There’s a sudden stillness. Nothing moves. And then a freight train roars past.

Black-headed sheep gather in groups. Another wedge-tailed eagle, wings spread wide, glides low to the ground. A mob of dirty-looking kangaroos stand heads turned, eyes focused on the train. Now and then small ridges and low hills add interest to the scenery. Puddles of water from recent rains reflect trees and sunlight on their rippled surface.

The scenery changes yet again, the landscape coming alive with road signs, railway crossings, cars pulling caravans and road trains. We pass a wind farm and plowed fields.

Approaching the other side

The Flinders Ranges, grey shadows on the horizon, signal that we’ve entered South Australia, home to 18 wine regions. A fine wine and dining experience in the Barossa Valley is planned for tonight. Seppeltsfield Estate, founded in 1851, has been recognized as one of the World’s top 100 Vineyards for several years.

The evening begins with a welcome bubbly followed by a paired wine and canape experience. Sugar-cured Atlantic salmon and a crisp Vermentino. Roast beetroot with goats’ cheese and a ballet-slipper-pink Grenache Rosé. Smoked mushroom with basil mayonnaise and the Portuguese red wine varietal, Touriga Nacional. After dinner, we dance. It’s good to move after sitting for a few days.

I climb into bed well sated and wake in the outback town of Broken Hill. Drag performer Shelita Buffet leads a walking tour of the Silver City. Sporting a glitter-filled beard, high heels and a bright pink fluffy coat, her entertaining commentary takes in the city highlights.

From Broken Hill, we pass stark leafless trees silhouetted against the Menindee Lakes as the setting sun creates a golden glow on the horizon. As our slow rail journey enters its final stages, everything seems to speed up. Towns are more frequent. Cows graze in small misty fields. All too soon, we pull up at Mount Victoria Station for our final excursion in the Blue Mountains.

My experience begins on Scenic World’s Skyway, gliding across the valley past Katoomba Falls and the three pillars of sandstone that form the Three Sisters. Next, a ride on the world’s steepest passenger railway. Initially scary, it’s fun. Some want to do it again.

Surrounded by fog, we ascend in the cable car to lunch and a chartered train back to Sydney. Everyone agrees. The Indian Pacific was all they hoped for and more. An unforgettable journey across Australia.

For more information, go to www.journeybeyondrail.com.au/journeys/indian-pacific/