Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

GETTING AROUND AUSTRALIA 65
compared with the Boomerang pass
fare of A$260 (US$169).
Coupons are also good for travel to
and from New Zealand and to the
most popular South Pacific nations,
and can also be used with Air Pacific.
Zone 1 covers Western Australia; Zone
2 covers the Red Centre and Darwin;
Zone 3 covers major towns in South
Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New
South Wales, and Queensland; and
Zone 4 covers many small towns in the
east coast states, including island gateways
like Hayman Island, Hamilton
Island, and Gladstone. You must book
your first two coupon destinations
before you arrive, but you can book
the rest as you go by phoning or calling
in to any Qantas office. Another
great thing about these fares is that
they are changeable and the unused
portion is refundable; you will incur a
A$50 (US$33) fee to change destinations
after the coupons have been
issued. Many small towns and short
flight sectors, some island resorts, and
some airports served by subsidiaries of
Qantas are not covered by the passes,
but most times you can find local fares
to these places which are just as good
in value as the Boomerang pass.
BY TRAIN
Australia’s trains are clean, comfortable,
and safe, and for the most part service
standards and facilities are perfectly
adequate. The rail network in Australia
links Perth to Adelaide, and continues
on to Melbourne and north to Canberra,
Sydney, Brisbane, and right up
the coast to Cairns. There’s also a line
from Adelaide to Alice Springs and
Darwin, and some rural towns, such as
Broken Hill, also have rail services.
Trains generally cost more than buses,
but are still reasonably priced. Most
long-distance trains have sleepers with
big windows, air-conditioning, electric
outlets, wardrobes, hand basins, and
fresh sheets and blankets. First-class
sleepers have en suite bathrooms, and
meals are often included. Second-class
sleepers use shared shower facilities,
and meals are not included. Some second-class
sleepers are private cabins; on
other trains you share with strangers.
Single cabins are usually of broomcloset
dimensions but surprisingly
comfy and have their own toilet and
basin. The food ranges from mediocre
to pretty good. Smoking is usually
banned, or allowed only in the club
cars or special smoking rooms.
Australia’s rail routes are managed
either by the private enterprise Great
Southern Railway (& 13 21 47 in
Australia, or 08/8213 4592; www.gsr.
com.au), which runs the Indian Pacific,
the Overland, and The Ghan, or by one
of the following government bodies.
Traveltrain, the long-distance train
division of Queensland Rail (& 13 22
32 in Australia; www.traveltrain.qr.
com.au), handles rail within that state.
Countrylink (& 13 22 32 in Australia;
www.countrylink.nsw.gov.au)
manages travel within New South
Wales and from Sydney to Canberra,
Melbourne, and Brisbane. WAGR
(Western Australian Government
Railways; & 13 10 53 in Western
Australia, or 08/9229 2065; www.
wagr.wa.gov.au), operates trains in
Western Australia.
Outside Australia, the umbrella
organization Rail Australia (www.rail
australia.com.au) handles inquiries and
makes reservations for all long-distance
trains, with the exception of WAGR,
through its overseas agents: ATS Tours
(& 310/643-0044) in the United
States; Goway (& 416/322 1034) in
Canada; International Rail (& 0871/
201 606) in the United Kingdom; and
Tranz Scenic (& 03/339 3809) in
New Zealand.
Great Southern Railway’s Indian
Pacific links Sydney, Broken Hill,
Adelaide, and Perth in a 3-day Outback
run twice a week. Slightly less
posh but still comfortable, The Ghan
(named after Afghani camel trainers