The "Spirit of the Outback" train from Longreach

[Mattg]

I visited Longreach a few weeks ago to check out what's new at the Qantas Founders Museum (I'll talk a bit about this shortly). I flew to Longreach on QantasLink, but for the return trip I booked a ticket on the "Spirit of the Outback". Operated by Queensland Rail Travel, this train runs twice a week from Longreach to Brisbane, stopping in at lots of towns along the way. I took the train as far as Rockhampton.

When I booked, the sleeper cars were all sold out so there were only seats in the sitting cars left for sale. From Longreach to Rockhampton, I paid $87 which I didn't think was too bad, given I booked only a few days in advance.

I thought I'd write a mini trip report here.

 

[Mattg]

Firstly, a few comments about Longreach.

@samh004 and I already covered Longreach and the Qantas Founders Museum in our trip report from last year, so I won't repeat everything here. But I do enjoy visiting Longreach, it's a great community and for an outback museum, the Qantas Founders Museum really punches way above its weight!



I attended the Luminescent Longreach experience in the evening, which has proven hugely popular. The museum is now also putting on an "upper deck sunset experience" on Tuesdays & Thursdays for small groups, where you watch the sunset from the platform looking over the planes and enjoy champagne, nibbles and the Luminescent Longreach show to finish off!

You're not allowed to film the Luminescent Longreach show, but I did take this photo when they were setting up:



The museum is also now home to the mock-up 747 upper deck Captain Cook Lounge that was built for the Qantas centenary safety video. Normally the public is not allowed into the lounge, but they made an exception for me






Anyway, if you haven't already been to Longreach or the Qantas Museum, I highly recommend it.

 

[Mattg]

Now onto the train journey. The train departed Longreach at 10am, and it wasn't at all full at my end of the train. Although the sleeper compartments were all occupied, there were only 4 of us in the sitting carriages! Apparently there were lots of cancellations due to border closures...

The train must have had around 10 carriages, although I didn't count them exactly. There was a locomotive at the front of the train, followed by a luggage car, staff car, a few sleeper carriages, a couple of restaurant/bar carriages and finally two sitting cars.

 

[Mattg]

There were two sitting cars. One had a 2-1 seating configuration, while the rear carriage had a 2-2 configuration. I’m not sure why they were different, but I do note that none of the seats in the rear carriage were occupied at any stage of the journey.

This was my carriage:




And the rear carriage:



The window blinds could be adjusted or fully raised.

When booking online, you’re able to choose your preference of an aisle, window or individual seat. I selected “individual” and was allocated one of the solo seats by the window, which was great.

The seat was comfortable and had ample legroom.



There were toilets at the rear of the carriage and a shower at the front of the carriage, although towels aren’t provided. I didn’t try out the shower.

A restaurant was available in the next carriage. Food and drinks were available for sale until around 9pm, when the restaurant closed for service until the following morning. You could choose to sit and eat in the restaurant car, or take your purchase back to your seat. Most people ate in the restaurant car for the change of scenery - after all, the full trip from Longreach to Brisbane takes 26 hours!



I thought the menu was reasonable and well-priced.

 

[AIRwin]

Looks like COVID perspex screens?

 

[Mattg]

It's a pleasant, scenic (although at times, barren) trip through outback Queensland.

This photo was taken just after departing Longreach:



But the train is very slow! It seemed to travel at around 50km/h most of the way, and it made quite a few long stops at the various towns we passed through.

The 700km trip from Longreach to Rockhampton took 15 hours, meaning a departure time from Longreach of 10am and an arrival time in Rockhampton of 1am the next morning. The train doesn't make it to Brisbane until around noon the next day.

The first stop was at Barcaldine, home to the Tree of Knowledge where the Australian Labor Party is said to have been founded.



We stopped for so long in Barcaldine (around half an hour) that I had time to walk into town and have a cup of coffee!



The next stop was Jericho…



Followed by Alpha…



We passed through some interesting scenery between Alpha and Anakie as we winded our way through Hannams Gap, just as the sun began to set.



We didn't actually stop in Anakie, but I did visit that town on another trip last year. You can see my comments and photos from Anakie, including quite possibly the best road sign in Australia, here: Road trip to Outback Queensland

We arrived in Emerald around 7.30pm, where a few more passengers joined the train for the overnight journey to Brisbane.

I had butter chicken and a glass of white wine from the restaurant car for dinner, which was quite acceptable.



Despite running early for pretty much the entire trip up to Rockhampton, we pulled into the station in Rocky about 15 minutes late. I headed to a hotel for the rest of the night.

Although I enjoyed taking the train during the day, I'm not sure how well I would've slept in those economy seats if I was travelling all the way to Brisbane. I think 26 hours in the sitting car would have been a bit much for me, although I'm sure it's an excellent experience at the other end of the train!

 

[Jacques Vert]

Back in June, @Fifa, Mr Fifa, @Gem56 and I took the Spirit from Longreach to Brisbane in First Class Twin Sleepers. Quite a pleasant journey although as @Mattg says, it is very slow. The scenery out west became a little monotonous after the first couple of hours as it was all the same as the photo Mattg took just after leaving Longreach. Then not long after it became interesting around Hannams Gap, the sun set and there was little to see for the next 12 hours.

The fare for the First Class Sleepers was $427 per adult or $359 for seniors. This price includes all meals: lunch, dinner and breakfast. We found the meals were excellent however the wine choices were nothing special. Lunch and dinner were 3 courses served on crockery.

Our sleeping cars had been converted from single sleeping cars, with the partition removed between every second cabin. The result is that there is one seat facing forward and one facing backwards (contrary to the website that states all face forward). The seats are converted into a lie-flat single bed by the attendants either while you eat dinner or on request. So at night you sleep in a 'top-n-tail' layout with only a few centimetres between the ends of the beds.

Apparantly there are also Economy Single Sleepers but these are currently removed for maintenance, as is the Shearers Rest Lounge car.

All in all a pleasant trip but I have no need to do it more than once.

 

[VPS]

Back in June, @Fifa, Mr Fifa, @Gem56 and I took the Spirit from Longreach to Brisbane in First Class Twin Sleepers. Quite a pleasant journey although as @Mattg says, it is very slow. The scenery out west became a little monotonous after the first couple of hours as it was all the same as the photo Mattg took just after leaving Longreach. Then not long after it became interesting around Hannams Gap, the sun set and there was little to see for the next 12 hours.

The fare for the First Class Sleepers was $427 per adult or $359 for seniors. This price includes all meals: lunch, dinner and breakfast. We found the meals were excellent however the wine choices were nothing special. Lunch and dinner were 3 courses served on crockery.

Our sleeping cars had been converted from single sleeping cars, with the partition removed between every second cabin. The result is that there is one seat facing forward and one facing backwards (contrary to the website that states all face forward). The seats are converted into a lie-flat single bed by the attendants either while you eat dinner or on request. So at night you sleep in a 'top-n-tail' layout with only a few centimetres between the ends of the beds.

Apparantly there are also Economy Single Sleepers but these are currently removed for maintenance, as is the Shearers Rest Lounge car.

All in all a pleasant trip but I have no need to do it more than once.

I only just found out the train goes to Longreach and then this thread pops up.

@Jacques Vert thanks for the info because I think I'll do the sleeper next year. Have you done the Ghan and if so was it similar facilities for beds and showers

 

[Jacques Vert]

I only just found out the train goes to Longreach and then this thread pops up.

@Jacques Vert thanks for the info because I think I'll do the sleeper next year. Have you done the Ghan and if so was it similar facilities for beds and showers

Haven't done the Ghan so can't comment.

If you want to do the sleeper next year you should be booking about now!

 

[PineappleSkip]

There were two sitting cars. One had a 2-1 seating configuration, while the rear carriage had a 2-2 configuration.

Many years ago, QR offered first and second class sitters as well as first and second class sleepers on the 'lander trains. First class was 2-1 and second class was 2-2. Not sure why the two types are on spirit of outback, possibly all that was available.


Cheers skip.

 

[auspal]

Perfect timing for this review, we are flying to Longreach from Brisbane at the end of September on Qantaslink, then do a 9 day tour of Longreach, Windorah, Birdsville, Bouila and Winton and have a first class sleeper back from Longreach to Brisbane on the Spirit of the Outback.

 

[Mattg]

Perfect timing for this review, we are flying to Longreach from Brisbane at the end of September on Qantaslink, then do a 9 day tour of Longreach, Windorah, Birdsville, Bouila and Winton and have a first class sleeper back from Longreach to Brisbane on the Spirit of the Outback.

Sounds like a wonderful trip!

 

[VPS]

Does anyone know how long in advance you can book the sleeper from Brisbane to Longreach - I looked at several dates in June and July next year and it said they weren't any available but wondered whether maybe you just can't book yet. It's on my list to give them a call

 

[Spinifexhound]

I only just found out the train goes to Longreach and then this thread pops up.

@Jacques Vert thanks for the info because I think I'll do the sleeper next year. Have you done the Ghan and if so was it similar facilities for beds and showers

In Ghan Gold twin you have your own facilities-nifty shower, basin & loo. If you get a Single cabin you still have a basin but shower is at the end of the carriage. Have done both and while the Single was ok to deal with, the twin wins in terms of ease and convenience!

 

[FishFood]

I'm booked in for August, so looking forward to the sleeper all the way from Longreach to Brisbane.

 

[auspal]

I'm booked in for August, so looking forward to the sleeper all the way from Longreach to Brisbane.

The bed is a bit squishy but ok, I managed to get a decent sleep. The food and service on the train is outstanding, we thoroughly enjoyed it and would do it again. Lovely scenery along the way too at times.

 

[FishFood]

I finally managed to take this journey for myself this week, I can advise against staying in Longreach Outback Adventures if you are staying overnight in preparation for the journey.

It was overall a very pleasant experience much like the Spirit of Queensland railbeds. I also went on an XPT sleeper which was much nicer in the cooler months.

 

[Mattg]

I can advise against staying in Longreach Outback Adventures if you are staying overnight in preparation for the journey.

Why is that?

 

[FishFood]

Why is that?

The accommodation is bare bones and poorly maintained, I would have paid the $100 per night increase for standard motel accommodation on reflection

 

[Townsend]

We stayed at the Saltbush motel opposite the airport. The motel was ok but the cabins were very good. So much so that Alan Joyce was two doors down!