Travelling the Old Ghan



THE OLD GHAN 

The Old Ghan Railway, originally called the Great Northern Railway, is a tale of great triumphs of pioneering Australians in a landscape of extremes.

The Human Ghan Train!
The Ghan opened the way into Australia's interior.  Unofficially called, The Ghan, it provided isolated residents with physical and emotional support being so far from civilisation.

During WWII the railway was pushed to its limits yet barely a decade after peace resumed in 1945, it was rejected. 

There are many sidings along the highway, many are dilapidated and defaced by taggers:





THE CURDIMURKA SIDING

The CURDIMURKA Siding, dating from 1888, is the last remaining station of significance left intact on the old Ghan Railway and includes station yard, water tank, fettlers' cottages and the nearby Stuart Creek Bridge, the second longest bridge.



3 O'Clock Creek Camping Ground - Dalhousie Springs 

After a lazy start to the day, our inverter was still giving us a warning message, "Bad cable connection". Same issue since day one. Keith, being a former electrician helped to work out what we could and couldn't use with the 2000 watt inverter we've got in the van. John brought in the toaster - no go; then we checked our little electric pop up kettle - no go.  Next thing - John whacked his head on the top of the door frame entering the van. Blood and a huge split across his head and I was ready to call in the RFDS. But with blue gloves on, antiseptic wipes, Betadine and suture strips we managed to get the wound closed and covered. We are both sick of being the front page news on this trip!

After a walk along the creek bed, spotting owls and "stinky wattle trees" (we all actually thought some feral campers had dumped their toilet cassettes) we enjoyed lunch and headed off the six or so kilometres to Dalhousie Springs for an afternoon of relaxation and soak. How magnificent are these springs!  Two mangy looking under-fed dingoes roamed the camping area as we arrived. My thoughts turned to Azeris and the Chamberlain family. Not Uluru but ... 

The Coward Springs are basically a small 2 metre by 2 metre ''man-made spa pool. Dalhousie was a magnificent lake-like water spring with a water temperature around 37 C.  







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