traveller
OUR REGION
ALL ABOARD A sleeper train from Brisbane to Cairns
Tim Richards rides the rails on a 25hour, 1681-kilometre journey along the Queensland coast.
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lancing up from my seat aboard the Spirit of Queensland, I can see history through the windows. Landsborough Station is a classic timber railway station, and beyond it is a lovely old pub. Nearby is a neat row of Queenslanders, the traditional colonial-era houses that stand on stumps above termites and floodwater. Inside this train, however, it’s the future. For the Spirit of Queensland is not your old-fashioned sleeper train with separate compartments and bunk beds. Instead, I’m seated in a gleaming open carriage arrayed with RailBeds in a 2+1 configuration. Resembling business-class seating on a plane, these units provide leather-covered seats during the day, then convert to lie-flat beds by night. It’s a 25-hour journey along the 1681-kilometre railway that links Brisbane to
84 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine
Cairns, so that bedding will come in handy later. For the moment, though, I’m enjoying the view as the train starts its long trek north to the tropics. We left Brisbane late due to a technical problem, but that doesn’t matter – you never catch a sleeper train with a yearning for on-time precision. This is a relaxed form of transport, granting time to relax and take in Queensland’s variety as we slide though the huge state at ground level. Beyond the state capital we pass the Sunshine Coast and the impressively craggy Mount Tibrogargan, one of the Glass House Mountains. Before too long the sun sets, and an entirely different atmosphere settles upon the carriage. Except for the brief minutes spent at stations along the way, it’s pitchblack outside on this moonless night, and it seems as if we’re soaring through the void in a spaceship. To pass the time before dinner there’s an unexciting selection of TV shows and movies on the seatback entertainment system. What’s more impressive, though, is the meal. Included with the RailBed ticket, it’s delivered to our seats in airline fashion. For my three courses I’ve chosen the chickpea
and pumpkin salad, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, and an apricot and ginger cake with custard. It’s all very good and sets me up for a relaxing night’s sleep – I hope. I have some doubts about the restfulness of an open carriage with people (including me) snoring, but at least the prelude is entertaining: after dinner a staff member uses an electronic control to flip the back of the seat forward, revealing a mattress. Deftly made up with sheets and duvet, this produces a narrow bed for the night. It enables a surprisingly good sleep, helped by lying in the direction of travel. As we’ve been warned of a 6am wake-up on our approach to Townsville, I’ve set an alarm for 5.30am to get first dibs on the shower stall in the adjacent bathroom. An impressive facility, it has plenty of space for a proper hot shower. Back at my seat I realise we’ve just passed Mackay and are now running three hours late, which allows for a leisurely breakfast of cheese and chive omelette before I disembark at Townsville. I have two nights in the city before reboarding the Spirit of Queensland to continue my trip north. This time I’m seated in economy for the run of over four hours to my next stop, Innisfail. Economy