Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Through the Heart of Australia - Blogging World Tour

30 Day Blogging Challenge

We're hoping on The Ghan for one of the world's great train journeys. Travel through the heart of Australia in luxury while enjoying the all-inclusive food and beverages, well-appointed cabins and the Off Train Excursions that allow you to get a feel for the places the train travels through.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255093-d12951577-Reviews-The_Ghan...
30 day prompt, check out these links and discuss. You must discuss a minimum of 3 of the links.
https://www.pinkroadhouse.com.au/oodnadatta-track/
https://www.australia.com/en-us/places/northern-territory.html
https://alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/
https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/
we'll be dining in https://journeybeyondrail.com.au/guest-information/food-beverage/queen-adelaide-...

A map is always good: https://www.mapsofworld.com/australia/cities/

I love being in a train watching the scenery fly by. The Ghan Train allowed us to travel and wind away along the track between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin.

Seeing the grand expanse of Australia going by was amazing. It looked quite desolate, but I think that it is rather deceiving. The Desert Park in Alice Springs was highly enlightening and I learned a great deal about the desert's wildlife, plant life and the diversity that is there.

There was much to learn. So many stories to hear. We were able to:
"learn how Aboriginal people find food or medicines in the desert and how to identify some of the important plants and animals they use
discover clever adaptations of plants and animals which allow them to live in a dry environment
see endangered desert mammals and learn what is being done to save them
stroll along a dry river bed and find out why the river red gums which line it are so important to animals
learn how to identify desert birds and how they fit into the web-of-life
catch a glimpse of the Centre’s history back through four and a half billion years."

It was an amazing experience. I loved trying my hand at a new language and I am sure they are still laughing about my ineptitude, but it was great fun.

Just hearing the history of the Pink Roadhouse had me laughing. But it was worth the stop just for the the famous OODNABURGER!!!
https://www.pinkroadhouse.com.au/history/

Witnessing the sunrise and sunset over the red rocks of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was breath taking.
I can't believe we got to visit one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Uluru. Not only is it a spectacular natural formation, but it is a deeply spiritual place. We could feel a powerful presence the moment we set eyes on it.

At 348 metres high, Uluru is one of the world’s largest monoliths, towering over the surrounding landscape and some 550 million years old. It is made of sandstone, Uluru is often referred to as the heart of the ‘Red Centre’ and is one of Australia’s most recognisable landmarks. Seeing the colours change before my eyes, and getting to hear the stories of time was a priceless experience.

The unhurried capital of Darwin was a fabulous surprise with its balmy nights, colourful characters and outdoor adventures. The Aboriginal culture was strong here. There was an array of languages spoken in the streets and vibrant Aboriginal art in many of the city's galleries and museums. The city's proximity to Asia means you'll also find strong Asian influences, especially in the energetic food scene and night markets.

Blogging Circle of Friends

Day 2818: August 4, 2020
Day 4 we catch a Ghan train in Adelaide. Have you ever ridden a train? What was it like? If you haven't ridden a train what do you think it would be like?

I love trains. When I was nine the Ontario Northlander was put in and it stopped in each town on the line to give school kids a chance to check it out. I still have my memorial coin to mark the experience. It was not until two years later that I got to take the night train from our hometown of New Liskeard to Toronto, This one gave us a cabin to sleep in. When we got to Toronto we took another train to Guelph when my mother and I moved to southern Ontario.

In the summer of 1980, when I graduated from grade 8, I got to take the train to Timmins on the Ontario Northlander to see my paternal grandmother. I took the train back to Toronto from New Liskeard after visiting my maternal set of grandparents. My mother met me at Union Station in Toronto.

When I was a kid, I loved to explore the train tracks behind our house. There were iron ore pellets on the tracks. I was forever catching hell for putting them in my pockets and my mother would find them in the laundry.