There is a stretch of track on the Nullarbor Plain — 478 kilometres of it, to be precise — that is the longest straight railway line in the world. No curves. No towns. No trees worth mentioning. Just the train, the track, and a horizon that never seems to get any closer.
That stretch is the heart of the Indian Pacific, and it tells you everything you need to know about what kind of journey this is.
The Indian Pacific runs 4,352 kilometres from Sydney to Perth — or Perth to Sydney — crossing the full width of the Australian continent from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. It takes approximately 65 hours. It passes through the Blue Mountains, the outback of New South Wales, the vast emptiness of South Australia, the Nullarbor, and the wheat belt of Western Australia before arriving at the edge of the continent. It is one of the longest train journeys in the world, and one of the most quietly extraordinary.
Sydney (SYD) — Where the Journey Begins
You board at Central Station, Sydney's grand sandstone terminus, and the city sends you off properly — through the western suburbs, past Parramatta, and up into the Blue Mountains before the urban sprawl has fully released you.
Give yourself time in Sydney before you board. The harbour, the Opera House, the Rocks, Bondi — the icons are iconic for a reason, and the city rewards the visitor who gets beyond them. The inner west neighbourhoods of Newtown and Glebe have a creative energy that feels nothing like the postcard version of Sydney. The food scene is genuinely world-class. And the light on the harbour in the early morning, before the city fully wakes up, is one of the great urban experiences in the Southern Hemisphere.
Then board the train, find your cabin, and watch the Blue Mountains rise outside the window as the Pacific coast falls away behind you.
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Broken Hill (BHI) — The Outback Begins
The train crosses the Blue Mountains overnight and descends onto the western plains of New South Wales, and by the time you reach Broken Hill the landscape has changed completely.
Broken Hill is one of the great outback towns — remote, self-sufficient, and shaped entirely by the silver, lead, and zinc deposits that have been mined here since 1883. The Line of Lode Miners Memorial on the ridge above the city is one of the most striking monuments in Australia. The Palace Hotel, with its extraordinary murals, is worth a visit. And the light here — flat, unfiltered, and relentless — has attracted artists for over a century. The Brushmen of the Bush, a group of painters who worked in and around Broken Hill from the 1970s, helped establish the town's reputation as an unlikely arts destination that endures today.
The Indian Pacific stops long enough for an off-train excursion. Take it.
Adelaide (ADL) — The Southern Interlude
The train dips south into Adelaide, and the change from the outback is immediate — green parklands, the ordered grid of the city centre, the cool air off the hills.
Adelaide is worth more than a stopover, but even a few hours in the city rewards the traveller. The Central Market, the art gallery, the riverbank precinct — and the knowledge that the Barossa Valley is less than an hour away, if you have the time to extend your stay. For Indian Pacific passengers, Adelaide marks the halfway point of the journey and the last major city before the Nullarbor.
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The Nullarbor — The Centre of Everything
West of Adelaide, the train crosses into the Nullarbor Plain, and the landscape becomes something that is difficult to describe to anyone who has not seen it.
The Nullarbor — from the Latin nullus arbor, no tree — is a vast, flat limestone plateau that stretches for over a thousand kilometres across the south of the continent. It is not dramatic in the way that Uluru is dramatic, or the Rockies, or the Blue Mountains. It is dramatic in a different register entirely: the drama of pure scale, pure emptiness, pure silence. The sky is enormous. The horizon is perfectly flat. The train moves through it for hours and the view does not change, and somehow that is the point.
The 478-kilometre straight — the longest in the world — runs through the heart of the Nullarbor. Passengers gather in the lounge car to watch it. There is nothing to see, and it is unmissable.
Perth (PER) — The End of the Line
The train arrives in Perth East station in the early morning, and the city that greets you is one of the most isolated major cities on earth — closer to Singapore than to Sydney, separated from the rest of Australia by the very desert you have just crossed.
Perth is also one of the most liveable. The Swan River runs through the city centre, and the foreshore is one of the great urban waterfronts in the country. Fremantle, twenty minutes south, is a port city with a distinct character — colonial architecture, a working fishing harbour, the best coffee in Western Australia, and the Fremantle Prison, which is as interesting as it sounds. The Margaret River wine region is three hours south. Rottnest Island, with its quokkas and its beaches, is a ferry ride from the city.
And the Indian Ocean sunsets, from Cottesloe Beach, are the kind of thing you plan a return trip around.
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Planning Your Journey
The Indian Pacific departs Sydney on Wednesdays and Sundays (westbound), with return departures from Perth on Sundays and Wednesdays. The full journey takes approximately 65 hours. Journey Beyond operates the service with Gold and Platinum class options — both include all meals, beverages, and off-train excursions at Broken Hill and Cook. There is no economy class on the Indian Pacific.
Book well in advance, particularly for the cooler months (May–September). The train can also be joined or left at Broken Hill, Adelaide, or Kalgoorlie, making partial journeys a practical option.
Take the Journey With You
From the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, every city on the Indian Pacific's route has its own airport code — and its own piece at YHM Designs. Explore the collections for Sydney (SYD), Adelaide (ADL), and Perth (PER). Mugs, pillows, prints — airport code merchandise for the places that stay with you.
Previously in This Series: The Ghan
Before the Indian Pacific, we followed The Ghan — 54 hours from Adelaide to Darwin through the red centre, Alice Springs, and Uluru country. Read: The Ghan: Australia's Greatest Train Journey from Adelaide to Darwin →
Next in the Series: The Great Southern
Adelaide to Brisbane, along the coast and through the hinterland. A newer train, a different pace, and some of the most varied scenery in the country. Next up in our series on great Australian train journeys: The Great Southern.
