Just me and my mate having a laugh.

But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. I had to publish the last post before the day was finished because we were getting to NO INTERNET places.

I had a fantastic time on the Ghan and it was all down to the people I met there. Let’s face it, there’s not a lot to look at outside, This next shot was taken from my cupboard cabin during the day:

… so it was what was happening inside the train which made all the difference. To prove this, there was a couple I met from Platinum Class who felt unwelcome there, so they came down to Gold Class with us and were having a fine old time.

When I got back to my cabin after dinner and drinks, this was what awaited me:

The bed was comfy enough, but I didn’t have the best night’s sleep. The train’s movements were erratic and being in a car where there were shared toilets and bathrooms, every. time someone went to the loo in the middle of the night and let the door bang… annoying.

I don’t know if I’m the only one who does this, but when I know I have to wake up early for something, I tend to wake up every hour or so to check the time. Even though the girl looking after our carriage promised she’d knock on the door at 5:45, my brain still made me check.

So why the early start? We were getting up to watch an Outback sunrise.

When the time came, we got off the train and made our way to where the coffee was being served. There weren’t as many people there as I would have thought, considering the number of passengers on the train.

Here you can see Marla siding, with people queueing for coffee and standing around one of the fires.

Before we got off the train, we saw a fire engine go past. Safety first!

So this was what we started with.

Some people ask others to take photos for them. I, as you know, usually take selfies.

Remember how Rhoda from the Canada trip taught me how to take panorama shots? Can’t waste that knowledge.

Once the sunrise was over, I went back to my cabin. I’d been coffeed and fed with a bacon and egg slider, and I wanted to see if I could get some sleep before the train started up again. As it was, I slept for two solid hours and woke up feeling great!

It was a bit of a thrill to pass across the border into the Northern Territory. I’ve never been here before. (Only one more state to go… WA.)

Isabella from Brazil was over the corridor from me. The poor thing. She’s only 31 and had hopped on a train full of geriatrics! She is a doctor and is living in Sydney for a year to get a bit more experience in her field. Her plan was to leave the Ghan at Alice Springs and make her way to Uluru for a few days.

Our trips will overlap, so we’re hoping to catch up at the Rock. I’m hoping for her sake that she finds a younger crowd at Uluru so she can have more fun.

I tell you what The Ghan has SERVICE. I tried to find a fly net for my hat in Melbourne and couldn’t get one for love or money. Here? I mentioned it and Kylie pulled one out from behind the bar.

“Here, take it,” she said.

I was so happy.

Camel ride time!

Naturally, as an inexperienced horse and camel rider, I was placed on the biggest and widest camel. All you have are stirrups for your feet and a metal arch to hold on to.

For the first ten minutes, I was hanging on like grim death. The guy in front of me was hands-free, merrily taking videos and drinking from his water bottle like a big show-off, while I was stuck, thighs gripping the camel and my hands gripping onto the arch.

Then I realised that my phone was slipping out of my pocket. That distracted me. I grabbed it, then took a few quick photos of my surroundings.

Haha!

When I said they were quick, I meant it. Look at the angle. I was still too nervous to let go and properly feel the rhythm of the camel.

I got better as we went along, though.

It was a harch place in some ways, but when the Welsh woman on the camel behind us stopped yapping about how calm and peaceful it was… well, then it was.

At the halfway point we stopped and the woman leading the camels took photos for us, using our phones. We ambled our way back to the camel farm, where we had refreshments and then we were driven back to town.

On the way, we were taken to Anzac Hill, the highest point in Alice Springs.

Here’s a panorama shot of Alice Springs. The town is built inside a bowl, with two mountain ranges pretty much enclosing it. All of this was once under the sea. Now it’s in the middle of a continent. Isn’t it incredible?

When I got back to the hotel, I walked into my room and got a hell of a surprise:

I wasn’t expecting anything to be on my bed, so when I first saw this out of the corner of my eye, I let out an involuntary “Ahhh!”

Upon closer inspection, it looked like a wedding cake. Was I in the right room? The last time I was in a bridal suite was 37 years ago!

Then I found this on the table.

How nice! My birthday isn’t for another 4 days, but hey. I’m not complaining. Let the birthday celebrations begin!

While I was eating my fruit platter and chocolates, I messaged Georgia. Apparently, Melbourne had cyclone-strength winds and the power has been out for hours.

I guess Fortunate Frogdancer strikes again. I’m at the Hilton.

Now that I’ve finished this, I’m off to take a look at Alice Springs.

Dad joke of the day: