24th Feb 2011: Indian Pacific drama - Oh Dear… Track washed out!
Clattering our way eastward towards Adelaide through the night I fail to notice (due to being deeply asleep) that we had stopped or that an announcement had been made over the tannoy explaining why - to me the morning was just a stationary wet 6.30am… Walking through the Lounge car down to the restaurant car for cooked breakfast ($8.95) I enquired as to why we had stopped and the answer was interesting - the track ahead of us had been flooded and it would be some time before we would know what was going to happen… Soon however, we were under way again in the same direction, a promising sign ;) as we pull away I tuck into my breakfast which is pretty good with thick bacon and good portions but I make the effort to try ’Vegemite’, a quick pre-taste shocks my taste buds but I am assured that having it with cheese is the best option, so toast coated in vegemite and a free additional slice of cheese and bizarrely it works J Vegemite and cheese tastes good on toast!!
After breakfast, while relaxing with a flat white, just 30mins later we have stopped again as it continues to gently rain outside (Which is VERY unusual for this area) and the news is that there is a ‘Major drama’ ahead in that the track has been washed away 4 hours ahead of us so badly that it is going to take 4 days to fix!! This means that we are returning to Kalgoorlie (A mining town famous for having the largest open cast gold mine in the world and more than 18 bars to cater to the miners needs. We had stopped here for a tour ($30) last night at 10pm but I was already fast asleep by then after a glass of wine ($8) so did not attend). Arriving at Kalgoorlie, we stop allowing time to disembark and explore the town. Finally, from Kalgoorlie it is likely that the train will be continued to Perth returning through the landscape that I had missed during the night time travel… Well life is an adventure and you can never guarantee that trains will run 0_0’ So, on to ‘plan B’… Now… What was plan B again??
Still the atmosphere on the train is resigned joviality but discussion starts on how people will get to Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, after all many people on the train are not on world trips but have to get to places by a certain date… Options seem to have included: a 4 day drive, trying to book flights with Jetstar or waiting for passage on another train after 4 days…
We are fortunate in that the staff of the Indian Pacific were organised and all passengers were spoken to in regards to their future travels.
On returning to Perth Eastern station I am met with the news that my flight to Adelaide will in fact be via Melbourne!! So my flight is 11pm on the 26th with a 50min connecting flight to Adelaide on the morning of the 27th. We all stand around on the platform discussing our itineraries and finding out that people have been booked on a range of flights while some have complete refunds and are organising onward travel themselves… For those of us staying in Perth tonight the company have organised accommodation at two good hotels with large AC rooms and creature comforts J but no transfer to the airport 0_0
Overall I was pleased with the work of the cabin crew of the train and I empathised with them regarding the difficult job they had informing the passengers of the future transfer plans… Luckily for me the YHA hostel in Adelaide was already aware of the cancelled IP train and so re-arranged the dates of my stay.