All the way to WA - From desert to city

 

Day 6 July 29, 2023

 

Today marked the end of our journey on the Indian Pacific.

We began, as we had for the previous two days, with coffee in the lounge before moving to the dining car for breakfast. Following breakfast, we moved back to the lounge for another coffee and time spent reading and chatting.

The countryside had changed considerably since last night. We were now in the wheat belt of Western Australia. The land was undulating and dotted by large areas of salt lakes, a consequence of clearing the land for cropping. The crops seemed to be mainly canola, which was surprisingly already in flower.

Following lunch, it was time to pack our bags, ensuring nothing was left behind in our cabins, and say our goodbyes to our fellow travellers and the staff who had worked tirelessly to make our trip both enjoyable and memorable.

As we grew gradually closer to Perth, the terrain changed, becoming hilly as we followed the river Avon, known for its white water rafting and treacherous rock pools, until, finally, we were pulling into the Perth terminal, some 4,352 kilometres behind us, having traversed the country from east to west.

Disembarking was efficient and well organised, our checked luggage awaited us on the platform, and we were soon in a taxi on our way to 69 Surrey Road, our accommodation for the next three nights. Here we met up with the other third of our travelling party for the rest of our Western Australian adventure.

We settled into the house, ate a light dinner and shared our tales of the great train crossing and the people we had met along the way.