[Closed] The Ghan - BBC4 9pm worth watching

Watched half an hour - best Sunday night telly for weeks 🙂

Link if you missed it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bq3jnv/the-ghan-australias-greatest-train-journey

It's on my 'to watch' list.  Saw the final part of Simon Reeve's travelogue which frankly made me more depressed, which I was already cos Ice Road Truckers was supposed to be on and wasn't.

I saw some of it and could've watched it all but we'd committed to getting through the final part of one of them boxset/thrillers. What I saw on telly though (Finke River so about 20 mins either side of Alice) was ace though. Lovely cinematography, facts, observing the mundane.

I went on the Ghan overnight ten or so years back from Alice to Adelaide so naturally it jumped out on the telly EPG. I'd probably recommend three hours of this on the sofa over 20-ish hours in a not very comfy reclining seat. I did enjoy the evening hours watching the colours change, drinking beer and talking shit with some old geezers but I won't be rushing back. It makes you realise how uncrowded our crowded planet is.

I never knew the journey existed, I always thought people drove everywhere in Aus for some reason it n a Ute’ or on one of those big truck trains.

I was fascinated by the history of it, how it was built, the filming and general “feel” made Sunday eve a relaxing time.

Also the social history of the immigrants and the Aboriginal communities...

Rail travel in Australia outside of (not between) metropolitan areas is essentially a nostalgic tourist thing so it's great to see that the Ghan still runs. Air travel is much more efficient and if you're not in a rush that stick a trailer tent on the back/top of your ute and enjoy the journey.

So yeah - people mostly drive or fly everywhere except within an urban / suburban area.

Hours upon hours of not a lot but the gentle rumble of train wheels on tracks and very sporadic chat from the Driver/crew.

The program is better than the trip. As above I did half the journey but Alice to Darwin in the cheap seats.

there is a lot of nothing out there. Drove down the west coast and there is not a lot there either. Mind you there is still a good amount of nothing in the massively crowded UK if you look for it 😃

if anyone has the time driving is a better way than the train. But don’t watch or think of wolf creek...

if anyone has the time driving is a better way than the train. But don’t watch or think of wolf creek…

Ah yes. Released in Australia in late Oct/early Nov 2005. I know this because I'd already booked a 4x4 to drive across the Gibb River Road from Broome to Darwin with the Mrs in mid-October. After I found out about the film a massive media embargo ensued or that trip would've got shitcanned.

Lovely show, amazed it got commissioned really. I wasn't quite in the mood for it but it was beautifully filmed, even if you could totally see the gopro goldfish bowl at times.

My brother did it when he was in australia, said it was dead boring.

booked a 4×4 to drive across the Gibb River Road from Broome to Darwin

Did lots a mileage by road on our trip but never managed that one, some people we met managed to roll their 4x4 on that road.

My brother did it when he was in australia, said it was dead boring.

Yep a nation where air travel can be measured in films....

Sydney to top left was about 3

Sydney to cairns could clear a hangover

I think they put the TMS team on it down to Adelaide one year, probably good if your in the full package front end.

BBC4 has disappeared off my freeview box...

Timely reminder to download this for my next flight. Ta.

Its up there with the 7 hour train ride from Bergen to Oslo that's on Netflix.

Watched it and re-hashed a lot of memories motor biking from Adelaide to Darwin... Never rode at night, too many animals on the road... but on teh upside, no speed limit then in NT.

Watching te programme I thought that an open carriage on the back, with some wingback chairs/straw bales/deckchairs or something would be fun...