The Pichi Richi Railway.
ENTER at your own risk. These rail journeys take their passengers into Australia's most hostile and remote areas.
The good news is that you won't need to pack your Crocodile Dundee
knife and swag. In fact, these rail journeys allow their passengers to
experience Australia's most remote and hostile lands from a position of
comfort and safety.From crossing Queensland's isolated outback to discovering coastal hideaways in Tasmania, they're a journey in themselves and detailed in a new travel book called Great Rail Journeys of Australia by Rodney Avery.
But be prepared for an adventure through lands that show no mercy - where ill-prepared tourists can very quickly find themselves in life-threatening predicaments.
Welcome to Australia's 'tracks to nowhere'.
Here's a taste of what these train journeys offer ...
The Gulflander.
The Gulflander is one of Australia's most isolated railways.
To board the Gulflander, you need to make your way to the remote cattle town of Normanton, 2000 kilometres northwest of Brisbane, in Queensland's Gulf Country.
From there, you board the two-carriage train and before you know it, you really are in the middle of nowhere.
"Free from pollution, the skies are a brilliant clear blue. Though rugged and merciless, this country nevertheless has an alluring, if dangerous, charm," writes Avery.
The train is not air-conditioned and, perhaps a little unnerving for some, it doesn't have a speedometer. But Avery says not having air-conditioning only enhances the Gulflander experience as the open windows allow the sounds of the train to enter.
Launched in 1889, the Gulflander is a 151km trip that connects Normanton and the historic gold rush town of Croydon once a week. It just runs for tourists although it does drop off mail to locals along the way.