How top author Tricia Stringer went on an Aussie dream trip and dreamt up a whole new novel
Most of us take a book when we travel. Bestseller Tricia Stringer took a favourite character on an iconic Aussie voyage – and came back with her next novel.
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In 2021 the cruise my husband and I had booked was cancelled and we were unable to travel to more exotic locations from our home near Adelaide due to all those lockdowns. Thankfully we could still cross our shared border between South Australia and the Northern Territory, so it was the perfect time to book a trip on the Ghan.
I’d always wanted to take Ketty, the main character from my 2018 book, Table for Eight, on a train trip and here was the perfect research opportunity.
We arrived at the Darwin train station on a hot but dry April day and were immediately drawn to the front of the train. Here the two engines needed to haul our almost one-kilometre-long gaggle of carriages down the centre of Australia were a vivid red against a cloudless blue sky. Boarding the train reminded me of boarding a ship for a cruise. The longed-for moment had arrived – the excitement of exploring this new space that was to be our home for the next four days and three nights was contagious: each new sight, sound, smell a precious memory stored.
Settling into our cabin was quick – like on a cruise, you only unpack once – and then it was off to the lounge car. We were travelling with friends but made new ones while the first champagne was still bubbling in the glass and before the train had even left the station.
Then there was the thrill of realising the train was actually moving. We began so slowly and smoothly that I would love to have been throwing streamers like my parents had done in the old days of cruising. Lunch was gourmet and set the scene for each meal that followed – beautifully presented by knowledgeable and friendly wait staff who accommodated our every food and drinks wish.
We’ve previously travelled to Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy – but there’s always more to see and we found new tours and fresh experiences. The staff were helpful at every turn and even when we were off the train they surprised us with special treats several times. I’m not going into too much detail here because I want you to experience it for yourself.
Every moment was enjoyable but I will mention two highlights. Dinner under the stars at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station was a magical evening – a night of good company, fine food and wine, music and dancing, local history, a very entertaining talk on stargazing and even camel rides for those so inclined.
On the final full day the journey south took us to Coober Pedy but here the rail line runs to the west of the town, and so the train stops at Manguri rail siding, forty kilometres away. If you want to experience the middle of nowhere you sure do it here. On our return to the train we were greeted by staff with drinks and canapes and we gathered by campfires for more chatting with our travel companions. Then, with the train stretched out across the land behind us, we watched the spectacular changing colours as the sun lowered over the desert.
Whether you’re an Aussie or a visitor to our beautiful land there can be no more iconic experience than this one. On our return home we crossed another adventure from our bucket list and then promptly added it on again. We will be back!
The joy of writing my bookBack on Track meant I relived our Ghan journey but this time the trip included Ketty Clift and a cast of characters – some colleagues, some strangers thrown together – with a series of events so unusual that even Ketty, with her transformative magic, will struggle to get them all back on track.
Back on Track by Tricia Stringer is out now, published by HQ Fiction.
Come tell us about your favourite reading and travel experiences at the Sunday Book Club Facebook group. And check out our Book of the Month: Tania Blanchard’s A Woman Of Courage, which you can get for 44 per cent off the RRP at Booktopia.
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