Great Southern - Brisbane to Melbourne
Feast on fresh seafood and fine wine with beachside dining in Coffs Harbour
Sip Hunter wines, explore Port Stephens beaches, or stroll vibrant Newcastle streets
Venture into Melbourne for a day spent exploring the city before concluding your journey
Experience summer in style aboard the Great Southern, now departing Brisbane for vibrant Melbourne. Travel through scenic New South Wales, enjoying beachside dining in Coffs Harbour and your choice of vineyard tours in the Hunter Valley or coastal exploration in Port Stephens. Arrive in Victoria for exclusive Melbourne tours, capped off with a spectacular lunch at Eureka 89, offering breathtaking city views. A perfect blend of luxury, scenery and unforgettable experiences.
.
Great Southern - Brisbane to Melbourne
Your East Coast journey begins at Hanworth House in East Brisbane, where you’ll check in and be welcomed at a celebratory gathering. After setting off from Brisbane on the Great Southern, savour lunch on board and spend a relaxing afternoon settling into your cabin before arriving at the coastal town of Coffs Harbour. As the sun dips beneath the horizon, enjoy drinks and canapes on the beach at Charlesworth Bay before a unique outdoor dinner – as long as the weather allows – where you’ll feast on local produce and fresh seafood paired with fine wines. Listen to the waves lapping at the nearby shore as the backing track for a live band playing the classics. After a few leisurely hours, you’ll reboard the train and set off for your first night on board.
Overnight stay aboard The Great Southern.
Start the day with a hearty breakfast on board before setting off on your choice of Off Train Experiences. You may choose to meander through the picturesque, historic vineyards of the Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest wine region. Known for Semillon and Shiraz, here you’ll spend the day amongst the vines, visiting Tulloch and Brokenwood Wines. After your wine tastings, you’ll sit down for a platter-style lunch featuring local produce at Twine Restaurant. If you’d prefer to take to the skies, treat yourself to an optional upgrade with a Hunter Valley helicopter flight that soars over the rolling green hills, showcasing the best of the wine region and beyond.
Other options include exploring Port Stephens by land or sea. On the land tour, you’ll drive along and into the largest mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes, in a 4WD vehicle. You’ll stop to admire your surrounds and drive to the top of a dune to take in the incredible views – you may even choose to sandboard down. On the water tour, you’ll be dazzled by the turquoise water as you soak up the stunning coastline from a relaxed boat cruise. You may be lucky enough to spot dolphins along the way. Whether by land or sea, after your Port Stephens adventure, you’ll enjoy a relaxed lunch at Nelson Bay Golf Club before returning to the train in the afternoon.
Alternatively, explore Newcastle and discover the vibrant mix of old and new in the beautiful coastal city with a fun and insightful guided walking tour. After lunch at Scratchleys on the Wharf, spend an hour at your leisure embracing everything Newcastle has to offer, and late afternoon, return to the train along with the rest of the guests to enjoy a regionally inspired meal and relaxing time on board before retiring for the night.
Overnight stay aboard The Great Southern.
Note that all Off Train Experiences are subject to change and minimum and maximum capacity limits apply.
Enjoy your last breakfast on board as you travel through Victoria’s high country, arriving you’ll again have a choice of Off Train Experiences.
Today you’ll disembark in cosmopolitan Melbourne and get to explore why it’s considered the cultural and sporting capital of Australia. Enjoy the highlights of the Ian Potter Centre at NGV Australia, home of Australian art or opt to check out the “Cats & Dogs” exhibition featuring more than 250 works of art and design exploring humanity’s deep connection to these animals. Visit the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on an insightful tour with an Melbourne Cricket Club member, where you’ll be regaled with the highs and lows of sporting history. If you’re a history buff, head to the Old Melbourne Gaol, which, from 1842 until its closure in 1929, was the scene of 133 hangings, including Australia’s most infamous citizen, Bushranger Ned Kelly.
Having worked up an appetite, visit Melbourne Skydeck, taking in the soaring views 88 floors above sea level, and then ascend one more floor to Eureka 89, where you’ll dine on a beautifully curated menu showcasing local and seasonal produce. After lunch, your journey concludes on the Great Southern.
The Great Southern journeying between Adelaide and Brisbane (or vice versa) showcasing spectacular scenery and an unrivalled experience both on and off the train. With a new route travelling through South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, the Great Southern is a truly unforgettable journey just waiting to be discovered. With its rugged coastline, sun-kissed beaches, forested peaks, and exhilarating capital cities, the stunning journey between these major cities feels like nowhere else in Australia.
Gold (TWIN)
Gold Twin offers a comfortable sleeper cabin featuring private en suite and upper and lower berths that convert to a three-seater lounge by day
Features include
Single cabins available – or upgrade to the highest level of service onboard, Platinum Service.
A compact sleeper cabin featuring a bed that converts to a seat by day, private vanity, with shared shower/toilet facilities located at the end of the carriage. Gold Service Single is a comfortable sleeper cabin option that offers all the luxurious inclusions of the Gold Service Twin such as fully inclusive dining with three gourmet meals per day, all-inclusive Australian wines, beers, base spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, and your choice of Off Train Experiences as you travel.
Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.
For travellers who want that little bit more. Accommodated in newly designed, contemporary cabins, guests have exclusive access to the Gold Premium Lounge and Gold Premium Dining carriage for meals and socialising. The Gold Premium Lounge is your social hub. Think luxe leather banquettes and swivel chairs made for sinking into, and mood lighting creating an elegant ambiance that references the romance inherent in train travel.
Gold Premium Dining is a feast in multiple ways, with a contemporary design that respects Art Deco as the setting for carefully curated meals, from hearty breakfasts to two-course regionally inspired lunches and delectable four-course dinners, featuring the finest ingredients from local suppliers, farmers and providores. Naturally, this is accompanied by a selection of premium Australian wines.
Gold Premium Twin
A newly designed, contemporary cabin that converts from a lounge by day into sleeping berths at night.
Gold Premium Suite
The Gold Premium Suite has a three-quarter-size double bed plus a fold-down upper berth and a lounge area, with extra room to relax.
Gold Premium (Twin & Suite) service includes:
Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.
Nothing enhances the romance of rail travel quite like Platinum. Tailored for the discerning traveller, Platinum Service adds a new level of sophistication to your journey. Stylishly appointed and spacious cabins are complemented by discreet, personalised service and access to the exclusive Platinum Club carriage for meals, relaxation and socialising. As you’d expect, the food and wine are of the highest standard. Enjoy hearty breakfasts, two-course lunches and four-course dinners, all regionally inspired and paired with champagne and premium wines.
Platinum guests receive private transfers before and after your journey, beginning the adventure in style. Platinum cabins offer premium extras, like a full-size en suite, expansive window views from the train, and exclusive use of the Platinum Club carriage. Add to that the luxurious linen, French Champagne, Bracegirdle’s chocolates, a nightcap at turndown and more, and you’re in for an exceptional experience.
Platinum includes:
Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.
Yes, you are able to request forward facing-cabins aboard Great Southern at the time of booking; however, as approximately half the cabins face forward, we are unable to guarantee a forward facing cabin depending on the number of requests received for any given departure.
The Great Southern has a Gold Access Cabin available for wheelchair bound/physically impaired guests travelling in Gold Service. This cabin is subject to availability and assessment of the guest’s Fitness to Travel. Please ask us for more information.
In your cabin when you first board the train, you will find a card with the breakfast, lunch and dinner meal times for your journey. Your On-Board Attendant will advise you of the process. If you have any special requests regarding meal times, please speak with a member of the On-Board team when travelling.
Limited Wi-Fi is available in the Outback Explorer Lounges and Platinum Club carriages.
Please note that Wi-Fi availability is dependent on mobile network coverage, and as we travel through some remote locations it may not always be available.
Most special dietary requirements can be accommodated – including vegetarian, gluten free, lactose free and vegan. Please ensure this is advised at the time of booking.
It’s your holiday and we want you to be comfortable so smart casual attire is recommended.
We also recommend:
No, smoking is not permitted onboard Great Southern.
Check in opens approximately 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure time.
We ask all guests to check in at least 60 minutes prior to departure to be welcomed onboard. Please bring your travel itinerary and Photo I.D.
Luggage limits apply for both carry on and checked luggage. These limits vary depending on the level of service you are travelling in and by train.
While on board Great Southern, you can access one piece of hand luggage plus a garment bag, cabin bag or briefcase per person, and store this within your cabin.
Checked luggage cannot be accessed during your rail journey, and will be stored on a separate part of the train. Checked luggage limits apply:
As with all holidays and trips abroad, we strongly recommend that you have travel insurance. Please consult with our agents at time of booking and we can assist you with this.
Be the first to hear about our new Holiday Packages