ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 84, 3 January 1919, Page 6

ACROSS AUSTRALIA

THE LINE.

The Trans-Continental railway that connects Perth with Adelaide was completed last year, and, travellers mny now uso this line. The following account of a iourney across Australia by rail is of interest, since many New Zealanders may be expected to use this railway in order tcshorten the journey between the Dominion and London:— _ , "Of course I went by the Trans-Aus-tralian Express, or as it is called tho Great Western, and must say tha.t_l.was agreeably surmised with the tram arrangements. You leave Perth by the ordinary Kalgoorlie arriving next morning about 9. The Trans.' train is waiting on the opposite side of the platform, and as soon as all are shifted across you start for Port Augusta. The now train is wejl constructed, awl right up to date. I should say it i&_ the best train in Australia, whilst American travellers are agreed that it beats anything in 'the States. I might si;r that several of coaches were built in. western "The comnartments are all two-berthed cabins fitted up with lavatory accommodation and all sorts of well-thought-out fittings, electric reading lamps for encli berth, electric fans, etc. The cabins are very, roomy and .comfortable; so. that the'journey doe 3 not tire you out. There, is. a ladies' boudoir'car fitted up wit" movable cosv chairs, card and writing tables, and-the smoker is also arranged on similar lines. Shower bath accommo. dation is also provided. The dining-car is in keening with the rest of the y'ai"! and the foo'd-is both good and plentiful, including fresh fish, meat, vegetables, sweets, etc. No liquor is supplied, which I Milk is to be commended. "The country for the first cOuple of hundred miles''east of Kalgoorlie is salmon gum with' patches of salt bnsli, verv similar to what is seen near Coolgar'die and Kakoorlie. After that; you Rh-ike a she oak bolt, and then f'radually get on the Nullabor Tlain. This immense stretch of country extends for GOO to 700 miles, and is as level as the proverbial billiard table. It is not the groat sandv desert as described on our atlases. As far as the eye can see, the ground is covered with a dwarf «nltbush! with here and there an bush as big as a gooseberry bush. The soil-appears to be fine red sandv loam, init it is v«ry shallow, only some few inches, and beloi\ flimistone rock. This rnok won't- hold wntcr. r "' rl any -".in fnHinc disappears verv quickly. Water, of course,- can be obtained by boring at depths vary in? to s»vernl hundred feet. - "After crossing the plain there is a stretch of wretched count rv on the S.A. side. It'dgs after ridge «f fine r"d d"st or sand evidently blown . off the plain in bygone geological ages. Those "id?es are covered with a stunted mulg.% bush, but very little vegetation. As a consequence, the train rushing along raises a terrific dust, nnd_ thi= comes in at the windows.. sniotlip'-incr the passengers ""d their clothes. There are freouent sidings eh -rout", whe-'O Vater is picked •uo. In one plao this wns sunplied by a condenser.. ,T'm train strne.k mo as runsing ' v ".ry smotH.v. especially where the line has been, b«llast»d, nnd the speed averaged betwen 10 to 50 miles an hour. "The second ceninpoutfrom KalgoO'lio von arrive ."''Port A""iistn soon after midnight. You are allowed to renin,!'' undisturbed in your blinks lHil 4.30 a.m.; and then you are called to get mi and cross tlm platform into the R.A. train leaving at 5 a.m. Bv 4 in th» afternoon you ere ill Adelaide in time' to patch •■he Melbourne express. The single fnr», Perth to Melbourne, with sleen»r mid meals, runs to a little over .Cl 2, which cannot be considered excessive."