The train stretches almost a kilometre along the platform at Adelaide Parklands. "Nearly one kilometre," confirms Richard Howarth, Journey Beyond's Business Development Manager for the United Kingdom and Europe, walking us through the freshly fitted carriages on a Sunday morning, a few hours before departure for Darwin. From outside, the steel and cream livery of The Ghan looks much as it has for decades. Inside, the operator has been quietly rebuilding the experience cabin by cabin since 2023, and the two new suites at the heart of the train are the most visible expression of that work.
The atmosphere borrows from the Orient Express playbook without imitating it. Timber panelling lines the corridor, brass-finished fixtures catch the light, and coved ceilings echo traditional cornices rather than the metallic curves of a conventional sleeper. The Aurora and Australis suites entered service in April 2026 on the Indian Pacific between Perth and Sydney, and have now rolled out across The Ghan. Demand has been emphatic. "It's booked out for the whole year," Howarth says, before correcting himself: "I say fully booked, I think we're at 96%." Inside the trade, the verdict is shorter. "It's a travel agent dream."
The interior design was entrusted to Woods Bagot, the global architecture firm with deep South Australian roots. Director Rosina Di Maria, quoted in the launch material, defines the brief as a reflection of national character rather than a borrowed European template. Australian luxury, she says, is characterised by quiet confidence, quality, comfort and attention to detail. The execution reads as a layered conversation between two heritages. Art deco rail glamour, expressed through decorative timber, stone masonry, iron filigree and marble accents, meets the country's pastoral history through sheepskin upholstery, saddle leather and a palette drawn from the ochres of the central deserts and the soft greens of Katherine's tropical gorges.
At around 27 square metres, the Australis Suite is three times the size of the existing Platinum cabin. It pairs a separate bedroom holding a fixed custom-sized bed with a full lounge set, a writing desk, a wardrobe, a personal bar and an ensuite with double vanity. The Aurora Suite is double the size of a Platinum cabin and offers the same configuration on a slightly tighter footprint, with a marginally smaller bathroom but an identical shower. "Australis is the longer word, therefore the bigger cabin," Howarth offers, by way of a mnemonic. The two suites sit within a wider refurbishment programme. "We started the whole process now three years ago," he says. The operator works through several carriages at a time, and the full conversion of the gold fleet to gold premium standard is expected to take a few more years. The reasoning is straightforward. "We have now set ourselves a standard. We can't let these carriages become tatty and old."
Suite passengers travel with a dedicated butler. On this departure it is Sam, who handles the unpacking on arrival and curates the in-room bar from preferences submitted before boarding. The bar is not a standard minibar; the selection is assembled to taste. Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année is poured throughout the journey, dining is available privately in the suite or in the Platinum Club lounge and dining carriage, a private chauffeur handles each transfer at boarding and disembarkation, and the luggage allowance is unlimited, with each bag capped at 32 kilograms.
The off-train programme runs on a preference system that Howarth is keen to clarify. "You're not booking it, you're expressing a preference," he explains, with a first and second choice taken in advance. On board, Suite guests have first call on every excursion, followed by Platinum, Gold Premium and Gold passengers in that order. Northbound, Suite guests are flown by helicopter over the thirteen gorges of Nitmiluk National Park near Katherine, followed by a private Champagne stop in the outback. Southbound, the headline excursion is a charter flight to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, with a private lunch and a guided walk to sites such as Mutitjulu Waterhole, where Anangu custodians share aspects of the cultural landscape. From Coober Pedy, a scenic flight surveys the Painted Hills and Lake Eyre. On the Indian Pacific, the same logic applies across the Blue Mountains, Broken Hill, the Nullarbor Plain and the Kalgoorlie goldfields. From March 2027, the northbound Ghan itinerary will add an extra night and a full daytime stop in Port Augusta, stretching the journey to four days and giving Suite passengers more time to settle into a residence that, for the moment, sells itself.
Photos: Across Australia
