Central Desert

One of the reasons we chose The Ghan Expedition over the regular train trip was the event planned for tonight at the Telegraph Station … considered the birthplace of Alice Springs.

The Telegraph Station was established in 1871 as a relay station on the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) between Darwin and Adelaide. The construction of the OTL is recognized as one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century.

The “singing wire,” as the line was known, was strung across some 1,870 miles of land that had gone largely unexplored. There were no towns along the way, so everything had to be transported overland. Eighteen months were allocated to the construction project, which began in July 1870 with the surveying of the route for the line. The northern and southern ends were connected in August 1872 … after a seven-month delay. The line had 36,000 telegraph poles and 11 repeater stations along the way. Eventually, the line was tied into the undersea network of the British Empire.

Arriving at the Telegraph Station, we were greeted with glasses of bubbly and directed inside the building to visit the exhibits. Then, following the music from the live band, we found site where we would be dining under the stars once night fell. Tables and chairs dressed in white added elegance to the setting. Camels stood by on the far side, waiting to give us rides.

Wine was poured … freely and frequently. We each received our own entree, which consisted of delicacies such as kangaroo chili con carne, camel köfte, and barramundi ceviche. The mains — Black Angus sirloin and chicken roulades — and sides were served family style. Dessert consisted of a gourmandise and cheese platter. There was apparently a s’mores station, but no one pointed it out or invited us to partake, so we missed that.

A lovely mid-journey event. We will remember for a long time the ambiance of dining under the stars in the Red Center of Australia.Read more