Is there anything more romantic than train travel? Moving into undiscovered country on rails remains one of the great relaxing thrills of our age. And visitors to Far North Queensland can enjoy one of Australia's most spectacular railway journeys aboard the classic 1960s Savannahlander train.

A century ago Queensland’s outback was crisscrossed by a huge number of rail lines linking the interior with the coast. Today, inland passenger services have dwindled to a handful, with most remaining outback railways only used to bring out coal and iron ore from the interior.

Running from Cairns to Forsayth and back each week from March to December, the 850km round-trip Savannahlander offers the most fabulous rail adventure in Far North Queensland.

Departing Cairns early on Wednesday mornings, the train climbs 34 very twisty kilometres up the Great Dividing Range through World Heritage listed rainforest, past the Barron Gorge to Kuranda – one of the great railway engineering achievements of the 19th century.

After a rest at the summit it’s on through Mareeba to Almaden and the old mining village of Chillagoe, where ruins of the century old smelters still dominate the skyline. This region operated one of the largest regional rail networks in Australia a century ago, servicing the local mines.

Each night the train stops there are a range of accommodation options, from tents to en-suites.

Next morning, the train crosses the Undara lava fields, 150,000sq km of basalt from an ancient volcano, including one of the world’s longest lava walls.

Joining the Savannahlander at Mt Surprise I was surprised not to see a mountain, nor even a small hill, in the immediate vicinity. Apparently Mt means mining town, not mountain.

A stunning streamlined silver bullet of a train made up of three cars, the Savannahlander’s units were built for Queensland Rail in 1963, originally with Rolls Royce diesel engines.

With no gaudy plastic or tacky carpets in sight, the train’s interiors are beautifully restored to their 1960s glory: the whole journey is like returning to a gentler, more refined age.

Your driver is also your tour guide, providing a wonderfully laconic commentary so chilled it’s almost horizontal, a state-of-mind no doubt aided by the limited options for disaster offered on a line where yours is the only train.

Departing Mt Surprise at 12.15pm, we pass through the stunning Newcastle Range, with every corner revealing a new photo opportunity and stunning vista.

Surrounded by groves of Madagascan Rubber Vines, we find the usually dry and dusty interior surprisingly lush after so much winter rain (we did this trip in October).

One of the great delights of travelling through the outback by train is the huge numbers of wildlife viewable – not quite of Serengeti proportions, but impressive nevertheless.

In a few hours aboard the Savannahlander we spot leisurely kangaroos, wallaby, brolga and emu, plus termite mounds as far as we can see, just like a graveyard.

We stop for a late lunch at Einasleigh, once a bustling copper town. Today, Einasleigh’s greatest attraction is the Copperfield Gorge, whose sheer walls drop deeply into the sandy river bed.

The Savannahlander offers passengers a unique service. Because the train does not share the line with any others, you can simply ask the driver when you want to stop to take a photo, get closer to the wildlife or investigate a termite mound.

Last stop on the line, Forsayth was originally the termination of another line which brought gold ore from the Etheridge Goldfield. Even today, a spot of prospecting can yield an undiscovered nugget of two.

After arriving in Forsayth you can be whisked to Cobbold Gorge, a 300,000km station with 16,000 Brahman cattle where you can explore incredible landscapes, meet the resident cowboys, tour the stunning gorge, meet freshwater crocs and turtles and go fishing for barramundi.

The writer was a guest of Savannahlander Outback Rail Experience.

what Savannahlander Outback Rail Experience

Where Departs Cairns at 6.30am every Wednesday

Contact 1800 793 848, 4053 6848, www.savannahlander.com.au or email infor@savannahlander.com.au

Price Nine different trip and tour options, ranging from $60 to $1160

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