All language subtitles for The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys S05E01 1080p WEB DL H264 BTN_track3_[eng]

BILL NIGHY: Escape with us
on a coast-to-coast journey

across the incredible outback
of southern Australia.

We'll climb into the spectacular
Blue Mountains...

..and descend into a frontier land.

MAN: You actually see Australia
as a continent.

Not as a nation, but as a continent,
and it's a magic feeling.

We'll meet people with a passion for
pioneering railway history...

It's a way of life for us,
for better or for worse.

..and discover how a remote outback
observatory helped change the world.

'That's one small step for man...'

Our train will travel more than
a thousand miles...

WOMAN: Morning.

..across desert plains...

I've become a train fanatic.
Every time a train comes through,

I'm out here taking photos.

..and past a lake that changes
colour,

before we reach our destination,
Adelaide,

on the shores of the
southern Indian Ocean.

It should be on everyone's
bucket list.

This is no ordinary railway journey.

This is one of the most scenic
railway journeys in the world -

the Indian Pacific, Australia.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales

and gleaming gateway to
the Pacific Ocean.

More than five million people
live in this vibrant city.

Central Station is a grand
starting point...

MAN ON TANNOY: Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Central Station.

..for a journey that will take us
deep into the outback

and into Australia's past.

HORN BLARES

Only serious engines need apply
for this route.

And with 8,000 horsepower
between them,

two Pacific National NR class locos
are up to the challenge.

Our sleeper train is named
the Indian Pacific

after the two oceans it travels
between.

It's an Australian icon.

Indian Pacific is ready
for departing.

On platform two, we have carriages
J, K, L, G, H, I, F.

On platform two,
we are ready for boarding.

Twenty-nine carriages and a
total length of 850m

means our train takes up
two entire platforms.

MAN ON TANNOY: Please make your way
to the check-in desk

on platforms two and three.

Getting 200 passengers
and their luggage

into the right carriages
is no mean feat.

All aboard!

As 30 members of crew make
last-minute preparations...

..the passengers make themselves
at home.

HORN BLARES

All guests are now on board
and we are ready to depart.

All aboard!

Ladies and gentlemen,
let's take this show on the road.

WHISTLE BLOWS

As our train powers west
out of Central Station,

we can settle in for a
coast-to-coast journey

across a rich tapestry of
ancient landscapes.

The first leg of our
1,050-mile route

takes us up into the Blue Mountains,

an area steeped in railway history.

We'll pass through the gold rush
town of Bathurst

and take in glorious night
skies over Parkes.

400 miles further west, we'll reach
a town straight out of a movie set

at Broken Hill.

We'll marvel at the vast salt lake
of Bumbunga,

and sample the wine in Clare Valley.

Finally, we'll arrive at the
southern coast

and our destination city
of Adelaide.

HORN BLARES

An hour out of Sydney, and the
passengers are enjoying views

of fertile plains and gently
rolling hills,

not to mention a well-stocked bar.

For Michael, this isn't his
first time on the Indian Pacific.

Might I say it's my sixth trip?

People look at me and say, "What?"

And I say yes, because it's just
a magic trip,

and it's just a lovely place to be
while you watch out the windows

and see the world go by.

Coming from Sydney, you go up
the Blue Mountains.

It's just a scene that you could
not believe.

You actually see Australia
as a continent.

Not as a nation, but as a continent,
and it's a magic feeling.

The Indian Pacific has been
a firm favourite of train lovers

since 1970.

10,000 people cheered on
the first service.

Its route unified what had been
four separate railways

into a single transcontinental line.

Fifty years after the first train
ran this route,

we're approaching one of the
most dramatic landscapes

in New South Wales...

..the Blue Mountains National Park.

A thousand square miles

famous for dramatic cliffs
and dense eucalyptus forests.

As our train climbs 1,100m
above sea level

to the highest point on the line,

there's a slower mode of transport
up here

which enjoys even more impressive
views.

The Scenic Skyway is suspended 270m
above the Jamison Valley.

It's owned and run by the same
family who built it

more than 60 years ago.

The skyway was built by my father
in 1958.

The fully laden car weighs
about 12 tonnes.

The most asked question
we have about the skyway is,

"How did you get the rope
across the valley in 1958?"

The answer is -
we dragged it across.

We ran the rope down that side
of the valley.

We ran another rope over the edge
of the cliff

and right down until they met
at the creek.

We clipped them together and
pulled it back up

and bingo, we had rope across
the valley.

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

The cable car provides
a bird's-eye view

from the Blue Mountains'
most prominent geological feature...

..The Three Sisters.

These towering columns of
eroded sandstone

feature in an Aboriginal legend.

Three sisters were turned to stone
during a battle,

and no-one was able to turn them
back again.

Their sad fate is to stand watch
over the Blue Mountains.

This beautiful landscape
has been hit hard

by Australia's rapidly changing
climate.

In 2019, a raging storm of bushfires
tore across the mountains.

Forest rangers like Grant were
enlisted to fight the fires.

In the 2019-20 fire season,

the entire area was impacted by the
Gospers Mountain fire.

They were flying in helicopters
throughout New South Wales,

defending home and working as a team
to try and preserve nature

as best we could. It was a great
feeling to get the results we did,

even though it was a very
hard season.

Despite the devastation, the forest
is quickly springing back to life.

As you can see now,
much of this area is starting to

really regenerate significantly, and
those kind of exposed black stumps

that we were seeing everywhere
have now been overtaken

by that fresh eucalypt growth
that provides that green blanket

that the Blue Mountains
is famous for.

It's a really magical place and
I'm really blessed

to be able to protect it for
generations to come.

Some people think that these
eucalyptus trees

gave the Blue Mountains their name.

The trees release oils, which can
combine with water

and dust in the air to create an
optical illusion -

a beautiful blue haze that hangs
over the landscape.

As the Indian Pacific begins
its descent off the mountains...

..we're about to pass through an
area rich in railway history.

And gold rush territory.

We're 70 miles into one of the
world's most scenic railway journeys

aboard the mighty Indian Pacific

as it surges into the
Australian outback.

Descending from the highest point
on the line,

our train passes a daredevil railway
from the pioneer days.

We'll head on through the gold rush
town of Bathurst

before chasing the setting sun
130 miles west to Parkes

and its world-famous observatory.

For two of the passengers, there's
a special significance to this trip.

I'm here with my daughter

doing a trip that was on my and
my husband's bucket list.

Unfortunately, he passed away,

so I'm enjoying the journey
with my daughter

and we're having a great time.

It's just absolutely amazing.

The starkness of the countryside
is just magnificent.

Really happy that I can share it
with my daughter.

It's sadness and a happy time
at the same time.

I did expect to come in and be,
like, the youngest person

by about 40 years, but there's
actually a bit of variety,

so I'm pretty surprised about that.

But, yeah, it's a bit of
an emotional roller-coaster.

I'm really happy that I can be here
to support Mum and, you know,

spend the time with her.
We're here for each other.

Yeah, it's been good. It should be
on everyone's bucket list.

On its descent off the
Blue Mountains,

our train enters the first
of ten tunnels.

Blasted through the sandstone,

the longest tunnel is over a
half a mile.

This impressive engineering
was designed to gently ease trains

up and down the western side
of the mountain range.

Until 1910, the route down the
mountainside was steeper

and much more hair raising.

Instead of the tunnels and gentle
gradient of our train's route,

the old line zig-zagged
down the mountain

in a series of viaducts and daring
switchbacks.

The turns were so fierce
that a runaway train

nearly plunged over the cliff.

Nowadays, the line is a heritage
route called the Zig Zag Railway.

They have a workshop near Lithgow,

and today, the dedicated enthusiasts

are gearing up for an important
journey.

The whole show starts with
a little match, hopefully.

This is a second home
for chief engineer Chris.

This locomotive has been part
of my life for nearly half of it.

My pop was a railway man

and then my dad was involved
here at the Zig Zag from 1975.

Now my son's here as well.

I met my wife here.
We've married 12 years now.

It's a way of life for us,
for better or for worse.

The Zig Zag was first rescued
from dereliction 50 years ago.

But since 2013, a series of
bushfires destroyed

2,000 timber sleepers,
burned down an engine shed

and scorched the precious locos.

Now the volunteers are bringing
the Zig Zag back to life

for a second time.

Before they can reopen the line
to the public,

they must be certain the engines
are in tip-top condition.

Today, engine 218 will be the first
steam loco

to climb the Zig Zag in a decade.

Hauling 170 tonnes up the line
to Clarence Station

will test both track and engine.

Steam trains can only pull so much,
and the steeper the gradient,

the less they can pull.

So, the Zig Zag Railway has a
1-in-40 gradient.

That means for every 40 metres
in which you travel,

you go up or down one metre.

Up at Clarence, that's 980m higher
than where we're standing

over seven kilometres, so it's quite
a journey in a steam locomotive,

and quite hard work, because you
quite literally zig and zag your way

up and down the mountain.

Everything on the test run
goes so well

that just as soon as they
reach the top...

..engine 218 sets off
straight back down again.

The Zig Zag Railway is
back on track...

..and will be welcoming passengers
again soon.

Our train is now on the western side
of the Blue Mountains.

And we're into
prime agricultural land.

Time for dinner.

Head chef Dan has around
200 hungry passengers to feed.

Whether it's two, three, four, five
kitchens we've got on the train,

it's my job to oversee all of that.

So, three meals a day and
three courses get pretty hectic.

My whole life has revolved
around kitchens that are stationary.

And this one, as you can tell,
isn't stationary.

It took me a while to get used to.

You learn to drop your knife,
so to speak, when the train jolts,

but I love it. I couldn't see myself
working in a kitchen

that doesn't move now.

All our menus are local.

We're travelling through the area.

You're eating produce that comes
from that area.

As the passengers tuck into fillets
of New South Wales beef

and Pacific Ocean swordfish...

..the Indian Pacific is entering
a region rich in history.

And once rich in gold.

Just over 200 years ago,

the first European explorers
to make it this far west of Sydney

chose these fertile plains
to build a settlement.

Bathurst is the oldest inland town
in Australia.

In 1851, gold was discovered here.

Thousands of people poured
into the area

hoping to find their fortunes.

As Bathurst boomed, grand new
buildings shot up.

The grandest of all was on
the outskirts of town.

This house symbolised Australia's
new wealth,

but its style is distinctly
Scottish.

Abercrombie House was built
by a Scotsman,

and he wanted everyone to know it.

The Highland Scots are a proud
people.

So this is Scottish Highland
in a paddock at Bathurst.

Christopher's family moved here
in 1969

when the house had fallen on
hard times.

My mother and father came to
Bathurst

to buy a weekender in the country,
believe it or not,

and they happened upon this
magnificent mansion.

And all the locals said, "Well,
no-one's lived in it for 50 years,

"and maybe the descendants
of the family who built it

"would sell it to you if you think
you can save it."

Slowly piecing back together
the baronial interiors

has required serious detective work.

Now, we found fabulous things still
intact here,

like this fireplace, which was made
in 1879 in England

of Italian Carrara marble.

But the whole of the piece
on the floor was missing

because it had been sold in 1927.

And by an extraordinary coincidence,
I found it again.

A fellow in Goulburn had it
in his living room.

Since the earliest days of this
slow and steady restoration,

Abercrombie House has thrown
open its doors to the public.

So, we're 53 years along that
journey,

and all through it, there have been
people who've been interested in it,

so it's a bit like living in a
fishbowl, you know?

But I love this house and I know
I'm part of something

very extraordinary and special here.

As the sun begins to set over
gold rush country,

our train approaches the little town
of Parkes.

We're now deep into a landscape
famous for vast open skies.

For 60 years, this area has been
the home

to the mother of all stargazers.

The Parkes radio telescope is known
affectionately as The Dish.

It's not actually a telescope,
but a giant radio antenna.

Scientists, like John, use it
to listen to the stars.

The Parkes telescope is
64m in diameter,

and it has a collecting area
of one acre,

which means it's very sensitive.

That also means that we're able
to detect signals

from the furthest reaches of the
universe.

In fact, this telescope was
responsible

for discovering the most distant
objects in the universe

called quasars,

and they lie billions of light years
from the Earth.

I've always been fascinated
with astronomy and this observatory,

this telescope that we're in
right now,

is one of the premier instruments
of its kind in the world.

Then to collaborate with astronomers
to do great world-class science

really is the thing, that as a boy,
as I was growing up,

I was dreaming of doing, and so to
find myself here now

is really exciting.

The Dish is best known
for the pivotal role it played

in receiving and relaying images
of mankind's most audacious feat

of space exploration.

The year was 1969.

When I was six years old,
I remember watching

the Apollo 11 astronauts,
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin,

walking on the Moon.

Watched it live on television
along with 600 million people

around the world.

And so to find myself today
in the very room, in the very place,

that those pictures were received,
is really mind-blowing.

MAN: 'Roger. And for
your information, we show you

'at an altitude of about 92 miles
above the surface right now.'

To receive transmissions from
Apollo 11,

the Parkes crew kept the radio
telescope at its steepest angle

despite dangerously high winds.

BUZZ ALDRIN: 'That looks beautiful
from here, Neil.'

Thankfully, The Dish held firm

and the whole world could watch
Neil Armstrong's

first steps on the Moon.

'That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.'

Parkes had shown what Australian
scientists and engineers

were capable of.

And they're still doing it today.

Sixty years after it was
constructed, it is still arguably

the finest single-dish
radio telescope in the world.

We're still doing great science,
making great discoveries

that are revolutionising our
understanding of the universe.

BELL DINGS

As 200-odd passengers
slumber in their cabins,

the Indian Pacific rolls on through
the outback.

A new day, and even more spectacular
sights, lay just ahead.

It's day two of our scenic
railway journey

across the Australian outback.

We've travelled through the night
into the scorched desert heartlands

of New South Wales.

More than 400 miles from Parkes...

..our train will stop at the
historic town of Broken Hill,

before reaching a trainspotter's
paradise in Peterborough,

and then on to the eerie beauty
of Lake Bumbunga.

Morning.

Waking up in the outback hasn't
lost its appeal for the train crew.

I usually sleep with my blind up

to get to really experience
that early morning.

We're up early anyway,
so may as well wake up

with a beautiful sunrise
in the background to enjoy it.

We've reached Broken Hill
and the first station stop

for our sleeper train.

There's time for the passengers
to step off,

stretch their legs and
see the sights.

MAN: Have a good tour.

Like Bathurst,
this is a frontier mining town.

But this town wasn't built on gold.

There's silver ore in them there
hills,

and it's been mined here
continuously for almost 120 years.

People travel far and wide
to experience

the extraordinary red landscape
that surrounds this silver city.

Just outside of town lies an area
known as the Living Desert.

What's the water like? I was hoping
there'd be a little lizard in there.

Ranger Darrell and his team look
after this nine-square-mile reserve.

It's a vital oasis for wildlife.

When we get good heavy rains,
the water gushes down

through the waterfall and comes
in here, fills up this water hole.

This is where the Aborigine people
used to get water and that.

They knew there was water here
at all times.

Annual average rainfall here
is just 22cm.

The rapidly changing climate
means droughts

are getting longer and hotter.

So Darrell gives the local wildlife
a helping hand.

We come down every day
to the sanctuary here

and feed the kangaroos.

We've got euros, reds and...that
come in here, and blue flyers.

So, we feed them every day,
feed them roo pellets

because of the tucker that's in it
for them, makes them healthy.

And as you can see, the roos
are just very contented.

They just lay around and everything.

And we've also got our sleepy
lizards, which is a shingleback.

The birdlife for birdwatchers
is absolutely good.

And also all the flies too,
they're all friendly as well.

LAUGHTER

The Living Desert is also home
to some striking sculptures.

Each has been designed to reflect
the majesty of this setting.

With a landscape that
looks like this...

..it's no wonder Hollywood has paid
a visit more than once.

Mad Max 2 and
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert

were shot around Broken Hill.

The whole town looks like
a movie set.

Nowhere more so than the local
milk bar.

It dates back to 1892,
when it sold cordials.

By the 1950s, they'd moved
on to milkshakes.

This retro gem has been lovingly
restored by owner Jason.

Where we are now is a 1956
version of the milk bar,

more or less as it was in 1956.

It's a bit like restoring an old
car. The essence of it's there,

and then you've got to add some
new bits, like the coffee machine.

Time to get back on board
the Indian Pacific.

One teabag for you,
two teabags for you.

And time for a late breakfast.

Coming out!

We're now crossing the border
from New South Wales

and into the state of
South Australia.

It's a stretch of line with
not too many landmarks.

Oh, there's a house. Mm.

But it's all part of the experience
for regular passenger Michael.

You don't see much in the
green areas,

but out when it starts to get
a little bit barren,

it's not unusual to see flocks of
emus running along the side

to overtake the train.

The occasional kangaroo.

Oh, a duck. Could you just go back
and I'll put in I saw a duck?

Every desert has a watering hole,
and we're approaching one now.

Ninety-five miles west of
Broken Hill,

we pass through Manor Hill.

This one-horse town doesn't even
have a horse,

but opposite the station
it does have a pub.

Owner Diane always knows when the
Indian Pacific is due.

I've become a train fanatic.

Every time a train comes through,

I'm out here taking photos
and videos.

I know exactly when it's coming
through, when it's late.

It comes through twice a week, like,
both ways.

I take pictures and photos
of the Indian Pacific.

I post them on Facebook,
on the railway groups that I'm in.

It's definitely catching. You've got
such a beautiful backdrop.

Sacrilege not to take some photos

and catch the trains as they
go through.

And living across the road
from this railway station,

how can you not like trains?

Well put, Diane.

When the first railways crossed
the South Australian outback

140 years ago,

isolated rural communities were
suddenly connected.

Seventy-five miles from Manor Hill
lies Peterborough.

In the heyday of the railways,
more than a hundred trains

would pass through the town
every day.

It had its very own
cathedral of steam

called the Roundhouse.

This workshop was built to service
up to 20 engines at one time.

These beautifully preserved locos
aren't going anywhere nowadays.

Peterborough has become a sleepy
backwater.

But pride of place on Main Street

is a statue to a local hero
of the railways.

Bob the dog was a little character
in the 1890s

that came up to Peterborough
with a whole lot of other stray dogs

from Adelaide, because we had
a rabbit plague up here.

Bob soon found his true calling
as a free spirit of the railways.

He befriended the engine drivers
and rode with them in their cabs.

This is the depot where Bob
used to come to work,

get on the trains and go everywhere,

whether it was Adelaide,
Broken Hill.

There's a story that he went
to Melbourne, so he travelled a lot.

Bob was actually kidnapped
or dognapped by a farmer.

He heard the whistle of the train.

He got back on that train
and he came back to Peterborough.

The railway union produced a collar
for Bob,

because he became an icon
of South Australia.

And the collar had little saying
on it.

And it said, "Stop me not,
but let me jog,

"for I am Bob, the drivers' dog."

The vast, empty vistas
of this region

have always appealed
to free spirits.

As we power on towards the
Clare Valley,

to the west of our route
lies a natural wonder

that brings a splash of vivid colour

to this arid landscape.

This is Lake Bumbunga.

It's famous for changing hue
with the seasons

from blue to white to pink.

Bumbunga is a salt lake.

Each summer, a huge expanse
dries up.

For over a hundred years, the salt
was harvested in huge quantities

and taken away by train.

Not much salt is harvested from
Lake Bumbunga nowadays.

But on its southern tip,
in the little town of Lochiel,

an old depot has been turned
into a thriving cafe

by Heather and Vicki.

They like to keep a keen eye on the
town's most popular

tourist attraction.

Lochiel has its very own Nessie,
which is called the Loch Eel.

He's about three-and-a-half metres
tall,

made of stainless steel
and fibreglass.

He's got all the bells and whistles,
and people are flocking to see him.

Mm, very popular.

I've got the binoculars
in the kitchen ready to see

what's going on out in the lake,
so...

Frequently, I'll run in the kitchen
and she's there

looking out the window with
the binoculars. Yes, well...

Some people feel the need
to take their car out on the lake.

They just want to drive out there.

It's never a good idea, because
every time they'll get bogged.

Um, really bogged.

Only a few days ago, too,
there was a car and a boat,

and they thought they might go
for a drive out there.

Well, that didn't end well at all.
No.

Out here, it's safest to stay
on the beaten track.

Our train is now approaching
its home stretch...

..and one of the world's most
famous wine-growing regions.

We're on the final leg of our
1,050-mile coast-to-coast journey

across the vast landscapes of
New South Wales and South Australia.

Exploring the outback by train
has been an eye-opening experience.

I think this is just the most
wonderful trip.

I worked formerly as an
airline pilot

and I travelled over a lot
of this countryside

in my 30 years of experience
in the airline.

But it's not up close and personal.

This is right up close,
right outside your window.

It's just beautiful.

It's all change again,

as the dry plains give way to
fertile farmland and rolling hills.

We're approaching the Clare Valley.

On the upper slopes, hot summer days
are tempered by cool nights.

And with plenty of rainfall, this is
perfect wine-growing country.

In fact, today's choice of Riesling

was produced right here in the
Clare Valley.

Skillogalee Vineyard is owned
by British couple Diana and Dave.

They chanced upon this place
by accident more than 30 years ago.

Dave always says that we bought
Skillogalee

in a fit of midlife crisis.

We'd only been in Australia
for three years,

so when we heard it was for sale,
we just thought,

"Wow, this is the life
we want to live."

We didn't have any experience
growing grapes or making wine,

but we thought we could do it
and we have grown into it.

On a whim, they had bought
a prime slice

of one of Australia's most prized
wine-growing regions.

Now they just had to learn
how to make the stuff.

Although I had made a few demijohns
of elderflower wine at university,

it was completely undrinkable.

I got a job as a cellar hand
and watched what was done,

asked awkward questions
and learned a lot.

The more the couple learned,
the more ambitious they became.

We were just getting out of debt
from buying this place

when the property next door
came up for sale.

We needed some more fruit

and it just was too good an
opportunity to miss,

so we went right back into debt
again.

More than three decades after coming
here,

the novice winemakers
are now old hands.

We now produce about
15,000 dozen wines a year.

It's more than I can drink myself,
so we have to sell a few.

Um...

It's not hard to see why
Diana and Dave

fell in love with this region.

The French have a term, terroir,

which means that microclimate,
I suppose,

that particular place in the world,

that everything comes together to
allow you to grow those grapes,

to make that wine. And we've got
this lovely place

in the hills of the Clare Valley

that has just its own little
climate, and it's very peaceful.

It's quiet and you can just
slow down, relax,

have a glass of wine.

There's just time for the passengers
to enjoy a final glass or two,

as 90 miles south of Clare Valley,
we approach the end of our journey

in Adelaide.

As our train rolls into the
station...

..and our passengers say goodbye...

See you later!

..a city of wide boulevards
and gracious squares awaits them.

Adelaide was originally built
for British settlers.

Today, it's the state capital
of South Australia

and one of the country's most
vibrant cities.

Adelaide is known as the
Festival City.

There are amazing arts and cultural
festivals

happening throughout the year,
including Adelaide Fringe Festival,

the largest arts festival
in the southern hemisphere,

the second largest fringe festival
in the world

after Edinburgh, actually.

There is always something going on,
always something around the corner.

But it's not just the festival
atmosphere that draws people here.

Adelaide is also famous
for its beautiful beaches...

..like Port Noarlunga.

What better spot to sit back
and watch the sun go down?

It's the perfect place to end
our Australian adventure.

On our epic two-day train ride
from Sydney to Adelaide,

we have climbed into the beautiful
Blue Mountains...

..joined a steam train that zigzags
across perilous slopes...

HORN BLARES

..spent a night under
magical skies...

..travelling right across
the outback

from the shores of the Pacific
to the southern Indian Ocean.