The Ghan Rail Trip is Getting Closer / myLot

Route of Ghan rail journey, courtesy of Wikimedia

New Zealand

April 4, 2018 4:08pm CST

Can you feel the excitement here? I tell you, it's literally bursting through the walls. Many of you have put up with me talking about my proposed Ghan trip for a long time. And you've been very patient. Thank you. I just want to let you know that the countdown is really on. As I write it's 38 days until I leave my home here in New Zealand on my sole traveller journey, 41 days until I board the train. I've started a new blog to record the trip if you are interested in following developments. I know a couple of you are real rail travel enthusiasts. And, quite unrelated, the first draft of my book is well on target to be finished before I travel the Ghan. So, life is feeling good.

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11 responses

Anna

@LadyDuck (502729)

• Italy

5 Apr 18

What a wonderful journey Val. Of course I am interested to read about your journey. I have saved the link to your blog. Have a safe journey, I am sure you will have fun. Be careful riding a camel, it's not a pleasant experience.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

Lol, a friend has given me a few tips re the camels.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

@LadyDuck you'll certainly learn how I get on!

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Anna

@LadyDuck (502729)

• Italy

5 Apr 18

@valmnz I only tried once when we visited Morocco, it was a funny experience.

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Sunrise Fan

@sunrisefan (28524)

• Philippines

4 Apr 18

Enjoy your forthcoming trip, Ms. Val :) We're going up north tomorrow for the weekend with our daughters and some of their friends. We'll be going to the Bay of Plenty and the dunes.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

I hadn't realised you're in New Zealand. Where are you currently?

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Sunrise Fan

@sunrisefan (28524)

• Philippines

5 Apr 18

@valmnz We're in Auckland but we're taking a road trip up north tomorrow. We've been here for a little over a month now and we went to many beautiful places of your country like down south at Christchurch and Queenstown about 2 weeks ago. We also went to Cathedral Cove, Muriwai and Piha Beach to catch the beautiful sunset. Yesterday we went up One Tree Hill. You're really blessed to have all these beautiful places, Ms. Val.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

@sunrisefan sounds like you've had some great experiences. I love all the places you've been to, but am sad that some, like Queenstown have become so commercial for the sake of attracting tourists.

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Fiacre Banks

@xFiacre (14792)

• Ireland

4 Apr 18

I can feel the excitement from here @valmnz . That red line down the map (a bit like the shingles my wife currently suffers) is intriguing.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

At least you can see the route the train is going

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Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (69212)

• Centralia, Washington

4 Apr 18

I feel your fever. I'd be over the moon if I were you, just counting those days.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

If I'm this excited now I hate to think what I'll be like closer to the time!

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

@sallypup fortunatly I'm not a great sleeper, so I can get by on interrupted sleep patterns.

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Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (69212)

• Centralia, Washington

5 Apr 18

@valmnz Probably you won't be able to sleep, that final week before you head out.

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DianneN

@DianneN (254926)

• United States

5 Apr 18

Anticipation is half the fun of travel. Enjoy!

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

6 Apr 18

Looking forward to going through the red Australian desert.

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

5 Apr 18

That's awesome. I remember you mentioning it before. I'm glad it's getting closer. Good job on the first draft of your book.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

6 Apr 18

Talked to the library about the November book launch today.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

6 Apr 18

@valmnz That's great!

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maezee

@maezee (41985)

• United States

4 Apr 18

Exciting. Good for you! What is your book about if i may ask?

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

It's a local history book about the postcards of my city from the early 1900s.

hereandthere

@hereandthere (45628)

• Philippines

5 Apr 18

will it be one continuous trip or will there be stopovers and you're allowed to get off and explore?

Judy Story

@jstory07 (148764)

• Roseburg, Oregon

5 Apr 18

That is good I hope everything works out for you. Do good on your book and have a nice trip.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

Thank you.

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382412)

• Rockingham, Australia

5 Apr 18

Wow, it's getting close now! And good news about the book too. I wonder if you'll get a chance to go through the Ghan museum in Alice? It's worth a look.

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Val

@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

5 Apr 18

I am hoping to do a camel ride, but I'll try to get to the museum as well.

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