‘An experience we’ll never forget.’ What Cameron and Alison Daddo discovered on their first train holiday.

It’s no secret that Cameron and Ali Daddo have a passion for travel. 

The couple and their three kids – Lotus, River and Bodhi – have been on numerous travel adventures together.

And this year, Cameron and Ali were given the opportunity to see Australia like never before on board the Indian Pacific.

“It was something that I have always, always wanted to do,” Ali told Mamamia.

“My parents-in-law, Cam’s parents, had been on both the Indian Pacific and The Ghan and I just thought it sounded so interesting. I've never seen Australia that way before – I've only ever flown places – so to get to experience Australia by train was really exciting to me.”

The couple spent three nights on the Indian Pacific train, but instead of joining in Sydney, they met the train in Adelaide and travelled to Perth. Stopping along the way in Cook on the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia and Rawlinna in Western Australia as part of the Indian Pacific’s off train experiences. (The Indian Pacific also offers the return journey from Perth to Sydney.)

“We stopped at a tiny ghost town called Cook that only has a few people living there that service the trains,” Ali recalled.

“Later that day, we stopped at a place called Rawlinna. It’s home to the biggest operating sheep station in all of Australia. The crew set up these beautiful, long dining tables. They had bonfires set up and we had dinner out there on the Friday night. It was amazing.”

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While travelling on the Indian Pacific, guests have the choice between two levels of service: Gold and Platinum.

The Gold and Platinum service both feature private sleeper cabins that convert from day to night, all-inclusive dining, all-inclusive wines, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, and of course, off train experiences.

By day, the sleeper cabins feature a comfortable lounge. And by night, the crew convert the cabins while the guests enjoy dinner.

“It was really exciting to put yourself to bed at night on the train and look out the window and see stars and wake up in the morning and see the light filtering through on the Nullarbor Plain,” she continued.

Image: Supplied.

“That was an experience I'll never forget. It was amazing.”

During their three-night trip, Cameron and Ali also enjoyed a culinary journey in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant.

In the classically styled restaurant, guests are treated to a menu featuring fresh and local ingredients. 

The meals, which are all-inclusive, include breakfast, two course lunches, and three course dinners.

“The food was sensational. It was really, really good,” Ali shared.

“The wine list was amazing too. It had a bunch of local wines from South Australia and Western Australia. We actually took photos of the wine list, so we can try and sample all of the wines.”

Image: Supplied.

Unlike other holiday experiences, the Indian Pacific – and train travel in general – is often designed with socialising in mind.

The Outback Explorer Lounge is known as the social hub of the train, and it’s where Indian Pacific guests can gather to take in the views, read a book, or strike up a conversation with a fellow traveller.

“We loved getting to sit with other couples and hear the stories they had to share,” Ali recalled.

“My favourite lady on the whole trip that I kept reconnecting with was this gorgeous 80-year-old from Scotland who was just hilarious. She was an ex-midwife, and I kept seeking her out.

“People are there to talk to other people. If you were a solo traveller, you'd definitely be making friends left, right, and centre.”

For Ali, one of the unexpected benefits of the train travel holiday experience was being able to switch off from her daily life.

Image: Supplied.

“One of the unexpected benefits was that there is no internet onboard. So there were no phone calls, texting, emails, Instagram, nothing. There are also no TVs, so there's no screen time whatsoever,” Ali shared.

“If you were someone that is on your emails for work all the time and on screens all the time, it just forces you to slow down. It’s really relaxing.”

With the all-inclusive nature of the trip meaning that everything was taken care of, Cameron and Ali were able to fully embrace slow travel and reconnect without distractions on one of their first solo trips together without their three kids.

“Cam and I did a lot of talking – not only with each other, but with a lot of the other guests on board,” Ali recalled. “It’s very much set up to be very communal. You go to the [Outback Explorer Lounge] and there's just people there playing cards and Monopoly, and there's all the beverage options that you want,” she added.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of time in the cabin if you'd rather put yourself out there. It’s really about talking to other people and learning their stories. It was unlike any holiday I’ve ever experienced.”

Image: Supplied.

For Ali, one thing she didn’t expect to discover on the trip was being taken back to simpler times.

“[It was like being taken back] to the simpler times that I remember as a kid where you were in the world together, rather than single people communicating with whoever was on the other end of their phones,” she shared.

“That just was a really, really relaxing way to be for those two days. To be disconnected where you had the time to rest, eat really great food, chat or read. We loved it.”

Discover an all-inclusive rail holiday on the Indian Pacific to travel between Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in comfort and style.

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram/@alidaddo/@journeybeyondrail