The Pursuit of Happiness

Cook, South Australia has a total population of four residents, five if you include the dog that I met (and yes I do count him as a resident). It is the only stop of the Indian Pacific on the Nullarbor Plain, and is the definition of isolation in the Outback. I could not find the exact mileage to the nearest town, but here's a map that should give you a ball park idea:

Cook is essentially a ghost town now, and a stop to allow Indian Pacific passengers to stretch their legs, but it is no longer used as a fueling station. Residents run the gift shop and rely on trains for outside contact and supplies. The Nullarbor Plain is what these people see when they look out their windows:

While walking around the town I found this, an old telephone booth converted into a child's swing. I guess when living in seclusion you have to be resourceful.

The one and only stop sign in Cook, however there is no actual street to mark. Also, I'd like to introduce you to Adam and Charlie, two of our hosts aboard the Indian Pacific:

This sign greets visitors as they enter the gift shop:

Cook's humor:

Yes, people still inhibit this sorry excuse for a town:

The Boy from Denmark

Previously I mentioned there was a young man from Denmark riding the train. There is a story behind him. Between Adelaide and Kalgoorlie we dropped him off in the middle of the Outback. He was going to work on a sheep station for the next five months. His ride was waiting for him when the train got there, but the sheep station was no where to be seen. Where this young man was going he was going to be in total isolation, which is a theme common to most towns in Australia. As he got off I wished him good luck, that brave soul.

Dear Gram,

This post is for my grams, who tried to scare the living daylights out of me by telling me they did not have diet coke or pepsi in Australia. There is a god, coke is international:

The Outback

Here's the Outback! Pictures towards the beginning and the end have more green, because they are by coasts. I sat next to an older woman named Pam in between Broken Hill and Adelaide; she informed me that the land is more green this year due to rains that have broken a nine year drought. I've posted them in the order that I saw them. Enjoy!

Between Sydney and Broken Hill

Between Broken Hill and Adelaide

Between Adelaide and Cook

The Nullarbor Plain (which means no trees in poor Latin), in Cook

Nullarbor Plain, between Cook and Kalgoorlie

Just outside Kalgoorlie

Last day on the train, just outside of Perth and back to green hills

The Indian Pacific

Alright, 4 day's of traveling later and I'm finally here! I got here using a rail line called the Indian Pacific. It is the only rail line connecting Western Australia with the rest of the country. It runs from Sydney to Perth and vice-versa. I boarded the train at 3 p.m. Friday, January 28th in Sydney, and got to Perth at 10 a.m. Tuesday, February 1st. I loved every minute of it. The train travels through the Outback, making stops in Broken Hill, Adelaide, Kalgoorlie, and finally in Perth. During each of the stops passengers are allowed to get out and explore; I'll tell you more about these later. I met people from all over the world on my three day train trip. There were people from France, New Zealand, Canada, the States, a boy from Denmark, a couple from either Sweden or Switzerland (I can't remember), and of course a few Aussies. As the train leaves Sydney, the view out the windows is green, lustrous, and very hilly. As you near the Outback, the land becomes flatter and drier as one might expect, but still very enchanting. Believe it or not, there was no part of the Outback that was completely without plant life. If ever traveling in Australia, I highly recommend the Indian Pacific, or the Ghan (which takes you north and south over Australia). Pack your own food though, train food is expensive and not very good.