Nostalgic NSW train journey most Aussies have never heard of
“The romance of rail” is not an expression closely identified with Australia. Most people could name The Indian Pacific and The Ghan and that’s about it. Because that’s about it.
Well, time to add another name to the timetable. Welcome aboard the North Coast Rail. I’ve joined Vintage Rail Journeys and a classic locomotive for their five-day return trip from Sydney to Byron Bay.
North Coast Rail by Vintage Rail Journeys is a five-day return trip from Sydney to Byron Bay. Vintage Rail Journeys
John Walsh was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
DAY 1: Brooklyn, bars and baristas
We board the train at Central Station, and I’m keen to see my home for the next five days. I was lucky enough to get a twin cabin to myself which means I have my own ensuite with shower.
As you’d expect the space is small but framing the view is a large picture window flanked by a three-seater lounge for daytime use which converts into a cosy bed at night with an upper berth above that.
There is a surprising amount of storage and hanging space and I settle in comfortably for the adventure ahead.
We pull out of Central at 10am and forge a path through the suburbs before we come up for air at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury about an hour north of the city and then hug the banks of Mullet Creek for a very scenic stretch of rail.
This start of the Central Coast then reveals more water views as we move on through Brisbane Waters and the towns of Woy Woy and Gosford.
The three-seater lounge converts into a bed for sleep at night. Supplied/John Walsh
Before lunch, I check out the two most important carriages on the train – lounge and dining. The lounge car is a very comfortable Art Deco-inspired space with a barista and bar serving beer, wine and spirits.
The dining car backs onto the lounge so it’s only a short sway between carriages to eat. Meals are a very civilised affair with white table cloths and a limited but excellent à la carte menu.
The lounge car is a very comfortable Art Deco-inspired space. Supplied/John Walsh
This is a full travel day, so there are no off-train excursions (although an optional Sydney harbour cruise was available early this morning pre-departure) which gives you the afternoon to gaze out the window and fully take in the landscapes on offer as we pass out of the Greater Newcastle area and into the Hunter Valley.
Highlight for me was probably the stretch between Paterson and Gloucester with its lush paddocks and contented cows.
Dinner seating rotates so no one is stuck with all early or all late dinners. After a very nice porterhouse steak at the 7.30pm session I return to the cabin which has been magically made up into a bed while I was at dinner.
A pattern that is also repeated every morning while you breakfast so that you return to a cabin converted back to day use.
Water views eventually turned into lush paddocks. Supplied/John Walsh
When you pay for a deluxe rail trip you don’t want to miss any scenery so almost all the travel is during the day and the train stables at night.
So, if you’re expecting to fall asleep to a loco lullaby you won’t get that, but you will get a bump-free sleep in a peaceful siding.
Little tip. The Wi-Fi and network coverage along most of the trip is terrible, so I suggest you download something in advance if you were expecting to watch Netflix in bed.
DAY 2: Is that Russell Crowe?
The train awakens from its slumber at Kundabung just south of Kempsey, and we ease out of the siding for our next leg to Coffs Harbour and enjoy breakfast passing through some beautiful foggy farmland.
Because we are in the Northern Rivers region of NSW we also cross a series of bridges and waterways like the Macleay and Nambucca Rivers.
As we edge further north the environment gets more subtropical and palm trees start appearing among the gums.
On Day two we make our first official stop. Supplied/John Walsh
Our first off-train excursion today. All 69 passengers load into two coaches. At one point our driver notes that “40 minutes down the next road on your right is the home of Russell Crowe.”
We all turn and strain our necks in the hope that by some miracle we might spot Rusty.
First stop Sealy Lookout, a cantilevered viewing platform high in the hills above Coffs. Here a miracle does occur. The view was fully obscured by thick fog when we arrived, then just like Melbourne, wait 10 minutes, and it was suddenly clear with views across the coast to Muttonbird Island.
Sealy lookout in Coffs Harbour, NSW. Supplied/John Walsh
A surprisingly good buffet lunch at The Jetty overlooking Coffs Harbour then off to the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden. I blanched when the driver said we had 90 minutes here but there was a diverse range of fauna on show from around the world.
The highlight was the 1.5 kilometre return walk to the Japanese Garden. A largely older clientele do this rail trip, so a pair of buggies was on hand to shuttle around anyone who needed it.
Back at the train I grab a spot in the lounge car and enjoy a drink and live music watching the light fade and the scenery darken before being called in for dinner.
The Japanese Garden was a highlight. Supplied/John Walsh
DAY 3: The most easterly point in Australia
We stabled last night in Casino which is the end of the line for the train but not the journey.
Buses today will take us to Byron Bay. First, though, breakfast. Travelling in this bubble for five days with like-minded people gives you the chance to hear some diverse life stories so at meal time you never know who you’re going to meet or what tale you’re going to hear.
Chatting to Betty over breakfast. Supplied/John Walsh
Over Eggs Benedict I meet Betty who at 92 was amazingly born the same day and year as my late mother.
The bus to Byron is an hour and we have the option of a free day to roam Byron or a tour of the Zentveld’s Coffee Plantation. I’ve chosen the Crop to Cup tour.
Zentveld’s was the first company to grow coffee in NSW for 100 years. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese famously took a stash with him on a mission to the UN in New York.
Zentveld’s was the first company to grow coffee in NSW for 100 years. Supplied/John Walsh
Founder and roast master Rebecca Zentveld took us on a tour and judging by her energy levels and enthusiasm she enjoys her own brew.
After lunch at The Loft in Byron overlooking the main drag of Jonson St we finish the day with a drive up to the Byron Bay Lighthouse to experience the most easterly point in Australia.
Byron Bay was the actual end of the line. Supplied/John Walsh
DAY 4: The best seat in the house
Waking up in Kempsey today. Two choices for off-train excursions: Trial Bay Gaol or The Slim Dusty Centre. I’m a country music fan, so I opt for Slim.
The Aussie legend was born and raised in Kempsey and the locals have really honoured their favourite son with this museum.
This is not a modest country hall with a donation box, it’s a very slickly presented exhibition with loads of memorabilia chronicling Slim’s life.
A visit to the locomotive where I ride shotgun with the driver. Supplied/John Walsh
Lunch back on the train followed by an afternoon of trivia which I skip in favour of a visit to the locomotive where I ride shotgun with the driver for an hour.
This is a real treat and I learn first hand about the complexities of operating a train through regional Australia.
These guys have the best seat in the house, but they have to stay vigilant for other trains, track conditions, wandering animals, erratic cars and wayward people.
They were no doubt appreciative of the extra set of eyes I provided.
DAY 5: The journey or the destination?
We stayed overnight in Paterson and board the coaches for the hour-long trip to Newcastle for a very pleasant harbour lunch cruise.
As always, we’re accompanied by the hospitality crew from the train who double (triple?) as waitstaff, cabin stewards, and tour guides (even the house musician tags along and plays at the lunch venues).
This gives on and off train life a nice sense of family with the same friendly faces threaded through the whole experience.
Back on the train, back to Sydney.
Central station is where the journey starts and ends. Supplied/John Walsh
The verdict
So, was this trip about the journey or the destination? Travelling on a standard suburban or regional train it’s probably more about getting to your destination. On a deluxe train like the North Coast Rail I have to say it’s about the journey and the destinations are a bonus.
I’ve always loved trains since my days riding the suburban network in Sydney, but this was the first time I’ve had a chance to take a vintage rail trip.
Deluxe train travel is not cheap and there are compromises in space that come with the territory, but I would definitely classify it as a bucket list experience.
If you like trains and have a hankering for nostalgia and a time when train travel was a bit more special then this just might be the trip you’re looking for.
John Walsh travelled as a guest of Vintage Rail Journeys. They also run rail tours of the Riverina and Golden West
