In the US, long-distance sleeper trains traverse their country (which is roughly the same size as Australia) from coast to coast, in good personally-safe 4-star comfort. These are inter-city trains with passengers joining or de-training at major stations along the journey. Rail journeys provide a unique first-person scenic and cultural experience of the country traversed.

The South Coast of Western Australia stretches for 1,600 kms, from Cape Leeuwin (southwest corner of WA) to Eucla (close to the border with SA). The Albany Coast is one of four WA coastal regions (Leeuwin Coast, Albany Coast, Esperance Coast, Eucla Coast) fronting the Great Australian Bight. Occasionally marketed as the ‘Rainbow Coast’, the Albany Coast often experiences winter rainbows when the sun is at its lowest in mid-winter.

A Nature Reserve, Recherche Archipelago (known by locals as The Bay of Isles) contains 105 pristine islands, and over 1,200 rocky outcrops (often only exposed at low tide), off the southern WA coast near Esperance. The islands are arranged in two groups - the western group (includes Woody Island, and is off-shore from Cape Le Grand National Park) near Esperance, and the eastern group (includes Middle Island, and is near Cape Arid National Park) at Israelite Bay.

Located on the western side of Eyre Peninsula - nearly 300 kms northwest of Port Lincoln (and 700 kms from Adelaide), Streaky Bay is a convenient base from which to explore this spectacular part of the Great Australian Bight, and its hinterland dominated by pastoral activity. The town (formerly known as Flinders) has a population less than 1,500, and lies on an enclosed inlet (called Augusta Harbour, or Blanche Port) at the southern end of the bay.

Shark Bay World Heritage Area is testimony to unique wonders of the natural world. If you love wildlife, you’ll love Shark Bay. World Heritage listing recognises its extraordinary global significance - outstanding natural beauty, biological diversity, a fascinating ecology, unique geology, and a 30,000-year indigenous cultural history.