I took Tasmania's historic wilderness train in the mist, and it was the cosiest journey of my life
My half-day escape into the wild aboard the West Coast Wilderness Railway.
It's cold and misty outside but it's warm and cosy where I am.
The weather clings to the rail tracks as we ascend the mountain, higher and higher, towards Rinadeena.
We are ensconced in a replica vintage train carriage, its innards hand-crafted from yellow Huon pine, native birds and flowers hand-painted on the woodwork.
Above us, woollen blankets with tartan patterns are rolled up on luggage racks - but I don't have any luggage. I pull down a blanket and tuck it over my knees.
In front of me, the crumbled remains of a scallop pie sits on a plate, alongside half a glass of champagne.
This trip, on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, is all about the journey, not the destination.
The heritage locomotive blows its horn as we prepare to pull into our first station stop. We have been journeying through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness from Queenstown, enroute to Rinadeena and back again, but first, we are stopping for a wander at Lynchford.
The Wilderness Railway is known to locals as the Abt for its Swiss Abt rack-and-pinion system that engineers used to conquer the steep terrain. The 35-kilometre track was constructed in the 1890s by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company to transport Queenstown's copper riches across some of Tasmania's toughest country.
Today, the railway offers a number of historic train experiences with steam and diesel locomotives along the 130-year-old track, through dense rainforest between Queenstown and Strahan.
Our journey, the half-day Rinadeena, Rack and Rainforest, includes food from the Agrarian Kitchen, a critically-acclaimed paddock-to-plate restaurant in the Derwent Valley.
Team leader Hayley, who is serving our food, says: "I came on the train as a passenger in September then I ended up working here."
We disembark the train for a gold panning experience at Lynchford, where we also view old mine shafts and learn about the station's early days.
Back on the train, I head to the viewing platform at the rear of the last carriage, as the train begins to climb. This is ancient, cool temperate rainforest, bordering the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
The forest changes as we ascend, an understory of ferns growing among the sturdy trunks of old growth trees. Fuzzy moss covers the thin trunks of saplings, patches of cream-coloured lichen punctuating the dazzling green. A fine drizzle begins to fall.
At Rinadeena, we climb to the top of the railway bridge and - standing under umbrellas in the rain - watch our steam locomotive detach itself from our carriages and reattach to the other end. We are ready for our descent.
Back inside, champagne drank and food eaten, I sit with my train companions, ruddy-faced in the warmth, as the mist outside once again covers our tracks.
The writer was a guest of Tourism Tasmania
SNAPSHOT
The West Coast Wilderness Railway offers heritage and wilderness rail journeys through Tasmania's remote west coast. The Rinadeena, Rack and Rainforest is a three-hour return journey departing at 10am three times a week with tickets from $95 per person. Or take the 30-minute Lynchford Express from $50pp or the one-and-a-half-hour Cryptic Express or Moving Feast from $40/$80 respectively.
Explore more: wcwr.com.au
My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me.
Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.
My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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