Relive the phenomenon that is ‘Slow TV’ in an Australian first.
On Sunday 7th January 2018 at 7:30pm, the Australian household sat down on the lounge and watched the most riveting television ever produced.
The Ghan – Australia’s Greatest Train Journey.
What makes the documentary so exciting is that it was 3 hours of uninterrupted train travel from Adelaide to Darwin, conducted by one of Australia’s famous trains – The Ghan. To add to the thrill, there was zero voice-over and only complimentary graphics to educate the viewer on the history of the railway line.
The actual trip itself takes 54 hours to make the 2,979 kilometre journey from the hometown of Farmers Union Ice Coffee to the world of crocodiles.
With mystifying cut-aways, interior shots of the dining cabins and train staff, and drone distance shots, riding the rail that dates back to 1929 shows how beautiful the spine of the sunburnt country really is.
Right now, SBS On Demand is hosting the 3 hour special online, which you can view here. It’s definitely something to watch, as it raked up 400,000 viewers – which is impressive for an SBS broadcast.
On a side note: there is a secondary 17 hour version of this… we’re just awaiting for the release. It’s one hell of a commercial!
UPDATE: The 17 hour version will be shown Sunday 14th January, 2018 on SBS Viceland.
For more information on The Ghan and how to catch a ride on it, visit Great Southern Rail‘s site.
