Crossing the Nullarbor (21/3 to 25/3)

Day 1

We commenced our trip across the Nullarbor on a wet and windy Monday morning.  Our first stop was Penang Roadhouse for petrol and for John & Kathie another hole on the Nullarbor Links Golf Course. 

Mark & I stopped at the local museum where we not only learnt about the mouse, rabbit and snake plague in the district, but saw lots of household items that we remembered from our childhood.....IN A MUSEUM! 

The one thing that kept our attention was the high cost of diesel fuel.  We started off paying $1.56.9 in Ceduna and by the time we had arrived at the Nullarbor Roadhouse the cost of diesel had risen to $1.99.9 per litre.  Luckily fellow travellers had given us a warning about this and we did not have to fill our tanks at this stop.

A highlight of the day was our visit to Head of Bight.  After paying $5 each for the privilege, we enjoyed wonderful vistas of the Great Australian Bight.

Beautiful Colours of Great Australian Bight

Sand Dunes at Head of Bight

  

It was interesting that the sand dunes are marching inland at a rate of 12m a year.  At that rate they’ll be across the Eyre Highway quite soon.  Luckily we have encountered very little traffic.  A few ‘wide loads’ and some road trains but nothing to worry us.  

The Dann Clan might be interested in the road signs.  We’ve been watching out for Camels, Wombats and Kangaroos, but unfortunately none to be seen at present.  Jemma, we’re particularly on the lookout for wombats so we can put a star on our bingo sheets....but there are definitely no heart shaped clouds anywhere!

Day 1 Stop

We lucked out on our freestay for the night.  We’re in the Nullarbor National Park and can walk along the cliff face of the Great Australian Bight ....wonderful views, and as you can see from the photos we were lucky to have fine weather for most of the day.

 Day 2

We awoke to rain but by 9 o’clock had a fine, clear day.  We drove 80 km today, and also drove across airport tarmac.  Parts of the Eyre Highway are Royal Flying Doctor Service emergency landing strips. Our first stop was a scenic lookout that had been closed because the cliff had collapsed and the parking area now stood on the verge of joining the ocean.  We then went on to Bunda Cliffs Scenic Lookout, where the three layers of the cliffs jutting into the Great Australian Bight were very plain to see.  In a lot of areas there are signs that it is unsafe to venture further because of unstable cliffs due to undercutting caused by the sea.   We chose a stop close to the shoreline for our second night on the Nullarbor.  As can be seen from the photo we are sharing the free stay with loads of gravel and roadbase, which make excellent wind breaks.  Only 25km to the border.

Bunda Cliffs

Night 2 Stop

Day 3

Today we travelled ahead of John & Kathie who wanted to take a more leisurely trip across the Nullarbor.  Hopefully we’ll catch up with them in Kalgoorlie.  We had two stops before reaching the border.  On the first we went for a walk DOWN to the water. 

Mark on way down to water

Donna on way down

Our second stop was at a scenic lookout.  You can see that the cliffs have now given way to a more gentle slope to the sea.  Everywhere we stop we meet some fellow ‘terrorists’ as one Qlder called us tourists.  Today was a long day as we arrived at the border crossing at 11:45am   and left at 9:15am (Perth Time)

After the border was the ‘town’ of Eucla.  Once the site of the telegraph station that kept WA in touch with the rest of Australia and the world, now there is a caravan park, ambulance, police and aged care home.  After Eucla we went through a pass and for the rest of the day have travelled on the highway with plains to the south and a tableland to the north.  The land, though quite green because of recent rains, is no good for farming or grazing.  As per the signposts it is great for kangaroos, emus and camels.  People have tried to make this barren landscape more interesting by creating their own trees.  We passed a shoe tree, glove tree, undies tree, tinsel tree.  Took a photo of one tree that we need help with the theme.  There is a tv, shirt, cds....can anyone identify the theme?

Theme of tree????

Stopped for the night - day 3

We found a good spot for the night at Moodini Bluff in a grove of trees, which is very unusual in this landscape.  We were in bed quite early as the sun set around 6pm.

Day 4

After waking up quite early we set off on the next part of our journey. Our first stop was at Madura Pass Lookout, after we climbed to the top of the tableland.  The view of the Hampton Roe Plains stretched to the Great Australian Bight. 

View of Hampton Roe Plains

Second stop was Cocklebiddy Roadhouse.  After having to make sure we didn’t take any fresh fruit or veges into WA it was interesting to see brown bananas at Cocklebiddy selling at $1 each.  (That was the only fruit to be had).  The price of fuel here was $1.96.9 so once again we checked our tank & decided we’d be able to reach Norseman.  After the next stop, Caiguna, we encountered the longest straight stretch of road in the world.  90 miles, 146.6 km.  We stopped for the night at Woorlba Homestead Rest Area, after driving about 300km.  Luckily we have a shady spot, because it is very hot.

Day 5

We finished crossing the Nullarbor today.  We have been very lucky because we’ve encountered no headwinds or crosswinds, no rain, very little traffic and a great road surface.  Cannot even imagine what it would be like when it was a dirt road.  At the end of the Nullarbor is the town of Norseman. This mining town was established in 1860 after Laurie Sinclair’s horse, Norseman, as the legend says, pawed and exposed a chunk of gold reef. 

Statue of Norseman

View from Norseman Lookout of Mine & Salt Lake

Gold is still mined in the area today and between Norseman and Kalgoorlie (where we have set up for the night at a caravan park)  there are numerous mines. 

The streets of Norseman are extremely wide, being planned originally so that camel trains could turn easily in the street.  This is commemorated today by the corrugated iron camels in the main street. 

We were able to fill the car at the Shell Service Station where petrol was at a more reasonable price of $1.61.9.  (Thanks Ian Peacock for the tip)

 

So ends our journey across the Nullarbor.