THE NULLABOR

28^th February, 2012

At Ceduna we take the opportunity to fill up with diesel.  This will be the last cheap (well relatively cheap) fuel stop for the next 1,200 kilometres until we reach Norseman in West Australia.  Edward John Eyre was the first European to cross this unforgiving stretch of land in 1841 and the

Eyre Highway

from Adelaide to Perth is named after him.  The road signs warn us of roaming wildlife and although no live animals cross our path, we do see road kill in the form of lots of kangaroos and one camel.  

Camels and kangaroos we expected ..... but wombats?

Apparently the wombats are a bit more road savvy than the other two.  A couple of hundred kilometres into the trip the low scrubby bush and occasional scruffy tree disappear completely and the true Nullabor ‘treeless plain’ begins.

The Nullabor

Planning for fuel stops is a necessity on this highway as the last thing you want to do is run out.  It’s a long way to walk to get to the next petrol station.  By late afternoon we are about 80 kilometres from the West Australian border.  Our handy dandy camp book guides us to a lookout 2 kilometres off the highway where we decide to stop for the night.  We are joined by two other campers so once again we are not alone.

Free camping on the Nullabor

Our campsite overlooks The Great Australian Bight where the southern ocean pounds against jagged 80 metre high cliffs.

Wok watches the waves pound against the cliffs

The Great Australian Bight Marine Park is the world’s second largest marine park after the Great Barrier Reef.  From June to September the southern right whales migrate here from Antarctica for the breeding season and the cliff tops make an ideal viewing platform.  We walk along the edge of the cliffs (well not right on the edge as the ground is very unstable and prone to collapsing into the maelstrom below).   After watching the endless waves roll in we walk back to the rig and on the way spot some hardy little succulents trying to make a go of it in the dry dusty ground.  The tiny daisy like flowers are a stark contrast to the surrounding harsh landscape.

Wok used his big toe to show the size of these flowers

The next morning we set out for the border, stopping to check out the views of the Bight from several lookouts along the way.

The cliffs in this section had quite distinct layers

The cliffs are now starting to give way to long rocky slopes leading to the water but vegetation is still low and windswept.

Rocky slopes lead down to the water

We pass through the Border gate into West Australia with no problem, having eaten all the fruit and veggies we could and then cooked and refrigerated the rest.  Besides fresh fruit and veggies, plants and honey are not allowed to cross the state line.  We will now make do with what we have on board for the next few days until we get to Kalgoorlie where prices will be more reasonable.  At Eucla we turn off the highway and drive the few kilometres of dirt road towards the sand dunes.  Here the ruins of the 1877 Telegraph Station and the old town of Eucla is slowly being engulfed by the dunes.

The old Telegraph Station at Eucla

Thought we would take a photo of the aeroplane sign as we motor along the highway.

Sign for Emergency Airstrip

With no doctor or hospital or ambulance for hundreds or kilometres, the only quick way of getting emergency patients to help is via the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service).  And the logical place for the plane to land is on the highway which makes a perfectly good runway.  Hence at strategic intervals signs are placed advising motorists that this strip of highway can be turned into an emergency airstrip at any time.

Markings on the highway for start of the runway

Thankfully we were not buzzed by any planes trying to make a landing.  We are having enough trouble trying to keep out of the way of the numerous road trains let alone trying to take on an aeroplane.  We stop at Caiguna Road House to fill up with fuel and find one of the tees for the world’s longest golf course.  

Golf Tee behind Caiguna Road House

Stretching 1,362 kilometres from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie the Nullabor Links is unlike any golf course you have ever heard about.  This is an 18 hole par 72 course with holes scattered along the route, in towns and at road houses.  The parched ground can be as hard as steel (so don’t use your new ‘you beaut’ clubs) and you may need a hammer to get your tees into the ground, but playing the course can help to alleviate the boredom of a very long drive.  Just to the west of the road house is the start of the ’90 Mile Straight’.  This is Australia’s longest stretch of straight road – 146.6 kilometres.  

Guess we will have to do what the sign says - There are no other options

We did have a bit of a chuckle over this as we had just driven approx 800 kilometres from Ceduna and we’re almost certain that most of it was ‘straight’ with just the slightest hint of a bend now and then.  Wok was considering the intricacies of tying the steering wheel in one position and putting Mitzi on cruise control when thankfully he decided that it may not be a good idea.  You never know when an out of control camel may come lumbering along.  At this point we decided (well Robyn actually decided) that it may be a good idea to find a place to stop for the night.  Wok was obviously tired and getting delusional.  A good rest area was not far away and it didn’t take long to find a spot for the night.  It didn’t take long for this peewee to find us also and then spend the rest of the daylight hours admiring itself in our side mirrors.

Yep Mr Peewee - when you bend over to look at yourself you are upside down

Wok thought it was cute until he had to clean up all the peewee mess off the mirror brackets in the morning.  Our last fuel stop before reaching Norseman was at Balladonia Road House where we spent some time wandering through the little museum attached to the restaurant/shop.  Apart from the local history on the aboriginals and early settlers in the area there was a section devoted to Skylab’s return to earth.  Skylab crashed back to earth in 1979 scattering debris across Balladonia and making it the most talked about place on earth at NASA for quite a few months.  By lunchtime we were pulling into Norseman.  This was one road trip we had always wanted to do and it was as much about the journey as the destination.  Our journey across the Nullabor was at an end.