Crossing the Nullarbor 1

Crossing the Nullarbor Plain is a Rite of Passage for many Australians and it was certainly on my Bucket List, so this was bucket list item no. 3 for this trip about to be realized.

We had allowed ourselves plenty of time but still needed to do an average of 400 kms per day, every day. We wanted to be able to stop whenever we wished however our over-night stops were all planned and mostly booked. As our camper van was not self-sufficient we could not stop at free camp sites.

Leaving Norseman the vegetation soon thinned out to 'nul-arbor' (no trees) but salt bush and blue bush especially remained to give some ground cover.

There is always something of interest along the road; another flower, a man riding a bicycle across the Nullarbor, sections of the road where the Flying Doctor lands if necessary and points of interest such as the Caiguna Blowhole.

 
Our first break was Balladonia where we discovered the breadth of the road houses along the way. Fuel, food, souvenirs, motels & camp areas, a golf hole and Balladonia's special feature was a small museum with a piece of space junk from SkyLab that fell to earth nearby.

You can feel the caves below the Plain breathing through this hole.

The Nullarbor Golf Links is an 18 hole par 72 course said to be the world's longest. It extends for 1365 kilometres along the Eyre Highway from Kalgoorlie W.A to Ceduna S.A. Travellers take their golf club with them and stop off at each hole to play. Another excuse to get out of the car and walk.

Kel played a virtual hole at Caiguna.

 

 On we travelled towards Cocklebiddy.

 

 The Cocklebiddy Roadhouse was our first real Nullarbor over-night stop. Basic facilities but all we needed; a shower, power, food & fuel.

 

They have two wedge tailed eagles in a huge enclosure that were injured on the road and would not survive in the wild. Bruce & Samantha are a feature here.

The food plan was to do a hamburger crawl across the Nullarbor, and this was the first night's presentation.

We had seen no wildlife (dead or alive) up until this stop where we had many kangaroos come close to the camp in the evening. They were not at all tame, just curious.

   

 A well earned sleep for the driver and on the road again early, although we were last to leave the camp.

Madura Pass, the Hampton Tablelands & Roe Plains.

 
Not only an RFDS landing spot on the road but  I caught two men riding postie bikes across Australia.

Lunch stop at Mundrabilla where the choc chip cookies were so good Kel went back for seconds after only one bite from the first.

 
Checking out the golf holes ensured we took breaks.

Eucla is the most easterly locality in Western Australia. It has sand dunes, the Old Telegraph Station ruin and a memorial to Edward John Eyre, Australian explorer, and his party who camped there in 1841.

Our next two night stop was at Border Village just inside the South Australian border from Eucla.

Border Village Roadhouse was an intriguing place with snake warnings at the bathroom, a travellers' chapel, a golf hole and a haphazard collection of camping spots.

Rooey II was a bit of fun. Rooey I was burnt in a bushfire, along with the roadhouse some years ago. 

The hamburger crawl came unstuck here because Eucla wasn't worth going back across the border and Border Village didn't sell hamburgers!

A day to relax tomorrow.