Travelling from Esperance we headed 200kms due north to the town of Norseman, known as the gateway to the Nullarbor. It is here that you turn right onto the Eyre Highway to cross the 1200 kms of the Nullarbor. Some people we ran into said they enjoyed the trip across others were indifferent. Not knowing what to expect I decided to give a picture view of what we saw along the way.
First stop Norseman, a historical gold mining town. We drove down the one main street, bought a coffee, took a pic and turned right to the Nullarbor.
The main roundabout in town and their corrugated iron camels. Not sure what to expect but here we go 1200kms to Ceduna, the eastern end of the Nullarbor.
The first type of landscape, not that exciting, very outback Australia. A slight change in scenery after another 150kms from Norseman. So far today we have travelled 350kms and we were going to stop the night at Balladonia. Called in there for petrol and a sandwich for lunch and were nearly picked up and carried away by the flies. Decided to push on.
Another 60 kms further on and the landscape is changing. This is where we thought we were on the treeless plain that is the main part of the Nullarbor but that is another 450+ kms away.
We had a quick photo stop at the start of the longest straight road sign, then back on the road again. It was a bit tricky to get this shot as the wind kept moving the camera that was resting on the bulbar of the van and it was a quick sprint to get into the shot in time. More of the same vegetation with a slight hint of colour- look closely.
Trees are back on the scene.
At the end of this stretch of road was our first stop for the night at a place called Caiguna. Today we traveller approx 575kms and were on the road for 8.5 hours - big day. Nothing at Caiguna except the roadhouse and a patch of dirt out the back where you can pull up for the night.
The amenities at Caiguna. Some of the locals that hang around.
One of the many road trains that pass us.
The top of the sign reads ' Caiguna Hub of the Universe' !!! Will let you decide that one.
Mez doing her best to get the bugs off the windscreen. This was our spot for the night.
Day two of the Nullarbor, no real plans as to where we will get but hoped to make the WA/SA Border near the town( by town I mean a roadhouse that is a one stop shop for petrol, food, souvenirs and most have a bar as well) of Eucla.
As we left in the morning this sign was just down the road. So already we have lost 45 mins which can make a difference to where we might reach for the night.
These three we have to look out for as we travel this road.
Long stretches of nothingness are back.
One lone emu and that was all we saw besides lots of kangaroos.
The first roadhouse at Cockabiddy, good name, 66kms down the road from our starting point this morning.
More long stretches of the same with a slight change, we now have small white flowers lining the road.
Wild flowers at a rest stop where we made our brekkie. I have become a bit into the way the windflowers florish in this arid environment, so not like me.
This was a bit sad, someone had lost their best buddy while on their trip. The inscription reads ' 2011, Diesel 8yrs good dog'. This was at the rest stop.
Another 90 kms from Cocklebiddy.
It is hard to tell that we are looking down at the plains of Madura.
From memory I think we passed 3 of these signs along the stretch of the Nullarbor.
These markings on the road indicate the start and end of the small airstrip that is part of the main road travelled.
This is what the airstrip looks like, the sides of the road have been cleared of vegetation. This airstrip had another hazard that being a dead kangaroo halfway along it on the right hand side.
These road trains are flying, this one passed us and we were doing at least 100/110.
Mundrabilla next roadhouse 115kms from Madura. Didn't stop.
These guys decided to have a rest on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere under the only tallest shelter they could find. They are mad.
Next roadhouse to pass was Eucla 65 kms on, bit upmarket from the rest it had a stone sign, that was about the difference.
Twelve kms from Eucla is the WA/SA Border. Stopped here for a coffee and a rest before pushing on.
The touristy photo of the big kangaroo, just like the big banana, big pineapple etc.
Only 2,080 kms from home, as the crow flys.
After the Border Village, which was nothing more than a roadhouse, we came across our first glimps of the Great Australian Bight. I have wanted to see this area all my life for some reason and it just didn't disappoint.
Just thought I would throw in the windflowers growing out of the rocks.
This is to show you how close the highway across the Nullarbor is to the Southern Ocean.
The Bear Tree, if you look closely you can see stuffed bears hanging from the tree on the side of the road. Throughout our travels you come across things like this where someone starts something and people add to it, really cool.
This is the end of day two at the stop known as Nullarbor, which as the sign indicates is next to the western end of the treeless Nullarbor Plain. This was another 182 kms further on a very big day, lots of kms - approx 530kms.
If you ever do the Nullarbor don't stay at this roadhouse, stay at a free camp close by and come and use the showers here that cost a $1 for 4 mins as they are open to the passers by. We stayed and not only was it expensive for just a bit of dirt to park on and some power, no water, we had to put up with the noise of the massive generators, running the place, all night. Not the best place to stay the night after a long day.
Start of day three.
The treeless plain or "nullus arbor" was once part of the ocean floor and is the world's biggest, flattest piece of limestone, covering approx 200,000 square kms and is up to 300 metres thick.
Just down the road from our last evenings stop was a MUST SEE on the Nullarbor. As you can see it is called the Head of Bight. This is where you get to see what the Great Australian Bight is all about and also see the Southern Right Whales if you are lucky.
This place is one of the most spectacular whale watching sites in South Australia or anywhere for that matter. You walk along a cliff top walkway to a viewing platform where the whales just hang out below.
This is exactly what I wanted to see, I was in heaven, just loved it. Took so many pics and in the end Mez had to drag me back onto the road to get to our next destination.
Sun was out but a windy and cool. A mother and her calf just below Mez.
This is how close they were. Just beautiful coastline.
It can be quite off putting to come face to face with these wide loads that are travelling at fast speeds. We passed a number of these, not much fun.
Part of the rabbit proof fence that ran for a small way along the road.
The people that ride their bikes on the Nullarbor are crazy. We passed a few of them, not an easy ride.
Two more very wide loads, for these guys we had to pullover into the dirt at the side of the road and stop as you can see they took up the entire road.
Penong, the last town before Ceduna, the end of the Nullarbor. Here the landscape was changing and we were seeing more cultivated land.
Penong has a uniquely Australian skyline of wheat silos and windmills. It is known as 'the town of 100 windmills'.
Ceduna and the quarantine checkpoint from WA into SA. SA is very strict with any fresh fruit and veges being brought in as well as no honey. They come into the van and look through the fridge and cupboards, don't tell anyone but I stashed a bit of fruit and veg that we had bought and didn't use.
The end of the Nullarbor. It wasn't really what I expected I thought it would be far more arid but it was very long and monotonous a lot of the time.
We are now on the Eyre Peninsula, the land of world class seafood, so of course the first place we came to at the end of 1200kms of the Nullarbor was a little place called the Oyster Bar just on the side of the road just after the quarantine station.
Very flash with upstairs balcony!!! View from the balcony, which is really the roof of the place with a small rail and a table and chairs.
The oysters were delicious. This was such an unusual spot but great.
Had a quick look around Ceduna and decided to push on to the first of the Eyre Peninsula's coastal towns, Smoky Bay. This is the jetty at Ceduna.
Driving into Smoky Bay we saw the sign that there was a country music night on, in town, however, after a massive day of driving again-365kms we decided to kick back and enjoy the first real afternoon of sunshine we have had for some time.
Smoky Bay caravan park was right on the beach, just near the point this pic was taken.
The jetty, a lot of the older coastal towns have a jetty due to the shipping of produce over the years. This is now used for swimming and fishing off.
At the side of the jetty is the caged area for swimming as don't forget this is the breeding ground of the Great White variety.
The sun went down on the final day of the Nullarbor adventure.
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