Crossing the Nullarbor

Crossing the Nullarbor Plains

Western Australia is separated from the rest of Australia by only two major sealed road routes – the extremely long route up the west coast and across to the centre, and the southern route across the huge area known collectively as Nullarbor Plain, skirting the Great Australian Bight. The Eyre Highway route is a journey along one of Australia’s greatest wildernesses, a 1200km drive across the Nullarbor Plain. Extremely dry, hot, flat, mostly deserted, it's a hard life for those who live there yet every motorist travelling that road is grateful for the infrequent roadhouses where one can fuel up, refresh, stay over and even play golf.

Welcome to the Eyre Highway

Cocklebiddy Roadhouse

Eucla Roadhouse with road train

Balledonia, Calguna, Cocklebiddy, Mundrabilla, Eucla, become more than names on a map, instead places of refuge along the way. Water is precious and most roadhouses sell bottled water only. Crows sip damp mud to gain a little moisture. Frequent roadside areas encourage free overnight camping, and late each afternoon small villages of campers and caravans would appear, gone by next morning. Shade was important, as was protection from the biting march flies. Road trains pass every few minutes,day and night, the lifeblood of Western Australia on the backs of huge trucks and trailers.

Our western start to the Nullarbor Plain was on Saturday Nov 2^nd from Norseman, 200 kms north of Esperance. Six days later we arrived in Ceduna, the eastern end of this iconic experience. First night was at a rest area, followed by a night at Fraser Range Station. At 440 000 acres, and 160kms long, it's a normal size station along this route. Dry, dusty and hot, it was the spot to first try our hand at the famed Nullarbor Golf Links, where one plays a hole, drives about 150 kms then plays another hole. Par for the 18 hole course is 72. We used that up on the first hole, so decided to cheat after that.

Golf at Nullarbor Roadhouse-plane taxiway behind Raewyn

Signs across the Nullarbor

We played only two more holes (each about 400 kms apart) and rather than set off from the tee, found it easier starting from the edge of the artificial green. That way, we could miss the rocks, thorns, snakes,crows, ants and most other greebies. That our two golf clubs came from op-shops shows our prowess at this game. (Our second hole, two days later was at Nullarbor Roadhouse where we had to wait while a small plane taxied across the stony ground between us and the hole. We cheated there too.)

The endless highway

Longest straight road in Australia

Much of the route is inland from the coast, the undulating flats with long straights (the longest at 146kms without a bend) disappearing into a vanishing point on the distant horizon. Reach that vanishing point, and another appears just as far away. And it seems this goes on for ever. Not only motorists use the road, but cyclists and runners. We saw two runners at different times, each fund-raising for different charities, both noble but crazy!

Side roads lead off to various points to view the coast, and get a cool breeze from the 38-42 degree heat. At Bunda Cliffs, we were forced away from the viewing point by armies of flies determined to suck every last bit of moisture from us. But we got the photos. At Madura Pass,before the road drops 90m to the Roe Plain, the view over the flat landscape below is so expansive one can see the curve of the earth along the distant horizon.

At Eucla, the road rises slightly again and shortly after we cross the border into South Australia, and put our clocks ahead 2½ hours (SA is on daylight saving – WA is not.) Thereon, pegs every 5 kilometres denote the distance from that border crossing. 25kms, 50kms,100kms gives grateful knowledge we are at least making some progress along the way. We stop overnight at the 81km peg rest area, again with the ubiquitous army of flies. As night falls, the flies depart, the temperature drops from 42 to 30 degrees and a soft breeze murmurs contentment. Only the infrequent drone of road trains disturbs the night air.

Head of the  Great Australian Bight

Next day a side road takes us to Head of the Bight, northernmost point of the Great Australian Bight. From June to October this is a breeding area for right whales, often seen close to the shore. Unfortunately the whales had gone when we visited, possibly driven off by the flies. But the view made up for that. At this point, the land drops sharply into the sea. Rhythmical ocean swells lash constantly at unrelenting cliffs. Deep indigo seas disappear into a blackening horizon. Rain is on the way. Somewhere out there, the whales and their young are migrating back to Antarctica. Behind us lies the vast bulk of Australia.

Already driven 900kms- Not far to go now

That night,in Cohen rest area, thunder disturbs the sky. Three drops of rain fall. Then the storm is over. At least the temperature drops, and the flies go away.

Welcome to Ceduna, eastern end of Nullarbor

Next day, our sixth, a shorter trip passing vast grain fields brings us to our last golf hole at Penong. We cheat again. Later that day, we arrive at the quarantine border just shy of Ceduna. We've already eaten or given away most of our fruit and vegetables, but give up a small bag of raw potatoes as they may have fruit fly in them. Then we're in Ceduna, a coastal town with supermarkets and shops and cheaper fuel and water and paved footpaths. We book into the caravan park. That night it rains heavily. We're grateful.

Looking back  along the Eyre Highway, Australia's iconic journey