Going Home - Tue 2nd to Tue 9th October 2012 - Crossing the Nullarbor
There is a certain mystique in the phrase "Crossing the Nullarbor". It's an Australian right of passage. My only previous Nullarbor experience was 42 years ago, early Feb 1970, when I took the train from Perth to Melbourne. An event I can barely remember.
After just one night in Kalgoorlie we filled up with diesel (the cheapest since leaving Melbourne) and set off for Norseman and points east with a strong tail wind. More diesel at Norseman and away we went. Another 130km was enough so we found a suitable bush camp site.
Wed 3rd - about 90km found us at the start of Australia's longest straight road - 90mile (146km) without a bend. Pretty boring ... comments like "only 40km to go till the next bend".
Despite that mind-numbing experience we managed to continue another 200km or so, and descended the Madura Pass, without falling asleep. Soon we found the extensive Moodini Bluff Rest Area about 26km E of Madura. After the Madura Pass there is an escarpment on the left (north) all the way to the SA border.
We were able to have a camp fire at each of these road-side stops. This was our last night, and last sunset, in WA.
By now we were in the strange "twilight" time zone belonging to far southeast WA - 45 minutes ahead of Perth and 45 minutes behind SA - enough to do your head in.
Thu 4th - we were still over 160km from the SA border. We filled up with diesel at Mundrabilla Roadhouse ($1.90 per litre). Shortly after passing Eucla (a non-event) we climbed up to WA/SA Border Village, which is at the same elevation as the Bunda Cliffs overlooking the southern ocean.
About 15km further on we got our first view of the southern ocean. At this point you can climb down the "cliff" to some sand dunes and a sandy beach ... so I did!
After that burst of exercise we continued another 100km or so to the Bunda Cliff rest area 133km east of WA/SA Border where we set up camp well away from the cliff edge. Despite positioning the caravan perfectly to shelter us from the inevitable gale, we got kippered in the smoke from our (bring your own wood) camp fire.
I envisaged the Nullarbor as being barren and treeless, with a number of exposed cliff-top stopping places. It wasn't. That is it wasn't barren and treeless - but there are exposed cliff-top camping areas.
In my mind the "Nullarbor" starts at Norseman and finishes at Ceduna - a distance of 1200km. Three quarters of the way across (900km from Norseman), just before the Nullarbor Hotel/Motel, there is a sign that says something like "you are entering the treeless zone". Indeed there were few if any trees ... for the next 40km or so! (The "real" Nullarbor Plain is north of the railway line, over 100km to the north.)
The Nullarbor boasts the longest golf course in the world. There is one hole at each of 18 stops along the way. Shame I'm not a golfer ... completing the course would be quite an achievement!
Fri 5th - I guess you just have to take the 12km detour to visit the Head of the Bight, an Aboriginal-owned tourist facility. Yes, we did see a couple of whales in the distance.
We stopped (all on our own) in the Koonibba rest area 35km W of Ceduna. We needed another night to "process" the fruit and vegies before reaching the quarantine check point just west of Ceduna. By now (starting at Penong) we were back in farming country, so finding a camping area was a little more challenging.
Sat 6th - the quarantine police duly confiscated the remains of a cantaloupe and a banana, but we were allowed to keep our carrots. They also found a few snow peas in the fridge door that we had overlooked. This forced us to do a quick fruit and veg shop in Ceduna ... where "caravan-friendly" parking is not available!
We needed a night in a caravan park, so we stopped at the perfectly-located Nuttbush Retreat 40km W of Port Augusta.
Sun 7th - through Port Augusta, round Adelaide City, the Merc struggled to get the caravan up into the Adelaide Hills, quick detour into Murray Bridge for a couple of items from the supermarket, noisy roadside camp beside the Princes Highway 15km W of Tailem Bend.
Mon 8th - found lovely campsite for our last night, on narrow country road 10km NW of Ararat.
Tue 9th - just 250km and we're home by 2:30pm. Sad that it's all over!