Crossing the Nullarbor Plains
We hit the road early, for us anyway. We left Haslam @ 8.30am and we had a total 1270km ahead of us. But we were prepared. We were told to fuel up at certain petrol stations as they have the cheapest fuel. We topped up at Ceduna before starting our long trip.
First day we travelled 468kms. Which got us 100kms East of the WA border on the Bunda Cliffs at Dorry Lookout.
The start of the drive across the Nullarbor was quite hilly and trees were as tall and thick as some of the bush around home. It felt like the ocean was ages away. The road was windy as well. We past a couple of the Nullarbor golf link holes.
The first petrol station we came to was Nundroo, one of the ones we were told to fill up at. $1.42 per litre pretty good. We had paid that on the Eyre. We let the boys out to stretch their legs. We saw a Victorian couple (Sandra & Woody) pull in and fuel up, we ended up following this couple all the way across.
The landscape changed slightly I’m guessing due to shallower dirt and the cliffs starting and coming in close. Trees weren’t as high and thinned out.
Then it became more arid. Small shrubs, a bit more dirt. The changes in a few hours were amazing. The land was still undulating more than I expected.
We stopped at the Nullarbor Plain sign and saw a car with a Shepparton on there license plate. So we said g’day to them. Then Sandra and Woody pulled in behind us so we introduced ourselves.
We moved on. Not far up the road we came to The Head of the Bight. To my surprise there were sand dunes to the East and to the West were the most beautiful cliffs. And out in front nothing, not one thing for hundreds of miles.
This was roughly where we expected to get to for the first night but we were all traveling really well so we pushed on. We went into two different camps along the cliffs until we camp across the one we were happy with.
We got all setup then Woody and Sandra pulled in and set up camp too.
I have been so worried about the boys going near the edge and Matt kept telling me I was overprotective but after seeing the overhang on some of the cliffs and this massive fracture in the cliff I don’t think I have been overprotective at all.
I even found a wildflower while exploring with the boy’s.
This experience is one I would recommend to everyone and I’m so glad we did it. Staying the night on the cliffs was breathtaking. Watching the sunset, so fast and watching the sunrise was just one of those moments that I know will stay with me forever.
Sunrise
We hit the road early again. Wasn’t long until we got the Great Australian Bight lookout . which is the first lookout of the Bight coming from the West. It was so different then the start of the Bight on the Eastern side. There where cliffs to the East but they had got smaller and to the west you could see sand. Little beaches. There where camps along this part which next time I would like to stay at.
From here it wasn’t long til we came to Border Village. Apparently the dearest petrol coming across so I checked out the price. And yep it was (We didn’t fuel up here).
Our phones automatically changed the 3 hours before we even got to the border. We had left that morning at 8.30am when our phones changed back the time was 7.30am. It was going to be along day.
We got a great young guy at quarantine and he only searched our food areas which was good.
Eucla is only 5 minutes down the road, with cheaper fuel so we fuelled up ($1.68) and took a drive down to the telegraph station. The sand dunes are slowly moving and covering it up.
Going to telegraph station I was surprised that we went down a steep hill then I realised it was actually the cliffs, they leave the coast and head inland. As you head west from Eucla you actually go down through them and travel along the bottom of them until Madura.
We were so out of whack with the time that we all ate our lunch at 9am WA time.
We put more fuel in at Madura ($1.73), saw the people from Shepparton again. We thought that this would be be our camp for the night but it was way too early to pull over so we kept driving. At Madura we drove back up on top of the cliffs/ridge. It was pretty cool at the start as you could still see the land down below. You couldn’t really see the cliffs. Then we got further away and it was just plains. It was up here that we came across the most road kill every couple of hundred meters.
Wasn’t long after here that we came across the longest straight bit of road. I drove all of it except the last 5kms.
It was at this point that we had both had enough so we started checking out some of the camps and decided that our second one was the one, Afghan Rocks. It was a great spot and we had a fire. We were only about 5kms from Balladonia.
Through the 650kms that we travelled that day we saw so many changes in the landscape but unfortunate I didn’t take many photos. The heights of the shrubs changed from short to tall and the thickness of the shrubs changed be scattered to becoming a forest. It was amazing. Every few hundred kilometres it would change.
We also saw a few beautiful, big wedge tailed eagles.
The next morning we fuelled up at Balladonia, $1.78. The landscape across got quite thick and tall, a real forest.
We planned on staying at Norseman the night but when we got there it was only lunchtime so we drove around then decided to head to Kaligoorlie.
Throughout our trip over we discussed how so many people think this is boring but we found it interesting how much the landscape actually changes. I would say it wasn’t as interesting after living the cliffs but then there was some stations and some pretty good camps. So I guess it really depends on what you call interesting.
Take care. Xo
The Eyre Peninsula – Part 2
After Louth Bay we moved on to the Lincoln National Park. It was as beautiful as we had heard and more. We camped at Surfleet campground and checked out the rest of the park from there. It was beautiful Australian bush, actually had a bit of green & height about it. The bush ended where the cliffs/edge started then sand then beautiful blue ocean. My kind of heaven.
A couple that we had meet at Louth Bay, Harry & Robyn came down to camp for a couple of nights. We really hit off with them, Matt & Harry started a fishing friendship were neither would catch fish but both would get advice off fellow fishermen and compare notes. We went for a drive around the park to Fishman Point, September Beach, Donington lighthouse and beach. If you ever get the chance to go there and you have 4wd my recommendation would be September Beach camping ground. It was fantastic. Big campsites, your own fire pit and picnic beach to each campsite, the ones that back onto the beach had their own walkway down to the beach & drop loo’s. We saw dolphins swimming too.
The Donington lighthouse, the views and some of the emu’s.
Matt took Ethan fishing to practise his casting out and Nate went swimming.
Next day we went and checked out Wanna. A complete different part, it had high cliffs and waves were crashing below and to the right on the rocks there was a sea lion.
That afternoon we went on an adventure to see if we could find where Matt had been fishing the night before. We were right on a point and we could see port Lincoln from there.
The next day we moved on to Farm Beach, which had been recommended by so many travellers. It was a good low cost free camp with allocated sites, toilet block with 1 cold shower & a hook to hang your shower bag. The beach was about 500 Mtrs away and its was another spectacular beach with a bit of character with the tractors and 4wds on it. Was great friendly spot as a lot of fishermen around and the camp there for months at a time. We also meet some few travellers that have just set out on their new life travelling Australia Dave & Terri. A lovely couple.
The next day we trekked down to Coffin Bay National Park to have a look around. It too was spectacular but so different for Lincoln National which I didn’t really expect considering they are so close to each other. Coffin Bay NP was dry, more sand therefore only really shrubs and sand dunes everywhere. The boys loved it. And so secluded.
When we got back to camp Harry & Robyn were there.
The next day we decided to be lazy and drive the 4kms to Gallipoli Beach. Thank god as we drove along we realised it would have a huge effort for us let alone the boys to make it there. This place (now thinking about it) would be my favourite place. No one else there a beautiful beach. The feeling of the place and its meaning. And it is home to a pod of dolphins that apparently will swim amongst you. Magical.
The following morning we said goodbye to Harry & Robyn and headed to Walkers Rocks. When we got to Walkers Rocks the wind was blowing from the wrong direction and blowing the sand straight in the camp. It was an ok camp with a lot of the camp sites in amongst scrub, which would have been ok. But we decided to push on to Haslam. We had heard there was a mouse plage there but thought it wouldn’t be that bad. Oh how wrong we were. They were EVERYWHERE!! On our roof, in the annexe it was horrible. After our first night we changed our minds 4 nights would be our maximum here.
We backtracked down to Murphy’s Haystacks. They were spectular. Formed over millions of years from the wind blowing away the top soil and exposing themselves.
Dave and Terri were leaving when we pulled in.
We then drove down to the sea lion colony at Point Labatt. This is one of the last colony left. It was amazing with all the different sizes and ages. Some playing, some lazing around, and some swimming. So fascinating, I could have sat there for ages.
From there we drove into Streaky Bay and did the close loop drove and showed the boys some blowholes and whistling rocks. We also went to Cape Bauer. The cliffs were amazing. They are apart of the Great Australian Bight.
The next morning, after a horrible night with the mice, we decided that we would leave the next day to cross the Nullarbor. So we headed in to Ceduna to get supplies and have a very quick look around then get back to camp and start packing up so we could get an early start the next day. When we got back Dave & Terri were there. Also a couple from Tongala pulled in too. They know Uncle Pete, such a small world.
Our last part of the Eyre was a bit faster than we expected and only saw a little bit of it. The rest will be done on our next trip. It is such a beautiful part of our country. I understand why we met some many people that are spending a few months down there.
I love how you run into the same people all the time as you get to make new friendships.
Til next time xo
Baker's Trip Of Oz 
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