the nullarbor
The road that had us on our toes before we had even left! The Eyre Highway, passing the Nullarbor Plains and the Great Australian Bight, but it pleasantly surprised us! Another 'Big Lap' bucket list item ticked off!
We were a bag of mixed emotions before departure. Excitement, dread, anxiousness, eagerness for what this stretch of road had planned for us. The hundreds of kilometers along a rugged coastline, the longest stretch of straight road, the constantly changing wind conditions, the many road trains. To our surprise, we actually had a blast on our first leg! It was so easy to break up the trip! First stop was in Penong to visit the windmill museum, followed by the iconic old Nullarbor Roadhouse for lunch. There are also plenty of roadside lookouts, each with their own magnificent views over the Southern Ocean. And it wouldn’t be a Nullarbor crossing if you didn’t stop at the Big Kangaroo at Border Village!
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bunda cliffs
The iconic overnighter along the Nullarbor. Ngargangurie, also known as Bunda Cliffs, is a place that is raw and moody, yet vulnerable and vibrant. There was something quite unique about staying on the Great Australian Bight, completely off-grid and alone. You too were vulnerable to the elements, surrendering to it all. From gusty, whistling winds that rocked you at night, to the stillness in the air as you watched the birdlife soar above the sheer limestone cliffs. It truly gave us perspective of just how minuscule we are in this world. It taught us to adapt and truly appreciate the surroundings.There are only a handful of places along the coastline that aren’t chained off, as most tracks are now closed off due to erosion. However, there are plenty of highway rest areas (between 52km Peg Camp Area and Border Village for the iconic ocean views), roadhouses and national park campgrounds to stay at.
This next morning it was time for another border crossing and this one has us all excited for what’s to come! We passed the quarantine station check with flying colours (with Rob arriving with tears in his eyes after peeling and cutting three red onions for the quarantine tick of approval), fueled up at Eucla and then we were on our way to our next overnighter along the Nullarbor, Balladonia Roadhouse. This part of the Nullarbor Plain felt like time stood still! We were punching the kays, and time just kept on rewinding back, literally! Fun fact, there are four time zones for the mainland of Australia, with a sneaky little Central Western Standard Time just to completely throw your body clock into a spasm. This section of the Nullarbor also included the longest stretch of straight road in the world! 147km without a bend! And boy she was long! Just past Caiguna Roadhouse to a few kilometers before Balladonia Roadhouse, as far as the eye could see, was a long, straight road. But nothing some ol’ school 90’s karaoke couldn’t entertain us for the entire 90 miles. After a long day of driving, with loads of road trains passing us, and the wind knocking us around from all directions, we arrived at Balladonia to eat dinner at 4pm! That cost us $50 for the night, flat rate. If you're travelling just as a couple, it is pretty expensive, but as a family it wasn't too bad. If you are early, you can snag a powered site, but keep in mind the $50 doesn't change whether it is a powered or non-powered site. There is also a restaurant, bar, pool and a little museum where you can learn more about the area and see parts of the SkyLab space station that crashed nearby in 1979.
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A few hot tips for crossing the Nullarbor Plains:
We acknowledge the Mirning people who are the traditional custodians of this Country. It’s humbling to see another national park that has a native title, caring for Country through co-management by recognising the cultural and natural values throughout these parks. We are stoked to have completed this iconic trip! It wasn't as brain-numbing as expected, and with our next destination being Esperance, we knew each kilometre was getting us closer to those stunning beaches!
Peace + love,
- If you have a long-range fuel tank, do your research into fuel prices. The difference between some stations were upwards of 80 cents a litre! The Nullarbor Roadhouse was one of the most expensive fuel stations.
- Be sure to have your UHF radio on Channel 40. There are loads of road trains so it makes it easier to communicate when they plan to pass you along the highway. Listen out to the radio calls from the truckies when you are leaving Caiguna Roadhouse, as it is a 110km zone that you are entering onto without a slip lane / on ramp.
- Pack plenty of snacks! We went into it trying to be as light as possible so with the bare minimum of permitted foods, but with the time zones changing, it made us feel hungry at all different times of the day! The food at the roadhouses wasn't too crash hot, with some looking like the food had been sitting there for days. The roadhouse at Eucla looked like it was the best for food.
- Check the Western Australian Quarantine Requirements before you cross the border. It was a thorough check, through all of the kitchen cupboards, fridge, freezer, car boot, car fridge, back seat, glove-boxes and handbags / backpacks. Don't let there be a feral apple core or banana peel found under the car seats!
- There is scattered phone reception along the way, with Telstra being more favourable. Download those Spotify playlist or podcasts to get you through.
- As always, check your tyre pressures and invest in the iCheck Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. These honestly can save you doing damage to your tyres if you were to get a flat, or even better, save you from a serious accident.
We acknowledge the Mirning people who are the traditional custodians of this Country. It’s humbling to see another national park that has a native title, caring for Country through co-management by recognising the cultural and natural values throughout these parks. We are stoked to have completed this iconic trip! It wasn't as brain-numbing as expected, and with our next destination being Esperance, we knew each kilometre was getting us closer to those stunning beaches!
Peace + love,