Nullarbor

Having farwelled Grant, Jenny and Kee Chan in Denmark we continued along the coast through Albany and on towards Esperance. In Albany there was a large cruise ship in port. As we drove up the main street there were people everywhere and the local community was in full swing with markets, Harley Davidson tours etc, and it was also show day.

Our overnight camp was at a rest area right on the 120th Meridian just outside Ravensthorpe. Much to the kids delight we had a campfire and Thea cooked up a pear damper. Kai also found out that ants don't like having sticks poked down their holes and one such bull ant gave Kai what for on his ankle. 

Esperance is a beautiful town and we stayed at the Seafront Caravan Park right on the front row, with excellent views and right next to the play equipment. However Esperance was very windy o the day we arrived so the views and proximity to the play equipment came at a price. Other than that the caravan park was lovely, and very relaxed, check out is 1pm rather than the usual 10am. 

Esperance Caravan Park pole position

It was basic play equipment but the kids still enjoyed it 

We were joined in Esperance by the Chapmans, who we had traveled with in the Northern Territory. They had been in front of us by a couple of weeks when we left Darwin. Fortunately they took it very leisurely through the Margaret River region, which allowed us to catch up. The kids were super excited as they love Ellie and Dane and have often asked when we will see them again. Tig did not tell the kids that he had arranged with Colin to meet up in Esperance and travel across the Nullarbor together. Maddi took no time to work it out however when Tig asked at the caravan park office for a site with a spare site next door as we had some friends that might be coming. 

The coastline around Esperance is spectacular and it is certainly on the come back and spend a few weeks looking around list. Esperance has this fantastic cycle path through the town and up along the coastal drive that they have named ‘Great Ocean Drive’. When our kids are bigger and riding under their own pedal power it would be fun to explore.

Esperance Coastline with cycle path in the foreground

Maddi admiring the view

Esperance was our last real civilization before the 1500km journey across the Nullarbor. In the relaxed style of the caravan park we managed our latest checkout ever leaving just after 11am. It was an easy 200kms to Norseman, the last place to buy reasonable priced fuel, and an hour or so along the Eyre Highway to the first of our four bush camps across the Nullarbor. It was wonderful to be able to share this leg of our journey with the Chapmans. Having Ellie and Dane there certainly made the time at camp more relaxing as they did a great job of entertaining our three kids. 

Nullarbor Camp Number 1 - Between Norseman and Fraser Range

Not long into our morning drive we reached Balladonia Roadhouse. They have a great little museum with loads of local history all with informative displays including a camel driver and camel, half a Redex car from 1953 and their claim to fame, a piece of Sky Lab as they were the nearest 'town' to where it crashed to earth in 1979.

Balladonia is also just around the corner from Australia's Longest Straight. At 146.6kms long the 90 Mile Straight might sound like easy driving, but a strong northerly breeze meant that it was hard work to keep a straight line in an easterly direction. 

Chapmans and Bloomfields at the Straight

Vehicles ready to take on the Straight

At the end of 90 Mile Straight was Caiguna Blowhole, a small round hold in the rock, just off the road. At first glance it was nothing special but when you got around the lowest part you could feel the cool breeze coming out. This is caused by the change in air pressure above the ground that either sucks air out or forces air into the huge caves that exist below the Nullarbor. We then discovered that if you throw leaves or small grass plants down the wind sends them flying back out at you. Kai was a little disappointed that it did not work for rocks.

Caiguna Blowhole was just 10 metres off the Eyre Highway

Enjoying the cool breeze from the cave below

Nullarbor camp two was near Cocklebiddy, by now the trees were thinning out and somewhat shorter but there was still plenty of firewood so the kids collected enough for a small campfire. We shared our camp with a family of budgies nesting in the hollow of a tree. Colin spotted them and the kids took turns looking in with a torch.

Nullarbor Camp Number 2 - Camps 5 Moonera Tank Camp

Not far from camp was Madura Pass, a quick stop to take in the spectacular view over the Hampton Tablelands. Lunch was our last stop in WA at Eucla before crossing the border into South Australia.

South Australia/Western Australia border

Not far across the border we saw someone walking along the road, who would do that we asked. Well as we got closer we could see they were dressed as a Storm Trooper. Colin quickly identified him as Jacob French the 20 year old from Perth raising money for the Starlight foundation by walking from Perth to Sydney, you can find out more here http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/09/05/3310219.html and can support him here http://www.everydayhero.com.au/troopertrek. 

Storm Trooper walking Perth to Sydney

Maddi, Ellie, Ella and Dane with Storm Trooper

The suit was hot and the helmet didn't keep the flies out

From the South Australian border the road moves close to the spectacular cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. Our first stop not only had spectacular views but also a friendly lizard that was happy with being held by the kids.

Kai and the friendly lizard

Our third camp was just a couple of hundred metres from the cliffs and there was just us and a camper trailer, who had sought shelter from the northerly wind behind a large pile of gravel. Not long after we had set up the wind turned to a westerly wind and picked up sharply as a front moved through. This was not good for the camper trailer and we all pitched in as they abandoned camp packing up in the howling gale. This was our only camp on the Nullarbor, which we shared with a mass of mice. As dark fell more and more could be seen scampering around our caravans. We enjoyed our evening with the kids in one van watching a DVD and adults in the other playing a game called Mexican Train. The mice where so bad that our kids ended up calling out when they wanted to move between vans as they feared the little creatures. Thea decided it might be a good idea to put the plug into the sink just in case one decided to climb our short drainpipe that touched the ground. We did manage to catch one mouse in a beer bottle, which he couldn’t escape from. Thea discovered the bottle in one of the cup holders of a chair when she was backing them up for the night. With a stubbie holder around the beer bottle it was his scratching sound in the bottle that alerted her to him. We released him into the scrub and Tig watched him stumble away into the dark.

Ella and Thea at one of the many lookouts

The cliffs we decided to camp at least 200 metres away from

Nullarbor Camp 3 - 51kms inside SA

Poor camper trailer never stood a chance in the wind storm

Onward to the Head of the Bight where the boardwalk takes you out to views west along the cliff and east to the sand dunes. At the second lookout Colin gave the kids a quick observation lesson showing the calm ocean turning choppy with white waves indicating approaching wind. He managed to finish the explanation and say hold onto your hats just as the wind hit us with such force that not only did we have to hold our hats on our heads but the sand whipped up all around. Fortunately the rain held off until we were safely back in the cars.

Head of Great Australian Bight Sandhills to your left

And cliffs to your right

Picture perfect before the wind storm

Sandhills in the wind

Difference in time zones was crazy

From here the trees returned and we went on to find our fourth and final camp before returning to civilization. We followed a huge storm for half an hour or so and thankfully did not catch it, but much to the kids enjoyment there were large puddles at camp. 

Nullarbor Camp 4 - Camps 5 Kidnippy Camp

On to Ceduna and towns that consist of more than a roadhouse. Our last bits of fruit and vegetables were handed over at the quarantine check point, and I am pleased to report that we were more prepared this time with only a few onions and some cabbage and lettuce uneaten. At Ceduna we did a quick food shop, had lunch in the carpark with a view of the jetty and use of the fancy automated public toilets. Our first food shop in South Australia taught us that we would have to pay for our plastic bags at the supermarkets, it was a bit of a rude shock as they didn’t even have an alternative like cardboxes.

We decided to continue a further 1 hour down the road to relax and unwind at the coastal town of Streaky Bay. We had two nights with the Chapmans here before parting ways. We even managed a celebratory dinner at the local pub on our last night and then said our sad farewells once more.

Streaky Bay Caravan Park for our final nights

The Nullarbor was a lovely experience and not the dead boring, flat, barren landscape we had expected it to be. Travelling with the Chapmans made it a very special experience for our family with some friendly radio banter, great friendships renewed and entertained children. We did pass the time in the car with music, schoolwork, food and the usual fights that occur in the back seat. Thea passed the time by crocheting Kai a beanie as the one she knitted on the way into Alice Springs was a little too small as she didn’t read the pattern correctly. Of course once Kai’s beanie was completed she has had to crochet beanies and scarfs for the kids dolls that have travelled with us.

Kai's crochet beanie and Nullarbor rain on the windscreen

Next up we travel north to the hot and open areas of Coober Pedy and beyond.

Tig and Thea