Crossing the Nullarbor | One of the Great Road Trips
Crossing the Nullarbor is truly one of Australia’s, and probably the world’s great road trips.
We feel more qualified than most to write about this incredible journey because to date I have clocked up a total of 45 separate crossings. Four times on a motorbike (with a dog on the tank), four times on the Indian Pacific train, once in a car (an old Holden), once in a 4wd, twice on a passenger coach bus, once in ‘Fork the Bus’ and 32 times as a tour guide with Nullarbor Traveller. I’m not going to count the 12 times I flew across because that just isn’t the same experience. Most of these crossings have been camping or swagging in the bush, just the way I like it.
Miss Linda has also clocked up a few km’s doing the iconic trip, crossing a total of 32 times. Twice in an old Holden, once in a four wheel drive which included a direct route from Norseman to Byford on unknown dirt tracks at night. Once on passenger coach bus, three times on the Indian Pacific train as a passenger, and 24 times as a conductor/waitress on the Indian Pacific and once in ‘Fork the Bus’ with me and Bella Dog. In all we have done a combined total of Crossing the Nullarbor seventy seven times on and in varied types of transport.
The most recent of these crossings was driving ‘Fork the Bus’ with Miss Linda and Bella Dog travelling from South Australia to Western Australia. To give you an idea of the relationship I have with this great road trip, when we reached Norseman in Western Australia I said, “Farewell old friend, I look forward to when we meet again”. After 45 separate Nullarbor Adventures I am honestly still looking forward to the next time.
” Welcome to one of the great road trips. This will be a journey of extremes, extreme distances, extreme weather, sometimes extreme flies but it is always extremely beautiful and extremely unique”.
When I was working as a tour guide for a fantastic company, Nullarbor Traveller, I began each tour with the same heart felt line. I would greet the eager and sometimes apprehensive passengers from all over the world with “ Welcome to one of the great road trips. This will be a journey of extremes, extreme distances, extreme weather, sometimes extreme flies but it is always extremely beautiful and extremely unique”. This welcome was always genuine and I still feel the same to this day.
The jury is out on what constitutes the actual Nullarbor, but in my mind it begins or ends at Ceduna in South Australia and Norseman in Western Australia. The whole journey is generally considered to be Adelaide to Perth or vice versa but people travelling from Melbourne, Sydney or other destinations would not agree.
The trip to Ceduna or Norseman is epic in itself. On the South Australian side you have the wonders of the Eyre and Yorke Peninsula’s that are a fabulous destination in themselves and on the Western Australian side you have the choice of the Kalgoorlie Goldfields route or the Esperance, Albany and South West route. All of which are must do experiences and uniquely beautiful parts of Australia.
Distances vary – we used to average around 4,500 km’s on the Adelaide to Perth tour
Of course the distances vary a great deal depending on the route you take. To give you an idea of the type of distance we are talking about if you take the most direct route from Adelaide to Perth, it is just under 3000km’s. This is the Kalgoorlie Goldfields option and it doesn’t include Yorke or Eyre Peninsulas in South Australia. The Nullarbor Traveller tours I used to do took in areas like Esperance, Albany and some parts of the South West and we used to average around 4,500 km’s on the Adelaide to Perth tour. So you can see that we are talking about a serious road trip and you do need to be prepared.
For this article I will follow the East to West crossing focussing on the 1200.32km or 745.85mile section of Ceduna to Norseman. This is the essence of the Nullarbor. The world around you begins to change as the sheer vastness of Australia becomes apparent and indeed a little daunting. As I leave Ceduna I get this feeling of excitement with a hint of anxiousness of the impending journey. I go through the preparation checklist; is the vehicle sound, good tyres and spares, good belts, oil good and cooling system ready.
Not long into the journey evidence of vehicles that didn’t make it becomes apparent
It doesn’t take long into the journey before evidence of vehicles that didn’t make it becomes apparent. Disregarded casualties in the form of stripped car bodies are not uncommon and a reminder that if the mechanical gods are not on your side then often walking away is a cheaper option than retrieval. Unless you have good insurance and roadside assist if something goes wrong out there it will cost and cost big.
I remember a French passenger on the Nullarbor Traveller bus commenting about the unbelievable amount of stolen cars out there. I informed her that it wasn’t a case of grand theft auto but remote auto breakdown. A little preparation can take you a long way. In some ways the car shells are a haunting reminder that this is more than a trip to the local, but you are in fact crossing Australia, one of the largest most ancient countries on the planet. The evidence of this becomes increasingly apparent as you continue your journey.
There is one secret to driving across Australia and crossing the Nullarbor
And I will share this with you. DON’T BE IN A HURRY. I have spoken to a number of people who seem to think that it is just a long straight road and the quicker you do it and ‘kill the meters’ the better, sometimes so they can just say, “I have crossed the Nullarbor”. This is nearly sad because by travelling with the blinkers on they miss the experience and beauty. There is so much to see and the remote wilderness is all part of the experience. Even when you are fronted with nothing as far as the eye can see, this just adds to the overwhelming awe of the country and the journey.
One of the first things you notice is that everything seems to get bigger. Not only the country but the road trains and their loads seem to grow. I am always intrigued by the amount of big stuff on the back of the road trains. I have seen an array of everything from mining equipment to multi-million dollar yachts strapped to the back of incredibly large trailers being towed by equally incredibly large prime movers. There is something surreal about a huge boat sailing towards you down the road, sometimes you rub your eyes and say, “What the f#*@ is that coming towards us?”
Talking about the road it is generally very good. Wide enough to safely share with the mammoth trucks piloted by experienced driving professionals. Old stories of cowboy operators seem to be exactly that, old stories. I have experienced the cowboys many years ago but for now they are pretty much skilled operators behind the road train wheels. The road is in good repair and is well maintained and that combined with a degree of driving common sense means that you can relax and enjoy the drive.
“On the East to West trip it isn’t long before you start to encounter absolute Nullarbor icons”
The first is exactly the area that gives the Nullarbor its name, the Treeless Plains. Many people are mistaken thinking the name Nullarbor is of Aboriginal origins but in fact it is of Latin origins which is Nullus or “No” and Arbor “Tree”. The actual tree less plain is quite a small section of the overall journey but in this area you will not see anything much higher than a few feet off the ground in any direction.
It is in this area you come across ‘The Head of the Bight’. Wilderness, wildlife and ancient landforms collide in an unforgettable experience. On our last expedition to this wonderful location wild dingoes crossed the road as we drove to the ‘Head of the Bight Interpretive and Whale Watching Centre’. This is without doubt a whale watchers paradise.
The huge magnificent Southern Right Whales migrate to the warmer waters of the Bight from Antarctica to give birth to their young. All this can be viewed from the outstanding walkways and platforms that hug the cliffs. I have spent hours here watching these incredible creatures frolicking sometimes only meters from the cliffs edge.
The natural limestone behemoth rise up to 90 meters from the Southern Ocean
Even if you aren’t here during the June to October whale migration period the Head of the Bight is still a must see. Looking east you have stunning sloping hills and dunes that fall from the desert and sink into the vast Southern Ocean. Look west the truly magnificent Bunda Cliffs begin their sheer rise from the sometimes severe ocean swells. The natural limestone behemoth rise up to 90 meters from the Southern Ocean and stretch for nearly 200km’s west and forms the world’s longest stretch of sea cliffs. There are several excellent viewing areas easily accessible for any type of vehicle or RV between Nullarbor Roadhouse and Eucla. Experiencing these cliffs is alone worth travelling to this remote outback location but there is much more on offer as you continue.
When you drag yourself away from the Head of The Bight you soon come across the iconic Nullarbor Roadhouse. The roadhouse looks mirage like as it pops out of the treeless plains and a real sense of how harsh and remote this environment is really sweeps across you. Expect to see more of this as you make your crossing. Towns are a simple roadhouse that generally consist of the basic caravan park, a bar and fuel. You can get a decent feed at most of the roadhouses along the way but be prepared to pay top dollar.
Same goes for fuel, this essential item comes at a premium price but considering the remote roadhouse locations and their high running costs fuel is fairly reasonable priced. The most we paid for fuel (diesel) on the last crossing was $2.05c/litre at Nullarbor Roadhouse and the cheapest was Ceduna at $1.39c/litre. The average price for the overall trip worked out at $1.77 c/litre and we stopped and topped up at every roadhouse along the journey.
There was more than one reason we stopped at every roadhouse and that it is because on this last crossing I also played ‘The World’s Longest Golf Course – The Nullarbor Links’. Each roadhouse has one hole, along with two holes at Ceduna, Norseman and Kalgoorlie and then also one at Fraser Range Station which is situated between Balladonia and Norseman. I have written a more detailed review about The Nullarbor Links but it is safe to say that from a golfing view it is generally pretty rough but from an enjoyment view, it is a novelty well worth conquering as a part of the Nullarbor experience.
The Quarantine WA Border check point
As you near the South Australian/ West Australian border you will be confronted by what, for all intensive purposes, looks like a military check point that would be at home on the DMZ somewhere in Korea. This is the border quarantine checkpoint. It is illegal to take fresh fruit and vegetables and other stuff like honey across the border. Don’t even try to smuggle goods across because these uniformed quarantine officers are thorough and they do take their job seriously. Every vehicle is searched and although they are generally pleasant about their searches they will fine you if you don’t abide.
It is much easier and better for the biosecurity of the country to just conform. Me, I just cook up a big curry of all the leftovers the night before the border crossing because cooked is ok. A more detailed account of what you can or can’t take across the border is available online and if you’re heading east the quarantine inspection is not until you approach Ceduna.
The quarantine station is one of two distinct hurdles when crossing the SA/WA border. The other is what the f#*! is the time. Due to the sheer size of Australia there are several time zones. Not only this, but some states have daylight savings time and some don’t. SA does WA doesn’t, and just to confuse matters more there is a Central West time zone which not only doesn’t have daylight savings, it is different to WA time. Confused yet? In this part of the world no-one seems to know exactly what the time is and what’s more besides the fact that the whole daylight, night-time thing changes substantially it really doesn’t matter.
Time zones crossing the Nullarbor
I recall a funny conversation with Miss Linda immediately after crossing the border when we decided to change ‘Fork’s’ clock. The question was, “What time is it?” the answer, “Not entirely sure” short pause, “What day is it?” answer, “Don’t know”. Conclusion, I suppose if you don’t know what day it is then the time isn’t that important.
The most annoying thing about the whole time change was that Bella dog tends to be a creature of habit and is used to her breaky roughly between 6:27am and 6:30am. For several mornings after the border crossing a time confused pooch would stand next to our bed and stare at me from around 4:00am. If I showed any sign of being awake, any movement or flicker of the eyes, her tail would then start to wag and in the narrow ‘Fork’ hallway this resembled the sound of hitting the fridge then the cupboard repeatedly with a newspaper. Inevitably this lead to the wet nose inches from mine with the occasional wet nose nudge. After a period of retraining and puppy time change adjustment (PTCA) things eventually returned to same routine just a little later in the morning.
Sorry I digress, back to crossing the Nullarbor. At the border crossing there is a quirky photo opportunity with a line marking SA and WA. Myself along with many others have had the straddling the border photo taken. The shortest distance between towns is Border Village and Eucla. Eucla is the closest thing to an actual town during the crossing and there are sensational views from on top the Eucla Pass. At Eucla the road descends quickly to lower plains that stretch as far as the eye can see, with a higher ridge following the road most of the way to Madura where the Madura pass takes you back up to higher plains.
As you descend onto these lower plains vast sand dunes form a natural barrier between native scrub and the Southern Ocean. It is worth taking a left turn (heading west) to the old Eucla Telegraph Station. The telegraph station is interesting and has amazing historical significance. However, I would walk in a straight line toward the ocean over the dunes andcame across magnificent unspoilt beaches of which I have yet to see anyone else on. The walk was only around 20mins or so and I used to promise the passengers on the Nullarbor Traveller bus that I would show them beaches without footprints and this was always one of my options.
Eucla – Home of the Nullarbor Nymph
When in Eucla you are also in the home of the Nullarbor Nymph. This is a story worth investigating and an absolute tribute to the great Aussie sense of humour. I used to love retelling the story around the campfire to international tourists who would generally have tears in their eyes from laughter when the truth of the legend of the nymph was revealed.
The ingredients for a classic road trip is not only the places but it is also the people. Whether or not they are historical, residents, workers or travellers the Nullarbor is a magnet for unique characters. I feel unique places naturally attract unique characters and the Nullarbor seems to be a very powerful magnet. I have never done a crossing without sharing yarns with interesting people, or tracing back stories to the historical characters that opened up this amazing part of the world.
“I have never done a crossing without sharing yarns with interesting people, or tracing back stories to historical characters”
I am not going to reveal the exact whereabouts, partly because it is near impossible anyway. But, there is a tiny, what you would call a settlement not a town, that is situated on what would have to be just about Australia’s most remote beach. This tiny settlement has a couple of permanent residents and a couple of holiday shacks. It sits on the most amazing beach and is nestled in absolute pristine native scrub. I ventured there many crossings ago because I was told about it by a local.
There is no clear road and we followed a dirt track through miles of scrub and, after hiding the large trailer in the scrub, I was amazed I actually found it and got through with no real problems. The look of surprise from one of the two resident’s faces was priceless when we rolled out of the scrub. Oh! Did I mention I was in a small tour bus with passengers? The guy we met was one of these unique characters and his hand-built home made from driftwood and a variety of random items found on the beach reflected his eccentric demeanour. He was more than happy to proudly share his home and the enthralling story of its ongoing construction with us.
I returned on another occasion with a smaller crew of passengers and we packed light, stashed the trailer again and spent the night on the beach. It was a special night for all of us and that same local greeted us with open arms and entertained us with fascinating stories of his home.
As you near Madura the road takes a sharp rise and you are back on the higher plains. The view from the top of the Madura pass should not be missed and once again you are reminded of the absolute enormity of your surrounds. The curvature of the Earth is obvious when there is nothing to obscure the view. This is one of those locations.
“Is it a scene from a Mad Max movie”?
Just when you feel that you couldn’t get much more remote and you will surely pass through a real town soon your surrounds seem to get larger and even further removed from population. Turning into the Cocklebiddy Roadhouse feels like a scene from a Mad Max movie and nearly post-apocalyptic. The first thing you will notice is the rescued pet Wedge Tail Eagles in their giant aviary and then there is the mammoth vehicle graveyard lurking in the distance behind the constant drone of the roadhouses diesel generators.
I have memories of howling winds, dust storms and sudden torrential downpours all at this location. When you have 200,000km2 of exposed arid land to your right (travelling west) and even more of the vast Southern Ocean to your left you will experience dramatic shifts and extremes in weather. This is true for the entire crossing but I just seem to experience most of it around Cocklebiddy, coincidence, maybe?
Even though the landscape is desolate it’s not so much what is above ground it is what lies beneath the harsh weather beaten surface. One of the world’s largest network of underground caves and waterways are located in this area. The Cocklebiddy Caves have held world records for cave diving and was considered to be one of, if not the premier destination for cave divers worldwide.
I am not and never will be amongst the ranks of cave divers but I have on many different occasions as a tour guide, swam in the underground lakes up to 150 meters below the surface. The cathedral like underground chasm I used to climb down to and swim by candle light in has actually partially caved in and are now closed to the public. This same cave was the location of a world record underwater cave dive by a crack Australian team.
At this point of the journey you are still in the middle somewhere
Once again the Nullarbor never ceases to amaze and at this point of the journey you are still in the middle somewhere. There is no point turning back because that is further than the destination and why would you anyway. But, crossing the Nullarbor does have a habit of throwing up these uncertainties. Near Caiguna you drive the world’s longest straight stretch of road, the 90 mile straight, which converts to 144.8km and you’re on your way to Balladonia.
When you arrive at Balladonia it seems like a hive of activity. It is still not much more than a roadhouse but there is thicker scrub and definite changes appearing in the landscape. Not far from Balladonia is one of the debris sights of the ill-fated Skylab when it made its unceremonious return to Earth July 12th 1979. I love the interesting and unique historical facts that pop up during the Nullarbor’s history, for example, the US government was given a fine for littering after the Skylab crash and they paid it. Then US President Jimmy Carter personally rang the Balladonia Roadhouse after the incident and apologised for any inconvenience. I would love to have been the person who answered that call.
When you think the journey can’t offer more it does. Now you enter full thick virgin native forest and a pleasant change from the arid and semi-arid landscapes. On the edge of the Dundas Nature Reserve is yet another one of those Nullarbor must experience locations. Newman Rocks is tucked around 10km off the main road, not that far from Balladonia on your left as you travel to Norseman. It is signposted but easy to miss and well worth a diversion. The track is a little rough but manageable in most vehicles although be careful where you drive if it has been raining. You can, and I have been bogged there, another experience for the Nullarbor Traveller passengers.
The rock pools attract an array of wildlife including wild camels
Newman Rocks is a granite plateau that looks out to the east and is simply stunning. The rocks form pools that attract an array of wildlife including regular visits by wild camels. An interesting fact about the region is that it has the largest population of wild camels anywhere in the world. The only man made interference to the view is the distant lights on the highway.
The numerous times I have slept under the stars here I have experienced a show of stars equal or better than any other. I have failed to mention during this article one of the greatest draw cards for the entire Nullarbor crossing, the star shows at night. Tucked in a swag and gazing up is one of those simple yet unforgettable experiences that only remote locations like the Nullarbor can deliver and deliver it does. Newman’s Rocks delivers on several fronts and the secret is out with more people camping there. When you watch the sunrise from the plateau over the vast plains you understand that this is truly a special place.
Tucked in a swag and gazing up is one of those simple yet unforgettable experiences
As we continue west a visit to the historical sheep grazing property Fraser Range Station is a must. Not only because it has a Nullarbor Links hole there but it’s a top spot worth a visit. They offer a selection of accommodation including powered and non-powered sites and you can get a good feed if you don’t feel like cooking. Sunset walks to the top of the surrounding hills gives you unforgettable views of the station and adjoining Dundas Nature Reserve.
When we leave Fraser Range Station it is with the realisation that our Nullarbor crossing is nearly at its end. It’s kind of nice when you do reach Norseman because you have flash services like pubs and a supermarket but this is short lived when you have just experienced all a Nullarbor crossing has to offer. Of course this isn’t the journey’s end (unless you live in Norseman) and no matter which route you take to Perth it is full of interest and great locations.
However, the Nullarbor has an awe about it, a stunning unique ancient landscape coupled with its pioneering, character filled modern history that gives it a personality all of its own. I am sure if the traveller takes their time, dares to wander a little off the main track and open their eyes to all the journey has to offer, they will discover the experience that is ‘The Nullarbor’ and why it’s crossing is an “old friend” of Finchys Australia.
