1,296 kilometers, 3 time changes, 2 states, endless thoughts, a few playlists and an adventure of those that we will remember forever. The Eyre Highway evokes nothing adventurous but if we put a redundant and Latin name on the same road (but really Latino, Julio Cesar's, not Fonsi Nieto's) things start to change. For some at least ... for others the story remains the same: endless hours of road crossing half Australia. ¡¡Welcome to the Nullarbor!
It was ours third stage of the roadtrip through southwestern Australia by vanWe remind you that we started in Perth and the first stage took us to Albany through spectacular beaches in western Australia. And the second gave us the opportunity to meet some funny kangaroos jumping on the beach, and other surprises.
At the moment these are the main data of the third stage:
Stage Information
Point: Esperance
Final point: Haslam (beyond Ceduna)
Total km: 1,562 km
Days: 3 days
- Day 9: Esperance - Indefinite point in the Nullarbor (513 km)
- Day 10: Indefinite point in the Nullarbor - Eucla (477 km)
- Day 11: Eucla-Haslam (572 km)
Day 9Esperance - Nullarbor
We are among the crazy people who not only dare to carry out this adventure, but also enjoy it. What's nice about being, for days, driving in the middle of nowhere? Nothing? Are you sure there is nothing there? In Australia many call it sarcastically the "Nullarboring"But nothing surprised us at all ...
Nullarbor in Latin means “treeless”, But it is not necessary to have an eagle view to see that, just beginning the road, we are literally surrounded by trees and vegetation. We were told that it was very difficult for it to rain on the Nullarbor and that temperatures could reach calmly at 40 degrees. It rained, it was sunny, it was cold and it was hot (the maximum peak was 34º). Small contradictions!
The Nullarbor is land of road trains (some trucks that pull up to 3 different trailers) from emus, kangaroos, camels, dingoes and as, snakes and poisonous bugs with the face of few friends. It is also the land of a handful of villages, which in many cases are characterized by simply being a road House, a kind of service station with everything that a traveler lost in the middle of nowhere could need: gasoline, food, accommodation and a good and cool beer.
Of course everything is very expensive. If you don't believe me, ask Rober that he still has me sworn after having wanted to buy a bottle of Pepsi for $ 6. In my favor I have to say that the bottle was a liter and a half and that with the barbecue that we set down it was a pleasure.
These are the stops what we did on our journey:
Norsman
It is a city with a past miner very important, although we will always remember her for the barbecued beef ribeye we ate in one of her parks and for having met a puppy with very, very nice yellow eyes. It's here where the Nullarbor begins Properly said. We are at full strength and, why deny it, with some yuyu (this is what he has read a thousand and one times about the dangers of this road and seen too many movies with murderous truckers).
If we can now be writing this means that we didn't have a single mishap, thankfully! Of course, at the end of the article we will give you some tips to go well prepared.
Balladonia
Balladonia does not take long to arrive and here, suddenly, you find a roadhouse with a curious museum. Tell the story of Skylab, the first NASA space station whose remains fell right here, in the middle of nowhere, in 1979. Locals (or the handful of people living here) swear that President Carter phoned the owner of the roadhouse to apologize . It is also said that Australia imposed a fine on NASA of $ 400 for dumping garbage in public territory. Truth? Lie? Anyway, today you can see replicas of those remains of the Skylab on the roof of this museum.
After Balladonia we decided to continue a few more kilometers until we reached a free campsite where we could spend the night. Here we enjoy one of the most amazing sunsets we ever saw: on the one hand the sky began to burn in hundreds of red tones and on the other ... an immense whole rainbow came out to welcome us (or so we want to believe).
In this campsite we agree with a group of 4 adventurers They are going around Australia by bike. They are the boys of The Bikings Project, a Catalan and 3 Argentines to whom we wish so much luck and so many adventures (of the good ones).
Day 10Nullarbor - Eucla
Caiguna
In Caiguna we stop to visit its famous blowhole But, the truth is that we did not see the grace. In addition we did not want to explore it thoroughly after reading a comment on Wikicamps, the APP that we used to find places to sleep with the van, which said that right in the hole of the “geyser” he saw a brown snake, one of the most poisonous snakes from Australia (bone of the world). Go and get blowhole.
Near here there was another “attraction” that we wanted to enjoy (one more than another): the poster that starts the Ninety Mile Straight, a straight stretch of road measuring almost 147 km. We also saw another icon of the Nullarbor: a sign indicating the presence of “wildelife"Very peculiar ... Yes, there are camels! Although, and here comes a spoiler: we didn't see even halfway.
It's straight yes, but you're not going to get bored huh, and you may even share a road with a plane (although not better)
At the end of the line is the Caiguna roadhouse, where I bought the Pepsi that still stings the rocanillo spirit of Rober (besides, well, we're more than Coca Cola). Of course, the roadhouse is well worth a visit, it has an air to Route 66 that made us feel nostalgic for the United States and its quirky attractions.
Mature
In the area of Madura there are a few caves but, if you do not drive a 4WD, you play it and how to get stuck in some tracks where - namely when someone would happen - was not something that made us special illusion, because we continue. We soon arrive at the Mature Pass, where the landscape changes completely.
They say there are wombats around here ... but we didn't see either (well, we saw a wombat statue but it doesn't count) 🙁 yes, kangaroos and emus a few! Camels no. Doh
Mundrabilla
I liked this site and not only because it rhymes with mandonguilla (meatloaf in Catalan), but because it has one of the roadhouses that I liked the most ... super vintage and '60s. I wouldn't have been surprised to find a young man (probably too young) Bill Bryson having cold beers.
And if I remember correctly it is here where, suddenly, we begin to see decorated trees, the most curious: with cups hanging from the branches, with stuffed animals, with bras ... and even with underpants (some more flying than others). There is even a Christmas tree.
Eucla
We decided to stop here to see the old telegraph station, one of the most important in all of Australia since before this season (1877) all communications leaving / arriving from / to Australia, took a lifetime. Thanks to the Eucla Telegraph Station, Australia could instantly connect with everyone (although more than anything it did with Britain, of course).
Today, of this peculiar historical place there are only ruins that, little by little, have been devoured by white sand dunes. Of course, if you go through here (which is already saying a lot) do not hesitate to approach.
We decided to stop at Caravan park of Eucla (25AUS) for two reasons: the day had been long and tired and ... we wanted to hit a shower, enjoy a barbecue, have electricity and fall in love, once again, with the sunset of the Nullarbor, which undoubtedly has something special (We have not seen those sunsets again in any other place). And eye to when the sun traps: here there is no trace of pollution and the milky way is clearly seen, as well as the Southern Cross, a constellation that is only seen in this hemisphere.
Day 11Eucla- Haslam
Border village
The next morning we put the batteries and went to cross the border between Western Australia and South Australia. And you know where it is? In Border Village, a small town called Pueblo de Frontera. Here the aussies were practical but somewhat scarce in fantasy.
When we passed we remembered our friends Martín and Florcita who worked a season on the roadhoouse (it has to be curious to work in the Nullarbor!). We also saw the "famous" koala with vegemite, a cream that, for me, tastes like avecrem, that all Australians love. From Gustibus 😉
We had read that in the border there is strict control, that you can not take fruit or raw vegetables, that the cops are something Nazi ... but we passed directly to the other side, nobody stopped us, there were not even controls ... and that is that the controls would come later (apparently in Border Village only vehicles arriving from South Australia are inspected).
Nullarbor
The road that goes from the Border Village to the Nullarbor Roadhouse is one of the most impressive we have ever seen, and the reason is simple: it runs to the bark of the Bunda Cliff, the longest cliff line in the world (and I don't know if they are the tallest, but they cuddle a lot ... especially if the night before seeing them you dream that a Chinese pushes you down). Xie xie, damn Chinese.
There are many spectacular viewpoints, we recommend those indicated in traffic signs. We got into some more following recommendations of the app but they were not worth it.
Here it is the real Nullarbor, there are no trees, only the occasional shrub scattered in the dry land. The feeling is to be at the end of the world. But we quickly reached the Nullarbor Roadhouse, one of the prettiest of the entire tour. There are murals, little houses that seem to leave the far west and a few boats of alcohol that conserve the local fauna (almost all snakes and almost all poisonous).
We are about to leave when Rober shouts: “¡Dingo! ” Bingo? "Dingo !!!" The Australian Dingo looks like a red-haired puppy, but it is a subspecies of a wolf that if it bites you it will hurt you a lot. Of course, we found it beautiful (although very thin). Later we will see another one, in the middle of nowhere, something more in meat but with the face of not wanting to make friends.
Yalata
The territory of Yalata is managed by the aboriginal, and this means that if you decide to leave the main road, you have to have a permit. You get fast in the White Well Ranger Station, although once again we decided to ignore it for not having 4WD (apparently the roads are not the best for those who carry a house on 4 wheels).
The main reason to stop is the Head of bight, one of the points where it is easier to see whales (southern right whale) of all Australia, directly from the viewpoint on the cliff. Of course, it has to be between June and October. The entrance to the platform has a cost of $ 15 ($ 7 in low season).
Cradle
In Ceduna yes we expected the border control, but we got a very majete cop who took a quick look at the fridge and let us go quickly and with a big smile.What is forbidden to go through the border? Basically fresh fruit and vegetables. If it is cooked you can pass it.
There we had to decide whether to stop nearby to spend the night or approach our next destination: the Eyre Peninsula. We decided on this second and we reached the Haslam campsite… But this is an other history.
It's another story, but that of the Nullarbor is not over yet. We have promised you sometips and here they go:
- Take with you food and drink enough. Anyway, if you run out, do not become dramatic: die you will not die, there is a roadhouse in each main “town” of the route… yes, the one that will cry will be your wallet since the prices there are quite exorbitant.
- Eye to gasoline: There are not too many gas stations on the route and their prices are very high. You can make a plan knowing what your vehicle consumes and the size of the tank: help yourself with gas prices in the “Fuel Map Australia” app. We did it like this:
- We fill the deposit in Esperance ($ 1.40 / liter).
- We refilled it in Norseman ($ 1.52 / liter).
- We arrive in reserve until Liberty Nullarbor Roadhouse and we throw 20 liters ($ 1.76 / liter).
- We put another 20 liters in Nundroo ($ 1.45 / liter).
- We fill it in Cradle($ 1.33 / liter).
- Take your time: The Nullarbor develops over more than 1440 km. At least you will need 2 and a half days to cross it (and that if you want to put hours and hours behind the wheel). Thinking about crossing it in 1 day is pretty crazy, and it won't give you time to see anything.
- Make stops frequent
- Enjoy the route and greet the truckers of the roadtrains, the greynomads (the retirees who leave everything to travel the country with their caravan) and the other travelers you cross. They won't kill you XD
- Plan where to sleep. We spent the night at Woorlba Homestead RA (free camping) and at the Eucla Caravan Park ($ 25 for 2 people + plot with electricity). (If you travel with a van or plan to camp we recommend downloading the Wikicamps APP)
- Eye to time change: There are 3 different time zones, the generic Western Australia (UTC + 8), suddenly in Eucla it changes to (UTC + 8.45) and in Ceduna a (UTC + 10.30)
- If you travel by car, take all well loaded (and to be able to be a spare battery for the camera ... you will take many more photos than you think).
- Get one good playlist (or better several). We had a playlist of Rober's indie music (which I don't like at all) and another with shitty music of mine (there were even some songs from Cali and the Dandi ... I have a horrible musical taste). Great Fail ... Keep in mind that Australian radio, at least in this part of Australia is ..., bah, directly it is not. No channels are taken.
- Carries clothes of all kinds: during the day he usually does calorazo but at night he refreshes a lot.
- There is two ways to cross the Nullarbor: from the east or from the west. If you have followed our roadtrip you will know that we start our route in Perth (west) and that the final destination is Melbourne (east) and believe us, it is the best way to travel through this immense plain (you will not have the sun in the face during the afternoon, ole !).
And you know, if you need more info here we are 🙂 For us it was a very special trip, it is true that it is impossible not to wonder how there are people who freely choose to live in one of the most inhospitable places of one of the most inhospitable countries. But then it is time for sunset and the sky, with its impossible colors, whispers the answer, which becomes even more powerful when everything is filled with stars ... the Universe is a little closer when you are in the middle of nowhere.
