We drove out and the plan was to stay at a free camp near Norseman and then onto Kalgoorlie for a few days. Our plans changed on the way as we considered various option. We decided to leave Kalgoorlie for a return trip for a couple of reasons. We wanted to leave ourselves with enough time to tour the York Peninsular before slipping back to Sydney for Christmas and we wanted to take our time going across the Nullarbor so we didn't miss anytihing. We were also feeling the strain financially and so we would not have done justice to the eating out and pub scene in Kalgoolie. Better to do it when we had more cash.
With that settled we were excited to be about to go onto the Nullarbor. As we were heading toward Norseman we could see a big fire to the west which was a long way from us. We stopped for lunch at a good rest stop but the wind was blowing a gale by that stage. Having been in the car travelling for a couple of hours we had not realised how hot it was. As the going was slow due to the wind we thought it might be best to stop and make better mileage the next day. But it was so hot and the thought of being buffeted in and out of the van by those winds all afternoon, I thought we were better off just plodding along up the highway slowly and being in the aircon of the vehicle. I could keep the fuel consumption down by going slow.
So we got back on the road. There was a second big fire that was in front of us, depending which way the road turned. By the time we got level with the fire it was to the west of us and it looked like it was about a kilometre off the highway. The way the wind was blowing it would not be long before it hit the road. The smoke was blowing thick across the road but not down at road level so it was safe for us to go through. The smoke blocked out the sun. On the other end of the band of smoke was a commissioned police officer out of his unmarked car and on the phone. It was obvious he was organising the road to get closed from both ends. A few kilometres further we passed a police car coming the other way with lights flashing. Soon after there was a hire motorhome coming the other way. We spoke to the driver of the motorhome the next morning. He was a young German bloke who was travelling with his wife and two babies. He said that the Police car had overtaken him and then blocked the road a little farther on. By the time the Police had blocked the road the fire had hit the road. We did not know at the time how blessed we were to get through.
So we went onto Norseman. There was also a fire out on the Nullarbour but at that stage the fire was blowing away from the road, but, if the wind changed that road would have closed as well. Therefore we had to stay put at Norseman in the caravan park and the power was welcome as we needed the aircon.
Whilst I am still on the fires I will mention here that over the next couple of days we met two couples who had been camped at the Salmon Gums Caravan Park which was on the highway between Esperance and Norseman. They and about 70 other vehicles had to be evacuated out of there to Norseman during the same evening. The fire had already crossed the road but there was alot of tress and scrub still on fire but there was a fire coming up from the south so they had to go. They had a couple of Police cars and water trucks with them. Scary stuff.
Tragically four people died in that fire. A local man died who was out trying to warn his neighbours of the fire danger. Three backpackers working on a property died trying to save a horse. They had the horse on a float and got to the highway and turned the wrong way, into a wall of flames.
The next morning we had a drive around town. It is not notably a tourist town as it is a town you pass through to go on or off the Eyre Highway (Nullarbor). I figured we would never use the caravan park there again so this was the time to have a look around. We went up to the lookout and saw the sights and read the history. On the way up there was a large group of people and authorities in the middle of town and later we realised these were the people that had been evacuated from Salmon Gums to the oval in Norseman to spend the rest of the night. They had just had a meeting with Police and CFS.
So we got to see a bit of the history. Norseman got its name from a horse. The horse whose name was Norseman belonged to a prospector. He had ridden to a homestead one day and the next morning when he came out to saddle Norseman he found the horse was lame. Upon inspection he found a gold nugget in the hoof of the horse. The photos don't quite show it but had the fires approached Norseman the town is protected by salt flats which provides a natural firebreak.
Wednesday then it was off on the Eyre Highway for our Nullarbor adventure. First stop was the Balladonia Roadhouse which was a sheep station as most of the roadhouses were but it was also the site of the return to earth of the 'Skylab. I will let the photos tell you the story of this place.
A golf course has been contructed on the Eyre Highway with the intention to get people to slow down and either play the course or, at least, have a look at it and thereby take regular breaks resulting in a safer experience. We did not play the course but we did alot of stopping and got a kick out of the course from the various stories attributed to the golf holes and talking to people along the way who were playing the course.The first we came across was the SKYLAB Par 3 at Balladonia. Beautiful fairways and beautiful (synthetic) greens.
Our first stop for the night was the Baxters Rest Area. There is no point staying in the caravan parks at the road houses. The water at most of them is undrinkable and you are not having to leave your van to sight see. There are numerous free camps along the way and you have plenty of company at them. There were swarms of bees at this place all looking for water. They fly around your body as your sweat attracts them but if you stay calm and wave them away they don't hurt you. But if you flap your arms around and scream as Linda does then you get stung, as Linda did, poor Linda. Her arm came up in a welt which was quite painful for her. You can see there are a few bees around our waste pipe but the photo does not show the fifty or so bees in the air around it.
The next day we travelled the 90 mile straight, Austalia's Longest Road, which is 146.6 km. We got the photo from the eastern end of the straight from the Caiguna Roadhouse.
The golf hole at Caiguna.
The golf hole at Cocklebiddy.
A bit further down the road there was this large herd of wild camels.
We then came to the Madura Pass which was a bit of a surprise. We didn't realise we were on a plateau and weren't expecting that the terrain had this escarpment.
After lunch at the top of the pass we descended to the Madura Roadhouse. There was a couple who were travelling the Nullarbor and playing the course and didn't mind us chatting to them about it which probably detracted from their concentration.
We stayed at the Jilah Rockhole free camp that night which is 10km short of the Mundrabilla Roadhouse. Next morning we moved on and at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse we saw two ladies who had been camped near us at the previous night's rest stop. One of them is permanently on the road and the other is her friend who was keeping her comp[any on a trip to Melbourne. They were one of the pairs that had been evacuated during the night to Norseman through the fires. They were playing the golf course and had a spare ball so they gave Linda a hit. As you can see Linda is not a golfer and I am not much better which is why we didn't bother playing the course ourselves.
We then came to Eucla where the road meets the coast and we had a look at the Eucla Telegraph Station that was completed in 1877. As a tourist spot it is very underdone I must say. I picked up a bit of water from the Caltex there at Eucla. The motel there and servo which are all one business do their own desalinated water and it did not cost me anything, unlike Norseman.
Seventeen kilometres on is the Border Village which is just a roadhouse (of course). We saw the ladies again there who were sure we were following them. Had a good chat with them. We got the obligatory crossing border photos.
We then came to the spectacular Bunda Cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. The photos speak for themselves.
That night we stayed at 164K Peg Rest Area. It was a good spot as we got so far off the road easily. Next morning we pulled in to the Nullarbor Roadhouse just because I couldn't go past without taking a photo.
By lunchtime we made it to Fowlers Bay which is 22km off the highway. It is just a fishing village with a population of 20, not including tourists. The population all belong to one family except for the van park managers. Unfortunately their fresh water supply, which is a soak in the huge sanddunes that surround the 'town' had broken down. So could not connect to water. We still stayed as we were swayed by the dinner that they do on a Saturday night. It was not spectacular by any stretch but we were after a bit of a change. There was a bunch of nice people there including the van park managers who we talked to a bit and sat with for dinner. Their relief park managers arrived that night for a 6 month stint which swelled the population by 10%. It would be a good place to come back to with some keen fishermen as it seems a lot of fish are caught there with a bit of effort by going over the dunes.
Next day which was Sunday by that stage, we went on to Ceduna where we filled up with fuel, replenished some water and groceries and used the dump point and had lunch. I thought Ceduna was a nice little country town on the coast.
We pushed on with a slight detour to Smoky Bay. We were leaving the Eyre Peninsular part of our journey till after we come back from our three week trip home for Christmas. But as we would not be going to Smoky Bay on that part of the trip we thought we would go have a look and rejoin the Eyre Highway at Poochera. Forgot to get a photo of Smoky Bay but it is a nicle little bay which have alot of oyster leases. Being Sunday all the oyster outlets were closed. I had been looking forward to some oysters. Oh well, we will get some later on the Eyre Peninsular part of the trip.
We left Smoky Bay and went into the tiny little town of Haslam (using that word loosely as there was not a store of any description that we could see). Anyway we did not need a store, we were there to camp in their campground for a $5 fee, so that is where we stayed that night. Haslam's beach is mainly covered in weed and not very sandy. Just good for an overnighter.
The next day, Monday the 23rd, we did the long drive to Port Augusta. There are a couple of things to see on the way but we have left them to do with Jan & Ross when we return for the final two months of our trip after Christmas. We went straight to the $7 a night Pt Augusta Motorhome Park where we stayed once before on the 'first big trip. So here we are now relaxed and it feels like home.'
We really enjoyed our Nullarbor experience, at least I did. Linda is not really keen on the free camps. Time to get this post on the blog.
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