Crossing the Nullarbor was something we’d been thinking about for a while. It’s not a small endeavour and takes both careful preparation and planning plus the right mindset to make it both successful and enjoyable.
It’s not clearly defined exactly where the Nullarbor starts and ends, but we figured the “real” Nullarbor was between Norseman and Ceduna. Unfortunately, we were making our crossing a little longer, by starting in Esperance, adding 200km to the trip. But, there was a heat wave coming (a massive heat wave) and we needed to hit Ceduna (with water and power) before it hit. We have just over 1500km to drive in three days.
This Big Crossing
The crossing itself can either be intriguing, beautiful, monotonous and boring. For us it was only occasionally boring, there was a little monotony, but it was mainly a combination of beauty and intrigue. The scenery changed several times, giving a series of different geological features to look at.
We took the time to stop and lookouts and roadhouses, even if only to stretch our legs. It broke things up and in particular once we hit the cliffs it was incredibly beautiful. We made the obligatory stop at the 90 Mile Straight sign. It marked the start and end of the longest section of straight road in Australia. This bit was certainly monotonous tending towards boring.
We had planned our drive, so never run short of fuel or water. We were prepared for the phone coverage limits and took some backup cash. We used half our spare fuel and some backup cash. One of the planned fuel stops had lost its EFTPOS due to a phone outage.
Caiguna Blowhole
The Caiguna Blowhole was our first nights stop. It was not hugely exciting in itself, but one of the many caves along the way. This blowhole breathes (in and out) depending on the difference in above and below ground air pressure. We felt a slight exhale on our stop.
Rumour has it some of these caves can be explored, but we decided not to take the risk as a slip, trip or fall could have some pretty serious consequences out here.
Most of all though, it was a pretty free camp and the stop was welcome after more than 550km of driving. It had some nice views, something to see and very few neighbours. Just how we like it out here.
Bunda Cliffs and Head of the Bight
The Bunda Cliffs are without a doubt the highlight of the Nullarbor crossing. They are massive limestone cliffs that tower over the ocean for 200km and reach some staggering heights. You end up following them along the route for quite some distance. Best of all, there are some free camps (official or otherwise) at certain points. The one we picked allowed you to park up within metres of the edge, staring out over the Southern Ocean.
We got lucky in that it wasn’t really windy, so we didn’t get rocked to sleep in the van. Also our spot for the night wasn’t too busy, letting all of us have a little piece of the view. There were also a few viewpoints along the way and these gave even better view of the cliffs.
Just before the end of the cliffs (heading East) is the Head of the Bight. There’s a small tourist facility there, complete with boardwalks to see the cliffs and whale watching platforms. As always, our timing was off for the whales, but we were more than happy to soak in the cliffs, the sand at the end and enjoy the fact that we were so close to successfully crossing the Nullarbor.
Ceduna
Our original plan for Ceduna was simple, take two nights to have a short rest, explore and restock. The heatwave had other ideas. It was punishingly hot, between 42 and 46 degrees for five days. During the first full day (at 42 degrees) we realised moving on in this heat was stupid. It was only getting hotter and it wasn’t worth the risk of getting trapped by the roadside changing in this heat.
We made use of the time, jamming in some school work, resupplying and a little sight seeing.
Keeping Cool
We extended our stay until the cool change was due. It was a good decision as even with all our available shade setup (including some improvisation), the air-conditioner was running flat out and couldn’t keep up. At best it kept inside eight to ten degrees cooler than outside. Fans, wet t-shirts and sweat were all we could do to try and keep cool.
Anything outside (including exploring, shopping and errands) was done before mid-morning and then we hunkered down until the sun was less fierce. Late in the day it was time to head to the jetty and join the locals in the water. It was the only reliable way to cool off.
One the hottest of days, we were still swimming at 8.30pm with the temperature still in the low 40s.
Laura Bay Conservation Park
The highlight of our extended visit to Ceduna was our morning at Laura Bay. Laura Bay was part of a conservation park. It was a small park and really had only the namesake bay, a lookout back towards Ceduna at a small point and a second bay called Sandy Cove.
Sandy Cove turned out to be the winner, a beautiful sandy beach, turquoise water and limestone Cliffs. We arrived at low tide so the water was shallow, but it had the bonus of being clear and free of all sea grass debris. Also, we had it entirely to ourselves for the duration of our stop. It was a very nice way to spend a morning. The only downer was it was a bit too far to make a second trip.
Despite what people say, we enjoyed this leg of the trip. The Nullarbor was nowhere near as unpleasant as people make out and our extended stay in Ceduna was both enjoyable and productive. No complaints (besides the heat).