Some would say that the Eyre Highway is one of the most boring trips you can take in Australia (there are others which are worse), and whilst it is very long being more than 2000km, there are enough daily events to make it interesting.
We don't stop in roadhouses, either overnight or for supplies, we ensure we have enough to get to the other end (quarantine restrictions not withstanding) and we've done it enough times that we are fairly familiar with its environment.
Our first trip across the Nullarbor was in 1975, in our old Land Rover we drove from England in, and at the time we though the Eyre Highway was so simple compared with the challenges of international travel in the middle east and Asia.
It was straight, clean, smooth (mostly, the exception being the Old Eyre Highway section is SA which back then was still limestone gravel) and pretty much free of traffic and people. Luxury travelling. Even today, most of those conditions still exist, with the additional safety net of occasional mobile coverage, more visitor information and frequent scenic stopping places.
We've done it quite a few time since 1975 but most of our recent annual trips have been on outback tracks which bypass this great strip of bitumen.
Read on for this years experiences.
21 Sept
On the road from Norseman east towards Balladonia.
An early encounter of a large kind:
A rather large load we had to get off the road for |
Or alternatively...
22 Sept
And so children, what have we learned from this morning’s experimental breakfast?
It’s very difficult to separate slices of frozen bacon.
You can’t make potato cakes with Deb.
Smoke alarms and burnt toast don’t mix.
Creating baked beans by combining tomato sauce with left over salad beans does not work.
Complex breakfasts create stress and loads of dirty dishes and the cooktop needs cleaning.
Today we did around 250km from Newman Rocks to Caiguna and there was a bend in the road. But only one and here is it, at Balladonia:
Proof that we had been there. Everyone stops for a photo here. |
The wind rushes up the blowhole from the coast 30km away at 72kph, but not today or my hat would have been airborne. |
At the end of the longest straight was Caiguna, notable for its Telstra network. As a result I had a number of queries and problems to resolve with the Oka website, most of which I was able to sort out on the side of the road.
Nothing much else happened until we stopped for lunch when a distinctively coloured Oka pulled up in front of us. It was Frank in Oka 410 who he says spoke to me for advice before buying an Oka. He painted it in those striking colours and seems to be happy with his purchase, and its cracked windscreen.
We had a chat for 1/2 hour or so with Frank and his mate Richard driving a ute of some kind. They were heading east but turning inland at Madura while we are also heading east but turning up the old Eyre Highway at Eucla.
After passing down the pass we spotted an unmarked track leading to the Madura Cave, so on a spur of the moment decision we turned down it to investigate.
Janet even tried negotiating with one of them:
The cave (actually part of a sink hole) was quite interesting, if you call the skeleton of a long dead kangaroo interesting, but more so was the track which continued another 40km towards the Nuytsland Nature Reserve and the south coast.
So on the spur of the moment (a completely different one) we went down that track which got progressively thinner, sandier and more difficult. It took us a couple of hours in 4WD to do the 50km (my navigator had adjusted her glasses) until we reached the dense bushland covering the sand dunes which border the sea.
We got tantalisingly close to reaching the elusive coast, we tried but ultimately failed, so after a 17 point turn on a narrow track we backtracked to camp in a clearing in the forest like Little Miss Red Riding Hood and will try another track tomorrow.
The rangers do keep what few tracks there are in good nick, using one of these towed behind a tractor:
Sadly, also like Little Miss Riding Hood, there is no phone service in this clearing in the forest either. But I did contact the Adelaide Base on our HF Radio and give them our whereabouts, even though the spelling of “Nuytsland” caused some difficulties. Apparently its going to be in the low to mid 20’s for the next 5 days where we are, with sunny days and no rain. Just what we need, I hate mud.10km further on we ventured north up The Olde Coach Road, an early inland track from the late 1800's or early 1900's, predating even the Old Eyre Highway, which itself was only developed in the wartime expedients of the early 1940's.
The Olde Coach Road heading inland across the Nullarbor |
The Olde Coach Road is a very desolate narrow track across a flat "grassy" plain and seems to comprise mostly dry, dusty sand. On the map it leads west across towards Eucla, Mundrabilla and/or Madura, depending on which track you follow. But don’t try that route after rain, you might still be there.
Who are you calling a wombat?? |
But being within a km or so of the Old Eyre Highway, it's reasonable to assume it was something to do with the original road construction project.
Here it is on Google Earth at this location -31.501764, 129.413430, about 80m long and 50m wide.
The Twin Caves/Rockhole on the map were elusive, and we failed to find them/it on this trip. Maybe the map has them wrongly located.
Next on the agenda was the Koonalda Homestead, home of the headquarters of the Nullarbor National Park housed in the old Koonalda homestead building.
There’s no one in residence there and the park signage is distinctly sparce. However a sign asking visitors to "Keep the doors closed to keep out the cats" must be considered a good start.
Removing my cynical hat for a moment, the Nullarbor National Park has a great deal to offer visitors when there are a few more signs and some literature on the sites to visit, and the tracks are a bit better maintained. Already there is a camping area near the homestead and a toilet block.
In the homestead, Janet waxed lyrical about the kitchen range which she knew about from her early (very early) childhood.
Nearby the homestead is an interesting graveyard of old vehicles and a petrol pump that we would have got fuel from in 1975 when we passed though this area in our old Land Rover, just after we arrived in Australia.
1km up a small track through the rusty car park is a very powerful small blowhole, only about 30cm diameter, but when it’s blowing it’s more than enough to remove your hairpiece, if it’s not firmly attached.
The centrepiece of Koonalda is its cave which is a rocky 5km trip north from the homestead, but well worth the rough ride.
It looks quite intimidating at first glance, especially the danger sign forbidding entry to the cave to anyone without a permit. However, the nearby industrial strength stile over the stout boundary fence would seem to be contradictory.
However, the stile does make a handy step ladder for peering into the innards of the cave:
The cave is home to countless pairs of Welcome Swallows who are able to defy gravity in their quest for a safe nesting location, and they are so inquisitive that every time we stop, a flock of them do a fly past to check out our Oka as the location for a new housing estate.
They particularly liked the rear window overhang of our Oka and the spare wheel as the landing ground.
We camped just past Koonalda along the Old Eyre Highway behind some bushes.
Sept 26
This morning's ride was marred somewhat, when we killed a big black snake.
We didn't mean to, I thought it was a stick or a shadow across part of the track and it wasn't until I was right up close that we realised is was a snake basking in the morning sun, but by then it was too close to do anything about it on a narrow 2 lane track.
Here are it's last moments:
We stopped a bit later and checked that it hadn't flicked up and got wrapped around something under the Oka but there was no sign of it.
I don't like killing any animals (except maybe flies, mosquitoes and march flies) and it bothered me for some time. It's bad enough seeing all the roadkill along the highways without contributing to the toll.
After completing the Old Eyre Highway past some wrecked cars and rusting water tanks, we emerged on the new one at Nullarbor Roadhouse.
We chose to complete this year's journey on bitumen since the next section of the Old Eyre Highway does not have the same number of points of interest, and our tyres are not perfect.
The downside is the Nullarbor plain in all its visual glory:Sept 26
This morning's ride was marred somewhat, when we killed a big black snake.
We didn't mean to, I thought it was a stick or a shadow across part of the track and it wasn't until I was right up close that we realised is was a snake basking in the morning sun, but by then it was too close to do anything about it on a narrow 2 lane track.
Is it a stick or a tree root? |
Too late we realised it was a snake. |
I don't like killing any animals (except maybe flies, mosquitoes and march flies) and it bothered me for some time. It's bad enough seeing all the roadkill along the highways without contributing to the toll.
After completing the Old Eyre Highway past some wrecked cars and rusting water tanks, we emerged on the new one at Nullarbor Roadhouse.
We chose to complete this year's journey on bitumen since the next section of the Old Eyre Highway does not have the same number of points of interest, and our tyres are not perfect.
We camped in a rest area well off the highway at Caroona Hut, just east of Nundroo.
Sept 27
Today we passed through Penong, which, apart from 100 windmills, has the first shop we had seen for over 1000km.
This truck passed us, leading to a completely new meaning of "Road Train":
At Ceduna we stopped for the necessary but tedious quarantine check.
"Did you come from Western Australia sir?" "Yes".
"Can I have a look in your fridge please?" "Yes".
"Any fruit and vegetables with you?" No, we ate them all last night".
"Do you have any other food cupboards?" "Yes, in here".
"Thank you sir, honey is OK travelling in your direction. Have a nice day".
And we were through, as we knew we would be, we've done this many times before and learned to eat it, cook it (like a soup with left over veggies) or throw it out, before reaching the check point. Then there are no hassles. Some people get into endless and fruitless (pun intended) arguments over a few $$ worth of veggies (or fruities).
So next to the IGA to replenish our supplies. Not as cheap as in Adelaide, but who cares, we still have to eat. Just leaving the check out, who should we meet than Rick and Sue Whitworth, who we last saw at Ningaloo Reef a month ago, 2236km away by the Great Circle Route or 2238km by the Rhumb Line process.
They were heading back to Geelong and had parked next to us and we made plans to visit them next time we were in Melbourne.
After lunch on the seashore and a long but useful talk with Scott in Melbourne, we refuelled and set off for Port Augusta. This was the first fuel we'd put in since Norseman, more than 1300km ago (due to our side trips) and we still had 50 ltrs left (out of 250).
Ceduna is a really nice town and maybe one day we should spend a bit more than 1/2 hour there exploring.
Lunchspot view from the Oka cabin |
Still 900km to go to Adelaide but already we are getting into local mode after 9 weeks away.
Finding secluded camping spots is becoming more difficult with encroaching farm activities but we did find a small track near the little known location of Cungena, between Wirrulla and Pochera to place it firmly on the map, which offered us some seclusion and a nice bushland setting and that's where we are tonight:
Nearby we found what we think are some orchids:
Sept 28
We thought today would be a fairly boring bitumen drive from our campsite to Lake Gilles, our normal stopping point in the eastern Eyre Peninsula about 25km east of Kimba. We often camp there for it's great bush scenery. It's a No Camping area, which makes it perfect for camping in since there's never anyone else there!
However, when we reached Kimba in early afternoon we found some changes had taken place since our last visit. The town has become an RV Friendly Town and a money spider had been spending up big there.
Looking for our usual water supply point we came across a brand new free RV park with water, toilets and showers. We filled up and sought out the Visitor Centre for more good news. Along the way we found a free Lions Club rest area for campers and caravans with good facilities (which is where we are camped now).
The Visitor Centre is having a big makeover and the nice young lady there gave us maps and told us of other innovations, like two sculptures on the hill top, the museum, manicured gardens around the recreation areas with a new bowling green and golf course.
The sculptures were of Edward John Eyre and his aboriginal guide, cleverly composed from rusting local relics and overlooking the town:
Even down to the prismatic compass Eyre is using:
Next to the RV rest area is a new Mining Village. Aha, so it's mining $$ which is causing all the activity. But according to Bruce, a 92 year old former farmer in the area who came to visit us later in the afternoon, no mining had actually begun. It was/is going to be a new iron ore mine but the low iron ore price and difficulties with railways and funding a new deep water port has stymied development.
Nonetheless, Kimba is fast developing into an attractive place to visit, not just an overnight stop. It's another of the very few towns which actively encourage visitors to stay and in return all they ask is that visitors patronise local businesses, which we did, food and fuel.
One of the streets in Kimba has all its trees and power poles fitted with "tree socks", presumably knitted by ladies of the CWA. Janet calls the colourful streetscape a new "street address":
Since we dallied a bit in Kimba and it's 450km from Adelaide, we'll spread the remaining journey over 2 days and arrive home on Wednesday.
Tomorrow we'll reach Port Augusta and camp at Mambray Creek.
29 Sept
And yes, we did reach Pt Augusta today after a few experiences.
We met Bruce again this morning on his rounds and he said he was "working" at the museum (at the age of 92), taking people around. So we said we'll see you there on our way out of town.
He was and he did and we did. The Kimba museum is a treasure trove of old farming and "living in the country" memorabilia.
Relocated buildings, complex farming implements, engineering tools, old tractors, stationary engines, an old school room, a sewing machine room, an old camera display and an olde shoppe.
It's described in the tourist brochure thusly:
Eight separate buildings: The historic pioneer house, the one teacher school, the blacksmith shop, the Government Shed are equipped. Sheds house the farm machinery, stationary engines and fire engine, while a separate museum centre contains a library, photographic and interpretive displays, taped histories and various documents relating to social history. All in bushland setting.
Kimba's local history museum includes pioneer domestic and farming items, stationary engines, harness vehicles and equipment, vintage trucks and tractors, a water conservation model, schooling and communication equipment together with supporting documents, maps, tapes, photographs and ephemera.All of it was very interesting but ultimately we became overwhelmed and overloaded with history but you can read more about the museum here. It is well worth a visit.
An old fireplace. I shall build a mantlepiece like this when we get home. |
A grader that Bruce built himself from an old truck and collections of scrap iron and used it for several years. Note the steering wheel is miles away from the seat but he said you didn't need to steer it much anyway. |
After the museum overload we moved on to Lake Gilles, not to camp this time, just for a lunch spot.
Pigface in bloom next to the lake
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