Nothingness on the Nullabor? No way!

So mentally we were preparing ourselves for the trip across the Nullabor Plain. Some 1800km of driving which was supposedly boring to many people we had talked to along the way. The car was ready for the long trip, the kids were geared up with movies and homework , and plenty of food packed in the car.

Of most concern to the grey nomads we had spoken to about the Nullabor, was the price of petrol. We had been versed on all the stops so that we could save that ever important $5.00. Although at the time, we ridiculed them, we (Josh) did find ourselves pulling into petrol stations and then pulling straight out as the price of diesel edged $2 a litre. All the while Tracey voicing her concern that the next petrol station would be closed or out of petrol.

The first day of driving was just perfect weather for crossing and no hint of the feared headwind that we had so frequently been warned about. The Eyre Highway followed the rugged coastline for quite a while. We weren’t really sure of what to expect, but for some reason, we were thinking of desolate land with lots of nothing. Actually, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The ocean views along the coastline are spectacular and although there isn’t a lot of variety in the vegetation along the way, there are still many Conservation Parks, caves and coastal scrub to watch out for.

The wedge-tail eagles were in abundance. They were big, fat and slow to take off. Apparently, their sluggish behaviour is due to the fact that they have gorged themselves on road kill and can’t quite lift themselves into the air as fast as normal. Luckily on one occasion, we were able to catch a glimpse of four large birds feasting on dead roo in the middle of the road.

After many hours in the car we stopped at the Australian Bight lookout for lunch and a quick walk to view the coastline. In the whale season, this is one of the best places to view the migration of southern rights. Unfortunately, we were a bit early for the whales, but what a beautiful view nonetheless. A quick bite to eat and a toilet stop (the kids needed convincing to go as there was a brown snake sighted minutes before in the toilet) and we were on our way. Fruit was the snack of the day. Our mission was to consume as much of our remaining fruit as possible as the border quarantine area was fast approaching.

We decided to travel as far as we could the first day and attempt to cross in just 3 days. The kids had been great and although they had immersed themselves in a movie marathon, they were getting ready to stop. There are many rest areas along the Nullabor that one can pull in and stay overnight, so we were trying to find the ideal one with a toilet if possible. We finally found one, although a little dirty with overflowing bins, we set up for the night. Tracey had taken a chicken out the night before which we didn’t use so it was roast chicken, crispy potatoes, broccoli and gravy for dinner. Not quite the meal you have when you just pull over for the night, but it was delicious anyway.

The following morning was probably one of our earliest starts, although we were having a good deal of trouble working out just what the time was. The end of daylight saving combined with some very confusing information about changing time zones had us completely baffled and even our iphone seemed to have it wrong! Thankfully, it didn't really matter to us.

Now neither Tracey or Josh are known to gamble, nor do we encourage it amongst the children, but Ruby and Oscar began playing a serious game of 21 in the car. After deciding that it wasn’t as much fun playing with nothing, they soon convinced us that a bag of lollies from the next roadhouse was in order to really get the game into full swing. And for anyone who knows Ruby, gambling with lollies really means business!

Westward bound, still trying to find the elusive camel that inhabits the Nullarbor, the drive continued. The day was again long, but the scenery and the vegetation was changing quite a bit. Each part of this journey was still quite interesting. It makes you appreciate the size of this country and the harshness both the explorers and the Indigenous inhabitants faced whilst travelling and living within this landscape.

As we came to the official end of the Nullabor, the scenery was very typically what you imagine parts of Western Australia to be. Beautiful forested hilltops and red rocky outcrops surrounded us as we pulled into Fraser Range Station for the night. Although not currently a working sheep station, Fraser Range is a lovely homestead catering for travellers across the Nullabor. The gardens are filled with a variety of Bougainvilleas and the campfire in the evening as the sun is setting makes it a perfect overnight spot to rest.

An early start the next morning sees us head straight for gold country, Kalgoorlie.