Crossing the Nullabour

Driving the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain has been pinned as one of Australia’s iconic road trips that many have on their bucket lists. After having travelled it from east to west and later returning from west to east, we have a great appreciation for this extensive stretch of road.

Did you know?

The name Nullarbor originates from the Latin term meaning “no trees”, and for a large proportion of this region, you will only see low-lying scrub along the highway.

We commenced the 1,200km journey from the town of Ceduna which is situated on the eastern edge of the Great Australian Bight. This is a great place to top up with fuel, food, and water at affordable prices before they begin to rise as the road becomes more remote. Just take note not to stock up on fruits and vegetables as the border quarantine into Western Australia is quite restrictive.

Hot Tip!

We were also lucky enough to squeeze in a service on the LandCruiser. Due to the remote nature of the Nullarbor, ensuring that your vehicle is performing in top condition is an assurance you want to have. We found that the fuel prices vary greatly between stops along the Nullarbor, so make sure to check your fuel price apps prior to travelling this route. We found that we could plan our fuel stops to avoid some of the more pricey stops.

Calling all golf fanatics!

If you are a golf fanatic, make sure to check out the world’s longest golf course, the Nullarbor Links. Stretching from Ceduna to Kalgoorlie (a total of 1,365km!) the Nullarbor Links is an 18-hole, par 72 course that offers a break in the driving as you make your way across this rugged landscape. There is an availability to hire equipment at each hole also, or you can BYO.

Just out of Ceduna in a small town of Penong you will find dozens of windmills at their famous windmill museum. Continuing along you have to make sure to stop in at the famous Nullarbor Roadhouse. This quirky stop offers accommodation if you require it, as well as one of the more expensive fuel stops along the way.

Photo Op!

There are many photo opportunities here whether it is in front of the old roadhouse, with other historical memorabilia on display, or in front of some of the famous road signs, additionally, there are whale sculptures that the kids enjoyed checking out. The protected Southern Right Whale migrates along this stretch of coastline during their breeding season between June to October. If you travel across the Nullarbor in this period make sure to stop off at the many whale-watching sites which are dotted across the Great Australian Bight.

The Wikicamps app will be your best friend when journeying across the Nullarbor. As the reception was limited on the road, pre-downloading maps allowed us to plan our stops along the way. There are many amazing free camps just off the Eyre Highway which we felt more than comfortable stopping at. Either for a quick bite to eat, or to stay the night, we did not feel unsafe at any point in time. 

Highlight

One of the highlights of the trip was stopping at Bunda Cliffs. These cliffs are the epitome of the Great Australian Bight and cover a whopping 200km. They hold the record for being the longest line of sea cliffs in the world. If you are lucky you can watch dolphins swim by or take a moment to be mesmerised by the crashing of waves far below at the base of the cliffs. It is remarkable to see the edge of mainland Australia drop off into the ocean along this section of coastline. Just proceed with caution, especially in windy weather. We had great weather on our return journey along the Nullarbor and chose to camp at this spot. Whilst we were mere metres from the edge, we felt safe in the comforts of our caravan.

Crossing the border...

Border Village is the next stop along the Nullarbor where you will officially step foot into Western Australia. Be sure to read up on what products you are allowed to take across the border to allow for quick and seamless passing. Eucla is the next stop along and offered another quirky roadhouse that the kids enjoyed stretching their legs at and checking out the old school playground equipment. Another roadhouse that the kids enjoyed was Cocklebiddy. Here they have an impressive bird enclosure with a couple of large wedge-tailed eagles. Apart from birds and a couple of dingos, we didn’t see many animals along the Nullarbor. Whilst signs at times indicated that there may be wombats or camels around, we, unfortunately, didn’t see any. This will be something to look forward to next time.

Are you up for an adventure?

Another fascinating aspect of the Nullarbor stretch which we were not aware of when crossing the first time was the number of caves that are hidden along the way. On our return journey we stopped at Madura caves which can be located using Wikicamps. Travellers beware however, as these caves are a known home for death adders. We cautiously made our way down to the cave’s entrance double checking each step in front of us, and had a quick peek into the darkness of the cave. The faint smell of rotting animals, paired with the weak light of our torch, meant that this was as far as we would go. We have read reviews however that tell of the large cavern inside with paths allowing for you to walk one hundred or more metres inside. So if you are an adventurous type, it would be a fascinating place to explore. We were however relieved to get back into the car with all body parts accounted for.

As you make your way closer to Norseman you will travel along the famously signposted “90 Mile Straight”. At 90 miles (or 146.6km) the Nullarbor holds another record, this one being the longest straight stretch of road in Australia, and one of the longest in the world. Funnily enough due to the occasional gradient shifts in the road we didn’t feel like it was as straight as it actually is. This part of the trip saw the landscape of the Eyre Highway beginning to change. The once treeless plains began to take on more life; Scrub became trees, and plains became hills. There are many camps along this stretch of road offering free spots to pull over if you require.

Jet lagged on a road trip?

Norseman marked the completion of our Nullarbor trip. Moving across from South Australia to Western Australia felt like we had crossed into another country. The 3-hour time difference (in daylight savings) had us all feeling quite jet-lagged. It took our family, especially the kids, a good 4 or 5 days to adjust our body clocks.

Reminiscing on our time across the Nullarbor we are grateful our children are pretty well-behaved when driving long stretches. We are also grateful that both the LandCruiser and caravan performed exceptionally. This drive also made us appreciate the grandeur of Australia. You don’t really grasp how big Australia is until you cross the Nullarbor. Having now completed this stretch we were pumped and ready to discover Western Australia.