Esperance, WA - across the Nullarbor to Streaky Bay, SA

Thursday 12 September – Esperance to Fraser Range Station, Nullarbor

The previous time we spoke we were in Esperance where we had dinner at a great restaurant, called The Loose Goose.  It was so good we went back again last night and had another fantastic meal.  Just a note for ourselves – we had a nice wine, a Margaret River - Barking Owl, Sav Blanc Semillon, 2012. 

Norseman

We woke this morning to the forecast 40+klm westerly winds.  Heading off at 8am we travelled the 200klm north to Norseman with the strong winds buffeting the western side of the car and van the whole way. Norseman has the feel of a dying town despite the still active gold mining happening in the area.  In the main street is the bronze statue of Norseman, the horse after which Norseman was named, who, it is alleged, is said have dug up the inaugural gold nugget while tied to a tree overnight.  I decided that it could be a good idea to do the same thing so I had Julie tie me to a tree overnight where, the next morning, the 'big rock' at my feet wasn't the gold nugget that we first thought is was but something I ate at the Loose Goose in Esperance a couple of days ago.  After cleaning my shoes and feeding some bronze carrots to Norseman, we went up to the local Beacon Hill lookout passing 25 metre high gold mine tailings covering 25 hectares right beside the road.   

Returning to town we shoved diesel into every known orifice in the car then headed east along the Eyre Highway to start our crossing of the Nullarbor.  The strong westerly wind immediately became our favourite travelling companion blowing us the 100 klm to Fraser Range Station, an old sheep station, and our first overnight stop on Eyre Highway i.e. the Nullarbor.  Our fuel consumption dropped by 3 litres per 100klm with the tailwind.

Fraser Range Station

The Sheeps Back Hole - Par 3

 

Fraser Range Station is an oasis in the desert and is very popular with caravaners in particular.  With power, drinking water, private drive through sites, shade, and OK amenities it’s located in a picturesque garden setting and it provides the last real quality place to stop on the Nullarbor when heading east and the first quality stop if heading west.  At around 310klm from Esperance it is ideally located.

The Station is home to one of the holes for the Nullarbor Links, the longest golf link in the world.  This afternoon we walked out to the Par 3 141 metre hole.  A couple of people from the van park played the hole which to our surprise was in good condition with artificial turf on the putting green.  Out the back of the green a mob of kangaroos and an emu watched on bemused as the sun set over the hills of the Station, while we walked back to camp after completing our first day crossing the Nullarbor.

Friday 13 September – Fraser Range Station to Cocklebiddy Roadhouse.

Cocklebiddy

The day was beautiful with clear skies, a cold morning (8 degrees) and a light westerly wind, all good for our travels today to Cocklebiddy about 340klm away.  Cocklebiddy is where we will stay the night before leaving the caravan for two nights while we drive down to the Eyre Bird Observatory (EBO) to catch up with Wendy and Alan currently wardens/camp hosts/managers of the EBO.

Traveling east along the Eyre Highway the traffic was very light.  Numerous road trains were crisscrossing the country but they were all great drivers and we had no problems.  The vegetation and scenery constantly changed with the trees getting shorter and fewer the further east we travelled.  Undulating hills gave way to flat grassy plains which are currently lush and green from the winter rains.  The shallow lakes and pools are mostly full of water providing easy water sources for the birds and other animals.  Morning tea and lunch were held in one of the numerous large roadside stops along the highway.  Certainly on the western end of the Nullarbor, firewood is in abundance however due to our having to store the van in Cocklebiddy we are yet to have a bush camp.

Fuel at Caiguna and Cocklebiddy costs $2.06 per litre.  Using the two gerry cans on the van and with a full tank in the car we have a range of 850klm, so the  high cost of fuel is kept to a minimum.  We do tend to keep more than enough fuel on board though so that we can get to the next fuel stop after the one we are planning to fuel up at in case there is a problem. 

Our van site at Cocklebiddy

Arriving at Cocklebiddy we took a powered site for the night ($25).  We asked if the van could be left here while we visited Eyre Bird Observatory (EBO) for two nights and that was fine at no cost.  Apparently if they were to charge us we would come under their insurance policy so they let people leave their vans at no charge.  They directed us to a site a little behind the roadhouse which we are happy about.  The van will run the fridge off solar no problem for the two days we are away. 

Tomorrow morning we will move lots of things between car and van getting as much weight out of the car as possible and creating enough space in the car for our two days away in a real building for the first time in 22 weeks.  We were asked to pick up a lemon tree for the vegetable garden at EBO and it seemed to have enjoyed the 620 klm trip from Esperance in the shower cubical in the van.

Saturday 14 September and Sunday 15 September – Eyre Bird Observatory (EBO)

We woke to cloudy skies and a cool day.  The car was packed and the van locked up as best we could and away we went to EBO hoping our little van would be there when we got back. We travelled 19klm east along the Eyre Highway before turning off to travel along a good dirt road to the edge of the escarpment.  A good bush camp is located near the base of a communications tower and, if you do come this way, make sure you miss the lookout to your left like we did as it has great views of the track to EBO below.

Making radio contact with EBO and the track in.

After making radio contact with EBO to let them know we were on our way down, we descended the escarpment.  A little way along the one lane dirt track we stopped to let our tyres down before travelling a good but sandy 4WD track to the EBO Homestead.  When we arrived we were met by our friends, Wendy and Alan, a coffee and some lovely home baked chocolate chip  cookies.

Bird watching

Our two days here were filled with long conversations catching up with Wendy and Alan, bird watching and walks around the Homestead.  On day two we tagged along on one of the formal bird count expeditions travelling 13 klm west along the beach.  Lunch was held behind the sand dunes before heading back home, again along the beach.  Wendy’s meals were to die for with beautifully cooked mains and deserts each night.

A big  and very heavy Thingy washed up on the beach

Lunch behind the dunes

Bird watching for Julie and I consisted of pointing out a “black” bird to Wendy and Alan who then then identified it and wrote it down on the count register for the trip.  After two days of ‘birding’ Julie can now identify the nesting black-looking bird and I can spot U-Tern on the beach from 50 metres away.

It was surprising to us just how much work Wendy and Alan have to do as volunteers running the EBO.  Regular precisely timed weather readings at 10am and 4pm for the Bureau of Meteorology guide the timing of many of the other daily activities they do.  Welcoming day visitors, cooking and cleaning for overnight guest, tending vegetable gardens, doing regular bird counts in various locations around the area, general and planned maintenance of the homestead, being involved in search and rescue call outs, recording and reporting everything about everything for what seems like everybody and generally improving the whole place all the time, keep them both busy all day, seven days a week.  We can’t think of anyone more capable that these two to undertake these activities. 

Seaweed 'bugs' on car window

Climbing sand dunes with Eyre Bird Observatory Homestead in background

The original Telegraph Station site

Monday, 16 September – EBO to Cocklebiddy to Peg 25 (Nullarbor Bush camp)

Lunch spot at Madura Lookout

After two very comfortable, interesting and well fed days, sadly our time at EBO came to an end all too quickly and on Monday morning, we said our goodbyes and returned to our van happily waiting for us at Cocklebiddy Roadhouse.  After swapping everything back between car and caravan, we set off travelling east towards the South Australian border with a bush camp planned but a destination unknown.

Crossing into South Australia

Lunch was at the Madura Lookout which is where the highway drops about 60 metres down onto the lower plain which was once the ancient seabed.  As we travelled east the trees slowly became more stunted and the environment harsher.  Our time was filled with podcasts of ABC’s Conversation Hour and music from the iPod.  Crossing into South Australia, pegs dot the roadside every kilometre showing the distance from the WA/SA border.  These are great for working out where the upcoming side tracks are located that take you to the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight.  Our camp was going to be one of four camps on the cliffs with Bunder Cliffs being the camp of last resort if none of the earlier ones are any good.

 

Peg 25 camp, the third on our list, was just perfect, being a large area, well off the road, with sites on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean.  We were the only ones there when we arrived so we had the pick of the spots.  We set up on the edge of the cliffs, folded out our chairs and watched three Southern Right Whales frolic in the waters below us until sunset.  By the time we were chased inside by the cold and the dark, three other vans and a ‘Wide Load’ semi with its escorts had arrived for the night.  This was a bush wonderful camp that ticked all the boxes for us.

Peg 25 Nullarbor bush camp overlooking the Great Australian Bight

Bunder Cliffs

Tuesday 17 September – Peg 25 The Nullarbor to Fowler’s Bay

The wind slowly became stronger overnight and changed direction giving us a 40+kph side wind.  This made travelling a lot more difficult requiring increased concentration to counter the constant buffeting from the side winds.  I dropped our speed down to 80kph as we continued our trip across the Nullarbor.  Calling in to all the scenic lookouts along the way, we eventually made our way to the Head of the Bight where whales are said to come in close to shore.  Hoping there were whales there today, we paid our $27 and were immediately greeted by 4 billion flies on the way to the lookouts.  

Southern Right Whales: mothers and calves - Head of the Bight

As we peered out to sea we saw mothers and their calves bobbing in the waters just 50 to 150 metres off shore.  About 45 to 75 calves are born here every year and the new mums stay here with their calves for a few months before heading south.  We made a suggestion that they should train the Southern Right Whales to eat flies so that everyone wins.  We had binoculars however even to the naked eye, we could see a total of 13 mothers with their calves near the shore below the cliffs.

After having our fill of whales and flies we had our lunch in the car park and set off east again.  Petrol at Nullarbor Roadhouse cost $2.11 which was very high (possibly the highest we’ve paid) given that 150 klm furtheast we paid $1.67 at Nundroo Roadhouse which is also very isolated and on the Eyre Highway in SA.  By the time we turned back onto the highway the wind had picked up and dark clouds were being blown in from the west.  The now near gale force tail wind blew us across the Nullarbor towards our planned stop at Fowlers Bay at the end of 20klm of dirt road.  

Tree blown across road going to Fowlers Bay

Foam churned up from high winds blown across road - Fowlers Bay

Nearing Fowlers Bay the winds continued to pick up and it started to rain a bit.  By the time we set up our van the winds were well over gale force and described on the radio as destructive.  Sheets of roofing iron were blown off from a building next door and smashed into a nearby car and caravan.  The rain came down even more and the wind buffeted the van all night.  All we could do was bunker down until the front moved through overnight.

Wednesday 18 September – Day 2 Fowlers Bay

One could probably see all there is to see in Fowlers Bay from the comfort of one's caravan located in the caravan park. Once a busy port for those needing goods in the region, the little town/village has been on the decline since the invention of a truck that can drive on a road. Boasting a 390 metre long jetty out front, it is now used to fish from and not load goods from ships.

Fowlers Bay Jetty

Giant Squid and two well dressed ladies from the van park

Flies!!

No Flies???

Although still very windy and cool from yesterday's big blow, we ventured out to walk around town and out along the jetty.  The car and caravan were covered in sand from top to bottom. Fowlers Bay is surrounded by huge white shifting sand dunes. In yesterday's high winds the sand blowing off the top of the dunes looked like snow in a snowstorm, covering the town in sand. The subsequent rain helped stick the sand to everything. Strict water restrictions  seem to preclude the washing of anything that doesn't have hair follicles, so the car and van remain top dressed with a thick layer of sand.  

While out on the jetty a couple of single ladies, who are staying in the van park, pulled up a trap catching a giant cuttlefish.  A quick walk down to the beach woke up all the flies that must have blown in from the Head of the Bight, so we headed back to town.  After all this excitement, we returned to the comfort and warmth of our little van.  We felt like we were climbing back on board Noah's Ark because the dove dropped the olive branch before flying past.



Thursday 19 September – Fowlers Bay to Streaky Bay

Hoping to have said goodbye to the flies, we set off towards the end of the Nullarbor to the fruit and veggie quarantine checkpoint at Ceduna.  It was here we had hoped all flies would turn around and head west to welcome more guests arriving in South Australia.  A quick supermarket shuffle in Ceduna restocked our fresh fruit and veggies before we pointed our rig south to travel the western side of the Eyre Peninsula to Streaky Bay where we will stay for 3 nights.  

Streaky Bay-  beach in front of van park

Streaky Bay Jetty 

After setting up in the van park with views over the water from our site, we walked along the foreshore into town to check things out.  The wind was still howling but the weather was fine with a forecast of a better day tomorrow.  We splurged on a lovely seafood dinner tonight at Mocean restaurant in town which overlooks the jetty and Great Australian Bight.

Friday and Saturday 20 & 21 September - Day 2 and 3 Streaky Bay

Whistling Rock - fascinating sounds and sights

Just out of town there are two loop drives that follow the coast and its many headlands.  The weather was perfect with clear skies and light winds.  The first loop, Cape Bauer Loop Drive , has as its main features Whistling Rocks that were whistling loud and often from the wild surf then the Blowholes which looked as if they hadn't been working for some time.

The next day we drove the Westall Way Loop Drive which was quite remote with beautiful coastal views and huge surf with stops at Smooth Pool and the Granites.

Stupid place to put a sign

Swimming in the beautiful waters off Streaky Bay is a little less enticing after we came across a full sized replica of a White Pointer shark caught on a handline 22klm offshore in the local Shell garage.  A 21 year old caught it and, at 5 metres long weighing 1.52 tonnes and taking 5 hours to land,  it is said to be a world record for a replica shark in a Shell Garage.

Saturday afternoon was set aside for getting all things ready to travel further south tomorrow towards Coffin Bay and Port Lincoln NP's. 

We will end this blog now hoping you are enjoying it as much as we are doing the things we do to bring it to you.

We both remain well and are enjoying the lifestyle and the travels.

Jeff and Julie