Less than a week from the end of the Nullarbor to the metropolitan fringe: 658km. From salt lakes and mining, across the wheat belt, with towns sitting closer together, until the reappearance of familiar fast food signs, traffic lights, road bridges and even a Bunnings store. Night 163: Norseman - RV park between the sports ground and the works depot. Night 164: roadside park 10km south of Widgiemooltha Roadhouse - so pleasant to be among trees and away from the sound of generators. The roadhouse provided breakfast and a port-a-shower in the morning. Bypassing Kalgoorlie-Boulder (to return later) I headed straight to Coolgardie and followed a sign to The Gorge, which turned out to be a man-made decal city with no water in it and a sign prohibiting swimming. There was, however the historic car club drinking coffee under a tree. The town itself has wide streets and substantial historic buildings. It was once the centre of the goldfields. It is very quiet now. Night 165: Goldfields Woodlands National Park. I continued along the Great Eastern Highway, in parallel with a rather narrow railway line and a very large pipe, stopping briefly in Southern Cross, which projected itself as the place from which the crowds set out for the goldmines. Indeed, soon after this the frequent side roads leading to mine sites (gold and nickel) ceased, and wheat fields appeared. Night 166: Baandee Lake. This was a stroke of the greatest good fortune. I chose the stop for its convenience and saw the most beautiful sunrise ans sunset camped beside the lake. The salt crystals were extraordinary, but it’s disturbing to find such a lake in a farming area. Cunderdin Museum explained a great deal about how the goldfields were opened up. The towns have such wide streets to allow camel teams to be turned around before the railway was built. Water was so scarce that it could cost the same as beer before the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, which installed the wooden forerunner of the pipe I mentioned above. Eight pumping stations were built (the museum is housed in Number Three) to move the water from a reservoir near Perth to the East. An hour later I reached Northam, where road-trains muster and uncouple, indicating that this is the end of empty roads. Northam, despite the deceitful charm of its narrow streets, turned out to be an RV unfriendly town: to the extent that I left poor Bertha out in the cold and slept in a friendly motel. Night 167: Wundowie, a small and Friendly place laid out around its recreation areas has a very swank RV park. It is curbed and guttered with a concrete pad for each vehicle to park beside. From Wundowie to Perth is just one hour. However I am hanging around the periphery and spending some time at Dhammasara Buddhist Nuns’ Monastery and the longer established Bodhinyana Monastery near Serpentine.
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They tell you that the Nullarbor lies between the towns of Ceduna and Norseman. In terms of buying anything more than fuel and fast food this correct, but it’s obvious that no botanist or geologist would agree. Departure - Ceduna - see previous entry Night 153 - Penong - roadside The real Nullarbor Plain starts a bit after Penong. Night 154 - Bunda Cliffs lookout - parking area Night 155 - Eucla - parking area behind the dunes Night 156 - near Mundrabilla - roadside camping area Night 157 - Cocklebiddy - van park behind the Wedgetail Eagle Inn Roadhouse Nights 158-159 - Caiguna Blowhole - in the bush (two nights because I was getting tired) The Nullarbor ends about 150KM past Caiguna near Balladonia. Nights 160-162 - Newman’s Rocks - off road camping area 80km beyond Balladonia (three nights because I was more tired) Arrival: Night 163 - Norseman (still tired) Google thinks it should have taken me twelve hours and it’s actually taken me twelve days; people walk it faster. I saw 1 walker and 4 cyclists (in 3 groups). I overtook 2 caravans and 2 overtook me. 1 road train overtook me. There were quite a few vehicles, but it felt like almost none because we travelled in file. I didn’t see a great deal because I was keen to get to Perth, if I could. I’ll take things really slowly on the way back. Scroll down for slide shows with pictures of an amazing South Australian Beach and an intriguing windmill museum. I had already prevaricated in Ceduna, intending just one night but before reaching the edge of town finding I was too tired to continue. One extra night was nice, but when I set out again I discovered that the fridge, which was stuffed with provisions for a long journey, had failed. So there was a third night in Ceduna followed by a return to Streaky Bay for some kind and thorough but abortive advice. I spent the long weekend at Perlubie Beach, revelling in the post-storm wildness and deciding that in winter a semi-functional fridge is fine, then went back to Ceduna to stock up with tinned food. On the third attempt I reached Penong, which has the largest windmill in Australia contained within a whole museum of smaller windmills, and where I was able to pump water from the ground using a specially constructed swing seat. Night 148: Ceduna - Big4 Caravan Park, Again! Nights 149-151: Perlubie Beach - car park Night 152: Ceduna - Big4 Caravan Park, Again! Night 153: Penong - roadside. I arrived in Ceduna expecting to point straight west. However, I found myself wanting some painting time, seduced by the smell of seawater, and in need of an auto electrician. Nights 129-131: Ceduna - Shelly Beach Caravan Park, spent mainly painting. Nights 132-134: Streaky Bay: Streaky Bay Caravan Park, on the beach in front of the school, more art. Nights 135-136: Venus Bay - Venus Bay Beachfront Tourist Park, in a terrible storm, less art. Nights 137-139: Elliston - Waterloo Bay Tourist Park, weather patchy, art supplied by the local community. Night 140: - Murphy’s Haystacks car park, regrettably no time to make art. Nights 141-142: Streaky Bay - RV Campground , shocking weather. Nights 143-145: Streaky Bay - Streaky Bay Islands Caravan Park, more shocking weather. Nights 146-147: Ceduna - Big4 Caravan Park, arrived and got soaked to the skin but was able to dry everything the next morning. The detour was scenically majestic but subject to some rather bad weather which stopped me wanting to bush camp. The first slideshow shows coastline views and the second is non-maritime: Murphy’s Haystacks, Elliston, Streaky Bay, and Ceduna. |
AuthorIn mid 2018 I started recording each night I sleep in Bertha: sometimes just for myself, sometimes to share with friends and other travellers. Archives
February 2024
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