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.
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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. Having failed to drive fast from either Broken Hill or Mildura to Ceduna, I was determined that I would at least see how well I could eat up the miles between Port Augusta and Ceduna. It was hopeless:As this list shows. Night 126: Port Augusta - Shoreline Caravan Park Lunch: Kimba - a mistake not to spend more time here Night 127: Wudinna - Showgrounds - would like to come back and explore the Gawler Ranges Night 128: Poochera - Poochera Hotel Caravan Park Nights 129-131: Ceduna - Shelly Beach Caravan Park I got to Ceduna in time to cast an out-of-state vote in the national election, but decided I wasn’t ready for the Nullarbor crossing yet … Two slideshows to suggest the interest and beauty of the South Australian hills. The firstis shows a bit of historic Burra and the second one the Mount Lofty/southern Flinders Ranges that surround it. After I left Morgan the plain appeared flat, but it was really sloping gently upwards and then the first folds of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges emerged from a thunderstorm. I spent a week in Burra (O) and another three nights moving through the ranges before I descended to the flat land and spent a night at the foot of the range before merging into the traffic on the A1, A major highway running up to Port Augusta. It’s Burra Burra if you’re referring to the district but just Burra for the town. Actually Burra started off as half a dozen different small towns. It was the first place copper was found in Australia and was developed through Cornish migration and Cornish technical knowledge and equipment. Since 2017 when it was added to the National Heritage List, much has been done to preserve and showcase its history. There were so many attractions I stayed 7 nights in the showground and 1 more behind the Bon Accord Hotel. Red Banks Conservation Park would have been a wonderful place to bush camp not far from Burra, but I just made an afternoon visit. From Burra I’d intended to drive directly to the A1, but I ended up very grateful to a local’s suggestion that I take the scenic route. She said it wouldn’t add any extra time; however it proved so nteresting that it added an extra 3 nights. My route ran through - Spalding, - Jamestown, - Gladstone (A) where I parked behind the hotel-turned-café The Booyoolee Brew, - Laura (B) where CJ Dennis lived, - Wirrabara (C), - Melrose (D), - Wilmington, - Hancock’s Lookout (E) where I parked and enjoyed the view over the Spencer Gulf evening and morning, and finally to - Horrock’s Pass beyond which no more water flows into the Murray Darling River. I stopped one more night at the bottom of the Pass, - Horrock’s Pass Bush Camp (F) where I could look back for a night and enjoy a final view of what South Australians call The Divide. Google says that it takes 2hr 40min to drive from Mildura VIC to Morgan SA, so how come it took me a week? Firstly, my last couple of days in Victoria were a bit torrid! I had the RACV pull Bertha out of a bog, I sent Bertha away on a truck to have her tank flushed out (yes, I drove her into the bog one day and put petrol into her diesel tank the next), which meant that I end up walking a long distance across Mildura to make my Double Vax appointment. I didn’t leave town til after dark and so spent night 108 down a track near Lake Cullulleraine (A), where it was very quiet and I slept very late. The next day I crossed into South Australia at Yamba (B) and spent nights 109&110 resting beside the river at the lovely Riverbend Caravan Park just before Renmark (C). When I left I had a quick squizzy at Renmark, a town I had heard of and which has a beautiful river frontage. Secondly, the Riverland area, where the Murray-Darling meanders full of water due west, until it suddenly takes a right-angled turn due south, is a delightful area. There is always the river and its billabongs, there is a lot of irrigated farming (rows of fruit trees and grape vines are now so familiar) as well as many tourist attractions which I ignored. There are frequent small towns, established with solid public buildings and wide streets in the 19th Century, that show signs of prosperity and population expansion. On the same day that I looked at Renmark I paid quick visits to Berri, Loxton, Kingston-on-Murray, Waikerie and Ramco, before spending nights 111-114 close to the river near the Ramco Apex Park. Eventually I crossed the river by ferry at Morgan and spent half a day there before driving away from the river gums onto the dry salt bush plain. I went to Mildura to spend 3 days catching up with a friend, not travelling. Whilst there I made an appointment for another Covid shot and a fluvax, which meant that I had a whole week to fill after she left. I wanted to see another confluence, where the Murrumbidgee merges with the Murray. This is upstream from Wentworth and Mildura, but I wasn’t sure of the best way to access it. I made what turned out to be the bad choice of going to the NSW side first; this meant that by the time I reached the Victorian side it was raining and the access track was inaccessible. However we still got bogged in a residential street and I had to call the RACV to pull Bertha back into action. The inevitable third setback came the next day, when I inadvertently put petrol into her diesel tank. She spent the day getting flushed out while I got jabbed, drank Italian coffee, ate Malaysian nasi lemak, and walked a long distance around town. I spent nights 101&102 at Psyche Pumps VIC (A) which was wet and well vegetated, nights 103&104 on the edge of Lake Benanee NSW (B) in very arid country, night 105 in a car park in Balranald NSW (C), asphalt. I wasn’t able to camp near Murrumbidgee-Murray confluence (E), so for night 106 I went to Robinvale Riverside Caravan Park VIC (F) and for night 107 to Mildura-Buronga Discovery Park, in Burunga NSW (blue dot). The first slideshow is Mildura and the Victorian side of the river, and the second one Balranald and the NSW side, finishing with the Australian Inland Botanical Gardens, which we visited from Mildura. The alphabetical references in the previous paragraph are to the map beneath the slideshows. Night 99 was spent alone in the shearers’ quarters at Tolarno Station. I wanted the shower rather than the bed, and slept in Bertha under a big pepper tree. I managed to catch the mouse that had travelled with me all the way from Hillston (about 7 weeks) in a shoe box and deposited it under the tree. After only 3 hours I heard a great scrabbling behind my head and the patter of tiny feet on the roof. He was back. I didn’t realise I needed to drive off in the middle of the night. Pooncarie was only a lunch stop, but quite a delightful small town. I wanted to see the place where the River Darling meets the Murray. This happens at the NSW town of Wentworth. It’s a small town, but was established early and now has a deep sense of history as is evidenced by the presentation of the Gaol and the Museum. I spent night 100 free camping beside the Murray Darling in the rain. The next day I crossed the river on an old iron bridge, entered Victoria, and approached Mildura along several impressive avenues of palm trees. I left Broken Hill early on Good Friday because I wanted to reach Menindee in time to join the River Lady cruise on Lake Wetherall that started at 11 am. The lady was about to cast off as I jumped out of Bertha. “You’re late,“ she said disapprovingly. “You made it!“ Said fellow tourist in a tone of triumph. It was worth the effort. The lakes are very full of water at the moment, A great contrast to the surrounding desert. I spent nights 97&98 in the Kinchega National Park, camped beside the River Darling. The river is lined with massive red gum trees whilst only metres away the parched Mallee scrub begins. I saw more lakes, the ruined Kinchega Homestead and the preserved shearing shed. I arrived in Broken Hill aflame with artistic inspiration and wondering how easy it would be to rent some studio space, but things didn’t play out in any way I had hoped. As it turned out I spent a long time, nights 87-96, in the Lakeview Caravan Park* and saw very little of the city, apart from some public buildings and some public art. Nor did I get to explore any of the places to the north. All of that will have to wait for my return. Yes! I am going to go back. * https://accommodation.campermate.com.au/shop/broken-hill/nsw/lake-view-broken-hill-caravan-park/2222 |
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
May 2024
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