The Nullabor

We have crossed the Nullabor now and are in South Australia.   It has been blowing an absolute gale since we left Norseman.   A big headwind for us all the way.   Each time we pulled up to take a photo of something or just to camp up for the night, we were sandblasted.   Couldnt sit outside or socialise.   Everyone was pretty much shut up in their vans.  Sometimes, the wind would force us backward or sideways as we stepped out to a lookout etc.  My camera was actually pushed sideways as I tried to take photos.  Of course this didnt make us that happy and our fuel gauge was moving downwards pretty quickly.   We had already determined where the cheapest fuel was for us as we crossed and we hang on for grim death, with the gauge on empty, hoping we would make it.   Of course we did, just nail bitingly close to running out.   We had seen fuel for $2.10 and we paid $1.88.   When we got to Ceduna it was only $1.54.

Rick was on a mission to get across as quick as he could.  It was foot to the peddle as we made our way.  Yes it was pretty boring, but the landscape did change quite a bit as we travelled thru it and we could do some side trips to the  Nullabor Bunda cliffs and The Great Australian Bite Marine Park to alleviate the boredom of vegetation.

Its nice and green for a good part of the way with lots of new growth alongside the roadway..





The treeless plain, now that was boring.   At least if there were any wild life you could spot them, but we saw nothing!!!!!!!!!!

The cliffs and the Great Aust Bite coastline.   Once upon a time, or up until recently, you could drive right out on to the cliff edges to view the ocean and the cliffs and to even camp up.  Nowadays they are all fenced off, and you must view them from lookouts or pathways.    Cuts out a lot of the view in some cases which is sad.  But on the other hand, it was so windy when we visited that we were getting knocked around and you could easily imagine the wind pushing you over the cliffs.   It was beautiful to see such a contrast so close to the highway.

This photo is of the old Nullabor Highway.  It now runs alongside the bitumen highway from Eucla to Ceduna.    Very overgrown in places but still recognisable as the old Highway.  We were keen to "revisit" it.  This is the road that we travelled on in 1970-71.   Firstly in a Ford Fairlane, then a FX Ute and on one return trip, a motorbike.  Sadly for us the bike died on the bitumen part of the old Highway and we had to hitchhike in a truck the rest of the way home to Melbourne.   Of course we were young and naive.   We have seen a few cyclists on the Nullabor and think they are nuts.

Just a couple of garden ornaments in a town we passed thru.   Much to Ricks heartbreak.!!!!!!!!!!!!!