The Nullarbor Plain stretches between Norseman in Western Australia and Ceduna in South Australia.

The Nullarbor Plain

Some fun facts about the Nullarbor Plain (from Wikipedia).

• It is the world’s largest single exposure of limestone bedrock,
• It occupies an area of about 200,000 square kilometres (77,000 sq mi).
• At its widest point, it stretches about 1,100 kilometres (684 mi) from east to west. And about 400km north to south.
• It is known for extensive meteorite deposits, which are extremely well preserved in the arid climate. Some up to several tonnes in weight.
• Vegetation is primarily low saltbush and bluebush scrub.
• About 100,000 feral camels live on the plain.
• It is traversed by the Eyre Highway, a 1,664-kilometre (1,034 mi) highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain from Port Augusta to Norseman.
• It has the longest straight stretch of road in Australia (146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi) and one of the longest in the world.
• Several marked sections of road are for the Flying Doctors Aircraft to land.
• You can play 18 holes of golf along the world’s longest golf course – the Nullarbor Links. Each hole is in a different town or roadhouse along the epic Eyre Highway from Kalgoorlie to Ceduna, for a complete course that spans 1,365 km. 
• We travelled across the Nullarbor Plain by train, The Indian Pacific, in 2018 ( that won’t be in Wikipedia).

This is our fourth time across the Nullarbor. Once on the train, and now three times by road with our van: once from west to east, once before from east to west, plus this time. With unpleasantly strong southerly winds and persistent rain, we didn’t spend time doing much sight seeing along the way. We took four days, spending our three nights at different free camps.

The last town on the eastern side is Penong, which boasts the last ‘shop’ for 1,000km, which is technically correct as there are no more ‘shops’ until Norseman, 1,130km to the west.

However, the 10 roadhouses along the Nullarbor are stocked with everything you are likely to need: fuel, groceries, toiletries, gifts, maps, hot meals, cold drinks, coffee and some offer hot showers for a fee. All have accommodation and camping available. The price of fuel varied wildly between roadhouses, from $1.90/L to $2.90/L. We usually top up at every opportunity but you could skip the highest prices if you plan carefully.

There are several public dump points along the way, for cassette toilets. It is best not to rely on the water stations for fresh water as they are often not available. Fill up with water before crossing!

Crossing the border from SA to WA.

All vehicles must drive through the border check point and are searched for fruits, seeds vegetables, honey, plants, soil, birds, animals, and other things. They look through the car, opening bags, checking boots, glovebox, under seats. They also go through the van thoroughly, checking the fridge, cupboards, under the bed and in the shower.

This is to protect agricultural industries and environment from pests and diseases brought in from other parts of Australia.

Feral Camels

This was our first time seeing feral camels in the wild in Australia. The following information is from Wikipedia.

Camels were brought to Australia during the 19th century (for transport and sustenance during the exploration and colonisation of the Red Centre), many were casually released into the wild after motorised transport negated the use of camels in the early 20th century. This resulted in a fast-growing feral population with numerous ecological, agricultural, and social impacts.

• Australia has the largest population of feral camels and the only herd of dromedary (one-humped) camels exhibiting wild behaviour in the world.
• In 2008, the number of feral camels was estimated to be more than one million, with the capability of doubling in number every 8 to 10 years.
• They destroy native vegetation.
• They compete with native animals for feed.
• For the indigenous communities in the Northern Territory in particular, camels cause significant damage to culturally significant sites including religious sites, burial sites, ceremonial grounds, water places, and bush tucker.
• During mating season they are known to be aggressive toward people and domestic herds.
• They pose a significant safety risk to motorists in Australia’s outback.
• They destroy fencing, pumps and other infrastructure on farming properties.
• Drought conditions in Australia during the first decade of the 21st century (the “Millennium drought“) were particularly harsh, leading to thousands of camels dying of thirst in the outback. The problem of invading camels searching for water and food  in towns and communities caused significant damage to infrastructure such as taps, pumps, and toilets.
• Between 2010 & 2013, the Australian Feral Camel Management Project reduced the feral camel population by 160,000 camels, using various means of culling, mostly aerial shooting.

Cheers til next time, Helen & Tim