Turning Back Time on the Nullarbor

After a few days relaxing in Ceduna, eating oysters and King George Whiting, we were ready to hit the road again. Continuing our westward route we are on the road early, 7.45am, and head west towards Penong and beyond. We stopped for a break at the Head of the Bight and walked down to the cliffs. The last time we were here there was no visitors centre, board walks or lookouts, just the cliffs and rolling seas. Mind you that was about 27 years ago. How things change.

Next stop was Nullarbor Roadhouse to top up with fuel. $1.95 per litre, dearer than Mt Ive Station at $1.85 per litre. Checked out the old Nullarbor Roadhouse and displays before driving towards the Cook Road turnoff. Just up the Cook road we stopped for lunch and to let some air out of the tyres preparing for the next 150 + k of gravel roads. The roads today have been getting progressively narrower. Hmmmmm wonder how narrow they will get. Philip tells me it will be okay, he’s studied the maps.

We are heading to the Old Eyre Highway. The original highway across the Nullarbor closed in 1976 when a new bitumen road was constructed 20-30klm south. Our first point of interest was the Wigunda Tank, where we turn west again onto the old Eyre Highway. This road hasn’t been graded since 1976. It’s still in pretty good condition with a limestone base and lots of bull dust in places. We pass several more tanks, before stopping to look at Yangoonabie Tank and sheep yards. This tank is still holding water and we can see how the water is filtered through the smaller tank before it flows into the large tank.

Back on the road and continuing along at 20-30 k an hour we head toward the old abandoned (1988) Koonalda Homestead, now deserted but open to visitors as a South Australia National Park. This is our camp spot for tonight and it looks like we will be the only ones here. Philip can’t wait to get out of the car and start exploring as there is a graveyard of old wrecked vehicles here. If only they could talk there would be some stories to tell. We also walked up to the blowhole, a small hole in the ground about 12” wide that the wind whistles up through. Obviously part of the huge cave system under the Nullarbor Plain.