Nullarbor Traveller Day 4
We cross the border into Western Australia and turn back the clock. With no more fresh fruit on board first stop is Eucla and then it’s onto another salt lake near the Dundas Nature Reserve.
A little more of the Bunda Cliffs are viewed. The best points to see these cliffs are slowly eroding and some areas are now closed to the public, more will follow as they disappear.
The South Australia-Western Australia border comes into view. South Australia has one little claim, it is the only mainland state that borders each of the others (unless you’re being pedantic about ACT). The clocks drop back 2.5 hours and it’s earlier than it was when we got up.
Next stop, Eucla. The old telegraph station was built in the 1870s and was an important part of communications between Adelaide and points west. The first message sent in December 1877, “Eucla line opened. Hurrah”.
The occursed rabbits got the area in the 1890s and devoured the vegitation in the area. Since then sand dunes have slowly taken over and the old town and telegraph station, although the telegraph later moved north closer to the railway line.
Eucla gained world wide fame in 1971 with the start of the Nullarbor Nymph legend. That a half naked woman would run around the bush, roaming with kangaroos was believed for a while but as one bushman put it, “Any bird go flitting around in the scrub here with nothing on would bloody soon burn off what’s bobbing, I can tip you.”
The Nullarbor Plain has it’s own bit of fun, the Shoe Tree is one of many trees along the Eyre Highway which has been decorated.
The road trains are the most common site on the Eyre Highway. Driven in pairs they thunder along the road almost constantly, stopping now and again at the roadhouses. It’s tough work driving 4 days straight from Adelaide to Perth and back again.
And so we hit the longest straight on the road. 90 miles of pure straight road. Then there’s a couple of bends and another long stretch. Drive this road alone and you’re liable to go mad. Those who have gone mad cycle, run or skateboard across the Nullarbor.
Our next stop is the Dundas Nature Reserve, by another salt lake. This one has extra guests who live in the many little holes. Whether they are ants, spiders or scorpions it’s not enough to stop us sleeping on them.
