The sort of place one gets into in bad dreams
Awake just before dawn, the crows are out and one of them is making a lot of noise. The embers of the fire are stoked up for breakfast and after the morning coffee we pack up to leave.
Another visit to cliff edges and then we’re back on the Eyre Highway heading for the border. Regulations and the fear of fruit flies mean all fresh fruit and veg have to be handed over to the border guards. It feels more like crossing a country border than a state border. There are no fruit flies in South Australia (as Simo often reminds us) but the rules are there.
Entering Western Australia and I can now finally claim to have been in every state and territory in this country. We stop at Eucla and visit the remains of the first telegraph station, now filled with sand. A little more Aussie humour as we pass a sign for Eucla International Airport, which is nothing more than a single airstrip.
The vast nothingness of the Nullarbor Plain now stretch before us. The roadhouses are few and far between but we stop at each for toilet breaks and snack foods. Road trains pass along the Eyre Highway frequently, shipping supplies to and from Perth and at one of the roadhouses we talk to a couple of them, learning a little about their work. They drive almost non-stop between Adelaide and Perth, diving in pairs so one can drive while the other rests. They’re friendly and prove to be very accommodating.
The highway now hits it’s longest straight, 90 miles with no bends. Apart from us and the occasional road train there are few others. One other van with foreign backpackers and the odd car pass. Crazier people have cycled this road.
Yet more of the Aussie humour comes along in the form of decorated trees. Objects are left on particular trees, so along the way there’s the Underwear Tree, the Shoe Tree and others. Feel free to start a new tree if you’re passing.
One of the great parts of this trip is the Aussie wildlife. I have a mental list of wild animals to tick off as I travel round Australia. kangaroos and emus are common everywhere but seeing an emu father with his children adds a little extra. Then there are the wild dingos and wedge tailed eagles to add to the list. Still no snakes though. There are also wild camel in the area.
Tonight we’re by another salt lake in the Dundas Nature Reserve. The sunset is spectacular. I’ve got used to the late nights and early mornings now and it’s another fun night round the Bush TV, even if there are only the three of us left in the small hours.
It’s also here that there are two different types of little holes in the ground. Ants clearly live in one sort but after asking Simo about the others he’s hesitant to tell me. That’s because they belong to spiders or scorpions. I see neither.
