Life Admin

 Wednesday 5 August - 180035

Today began with a run along the Esperance Foreshore at dawn – magical light.

The rest of the day was taken up with life’s chores – cooking, washing, finances, repairs etc. In the afternoon we visited the Esperance Visitor Centre to find out about WA Parks pass options and camping/hiking in Fitzgerald River National Park.

Esperance Visitor Centre

WA Parks Pass

And more miles again

 Tuesday 4 August - 179736

Overnight was warmer than the previous night. We had hot showers, did gym, had breakfast and packed down. We left just before 9am in light patchy rain. Coming into Norseman the car got filthy from muddy puddles. We stopped briefly in Scadden – they had some nice murals on the facilities of the roadside rest area.

On arrival in Esperance, we headed straight to the supermarket to get fresh fruit and vegetables before having lunch in a park. We have checked into Esperance Bay Holiday Park and unhooked the caravan for the first time since we left home.

Esperance Bay Holiday Park

We also went for a short walk to watch the port and look at the ocean.

Fraser Range Station Stay

 Monday 3 August – 179736

I woke about 5:45am but stayed under the covers until 6:30am as it was cold, windy and dark outside. After a lovely hot shower and breakfast, we set off the explore Fraser Range Station.

Fraser Range Station

The station has four marked walks, all with their own maps.  In hindsight, the walks could all be linked together with options of returning to the caravan park at various points – an overall map showing how they connect would be good.  Our first walk was the Woodland Walk. We could hear a lot more birds than we could see. This is a different type of woodland. The trees have bark that appears like a heavier duty version of paperbark. Our second walk was the Slaven Pass Loop with Summit Walk.  We saw Sturt Desert Peas in bloom, kangaroos, an emu, magpies and Australian Ring Neck Parrots. Walking across the plains it was obvious we were walking on herbaceous plants by the smell – similar to thyme and marjoram. There was also a less common plant that smelled a little like fennel. The view from the summit of Mt Pleasant was wonderful in all directions.

After lunch we walked the Wallaby Ridgeback Walk to Fraser Gorge and back. We did not do the remainder of the walk as this would have taken us back over terrain we covered this morning.  Total walking today just over 20km, 5.5 hours.  A lovely change after a week of sitting in the car.

 

We tried

 Sunday 2 August – 179218

We were up just after 6am Perth time after a much milder night. We did gym, a billy bath and breakfast, and were on the road at 8:15am.  There were two RFDS strips between Jilah Rockhole and Madura. We stopped at the Madura Pass Lookout – this has an expansive view. We had dropped from the escarpment at Eucla and then came back up at Madura.  

Not long west of Madura we saw a Wedge Tailed Eagle on the highway. We had planned to go to Burnabbie Ruins, Tommy Grahams Cave and a few other spots on the road to the Eyre Bird Observatory. The observatory was closed and the road not suitable for towing, so we elected to skip this.  Cocklebiddy Caves was also closed.

We stopped for lunch at Caiguna Roadhouse.  Caiguna Blowhole was much larger than the others we had previously seen, and as such we could not hear or feel any air movement.

The Baxter Rest Area Blowhole was smaller, and we could just feel a small amount of air movement. We saw our first Australian Ring Neck Parrots. Balladonia was where we bought the last of our reduced excess fuel before it finishes tonight. 

Newman Rocks Waterhole was very pretty and was surprisingly similar to the stone country of Nitmiluk and Kakadu National Parks in the Northern Territory.

Then one more Blowhole – they are everywhere on the Nullarbor.

A short 35 minutes’ drive and we stayed at Fraser Range Station stay, about 100km west of Norseman. It is a beautiful property with room for a lot of vans and tents. We ate in the camp kitchen with a log fire. Fraser Range Station

 

Exploring the Nullarbor

Saturday 1 August – 178929

This morning our ParkRun NENDY was Coober Pedy – 445km as the crow flies, but 980km by road. Port August at only 830km by road would have been our easiest to access. Instead, we ran south from our Nullarbor Plains campsite and turned around and came back. After our run we had a billy bath and breakfast. 

We were on the road at 9:45. Lots of exploration today with both short and longer diversions away from the Eyre Highway.

Stop 1 – Great Australian Bight Lookout 1

Stop 2 – Clay Dam Cave

Stop 3 – Koonalda Station. This is a lovely camping spot and we explored the homestead, the shearer’s quarters, blowhole (yes, we could hear it, it sounded like fast flowing underground water) and the shearing shed. Koonalda

Koonalda Blowhole

Stop 4 – Koonalda Cave. This is an impressive cave from ground level. The information signs however revealed it is far more impressive beneath the surface – it is 1.8km long and has three lakes.

On the road between the Eyre Highway and Koonalda Station we crossed the old Eyre Highway which had gone right past the homestead and saw shinglebacks and a rabbit.

Stop 5 – Great Australian Bight Lookout 2

Stop 6 – Great Australian Bight Lookout 3

Stop 7 – Lookout showing beaches after the end of the Bunda Cliffs

Stop 8 – WA border quarantine station. All doors of the car needed to be opened, and the van raised so that the internal fridge could be checked in addition to the Engel in the car.

Stop 9 – Eucla.  The Lest We Forget Memorial and the Eyre Memorial had a beautiful view. 

Also the time zone changes here to Central Western Time, 45mins behind SA during winter.

We are camped for the night at Jilah Rockhole Wayside Stop, arriving about 5:15pm.