We left the Nullarbor Roadhouse at 8.30am. It had been a wild night (weather-wise, I mean!) We pitied a couple nearby, who had spent the night in a tent. This area probably only gets a few centimetres of rain per year but did it have to fall during our visit! We comforted ourselves with the thought that it would have washed our car & caravan but, in fact, it was sand-laden & there were little brown spots all over our vehicles.
It was 295kms to the end of the Nullarbor, at Ceduna, so we planned to drive that far, with two golf stops in between. Ahead of us, the sky still looked dark & threatening but, in the far distance we could see that it was a little brighter. A wind was blowing off the Bight & we noticed how it had moved the sand inland, over time.
We stopped at Nundroo for Bob to play "Wombat's Hole" - he said it was "the pits" - all rocks & scrub! As we drove on towards the next hole, at Penong, the landscape varied between wooded & barren areas. We saw a fair number of wind pumps that must have been accessing water from bore holes. it's difficult to appreciate just how dry this region is, but there are some indicators - for example, at last night's parking area we were provided with power, telephone & Internet access & fuel, but no water! Eventually, wheat fields began to appear & one or two remote properties were dotted about the landscape - probably a sign that the desert was beginning to peter out. However, the fields were intermittent & there was still a lot of dry, stony ground. Some deserted homes served as evidence that people had tried to farm, but failed - further proof that water is probably the most precious commodity. Occasional items of farm machinery lay unused & rusting, but some farmers continued to persevere & the presence of crops slowly increased.
At "Windmills", the next golf hole at Penong, I walked the fairway with Bob but it was purgatory - the flies were horrendous! However, Bob got a birdie (one shot under par, for the uninitiated), so "there were no flies on him" (they were all on me!)
En-route from Penong to Ceduna, we were definitely in grain country - huge fields of wheat created a prairie-type landscape & signposts to one or two small settlements began to appear. The desert was losing its grip!
Finally, we arrived in Ceduna, where Bob would complete his game. We had conquered the Nullarbor & felt both relieved & elated!
As we entered the town, we had to stop at the quarantine check-point, where we lost some cucumber, lettuce & a few onions. However, we'd managed to eat or cook everything else. This time, the official was a very pleasant man, so I didn't mind giving him a little salad.
We had some difficulty finding the golf club but arrived there eventually, after asking for directions. Bob said that, at some places it had been more like playing on an obstacle course than a golf one, so I hoped that he would enjoy these two final holes. Apparently, it wasn't a very smart course - earthen scrapes instead of greens, again. Still, he has taken up the challenge & completed the task - good on him! Having collected his certificate from the Visitor Centre, we set off for Streaky Bay, which was 110kms away. Fields of ripe grain bordered our route & we could see the ocean in the distance. The temperature had risen considerably to 35C!
What bliss it was to arrive at the picturesque little bay & to settle in at the spacious caravan park that looked straight out to sea. We bought some fish & chips, found a picnic table by the beach & enjoyed our meal straight out of the paper! The tide was out & groups of pelicans had gathered on the wet sand, along with some people with a net, who were probably collecting shellfish. Seagulls swooped to & fro & a dog "paddled" way out in the retreating water. It was an idyllic scene.
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