at. 20th Oct., 2012 - Relaxing in Streaky Bay

After breakfast, we decided to have a look around the town, which has a lot of history & character.  We visited the local craft shop (I was very restrained & only bought some outdated Patchwork magazines), then we went to the bakery, where the restraint ran out ... we had coffee, a scone for me & a jam doughnut for Bob!  Next, we visited a couple of churches that we'd admired yesterday - they were imposing buildings, constructed in the early 1900's.  Some of the older houses were also solidly built & more impressive than their modern counterparts.

In the afternoon, a very strong wind blew up, which could have been damaging, so we took our awning down, folded it away & retreated inside the caravan to read or use the computer.  Despite the wind, the sun was shining, the sky was blue & it was hot!

Fri. 19th Oct., 2012 - A day in Streaky Bay

Wow ... what a busy catch-up day!  The bed was changed, laundry done & the van cleaned - we were shattered, but had shaken off the dust & dirt of the desert.  It felt good!

When all the chores were done, we went on the Cape Bauer Loop Drive, which meandered around a small peninsular that was unspoilt & lovely.  The dirt road wended its way through farm land but was always close to the sea & alongside breathtaking coastal views.

We stopped to look at some blow holes, known as Whistling Rocks, where the sea undercuts the cliffs & forces its way upwards through weak areas in the rock.  The tremendous power of the ocean was evident as this occurred & we could hear a roar every time the water rushed into the hollow holes.  A board-walk took us quite close to the action, where a fine spray settled upon us as we watched the impressive scenario below. 

On our return to the town, we did some food shopping & took the Pajero to a car wash (more chores - by this time, we were feeling holier than thou!)

We had a walk after dinner to watch the sun set & to look at the lovely everlasting flowers that were growing wild around the bay.

We were impressed with Streaky Bay & decided to stay another night.  The caravan park is excellent & the area is relaxing & devoid of crowds.

Thurs. 18th Oct., 2012 - Nullarbor Roadhouse to Streaky Bay

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.

Wed. 17th Oct., 2012 - Still travelling on the Nullarbor

We got up at about 7.40am., which meant that we'd had at least 10 hours rest - magic!  We were on the road just before 9am., having cooked all our tomatoes & mushrooms and poached the fresh grapefruit so that they won't be confiscated at the state border quarantine point.  I hate wasting food, so we'll have an orange & a banana with our next cup of coffee, which will deprive the "officious little people" of our remaining fruit!

There was quite a lot of activity on the road - lorries, roadtrains, caravans & the occasional car passed us fairly frequently.  Some of the over-sized loads were enormous!  Bob noticed a lorry carrying Atlas CopCo equipment, a company with which he used to deal when buying aircraft items.  When such familiarity occurs in the middle of a desert, on the other side of the world, we realise just how international we've all become.

Suddenly, we had to stop for a "traffic hazard" & could see that a huge trailer had been on fire in the road!  The whole thing was blackened & burnt out and firemen were dealing with the aftermath.  What a mess - it would take a fair amount of effort to clear the highway!  We thought of the chaos it would have caused in the UK - traffic jams would have been miles long but, here, it was just a very temporary hold-up.  Fortunately, the driver had managed to unhook his cab, from the trailer, so it stood, undamaged, a small distance away.

At Mundrabilla, Bob refuelled - diesel was cheaper there than at anywhere else on the Nullarbor.  I'm sure it was one of the dustiest places we'd been to - huge clouds filled the air whenever a vehicle arrived or left & my eyes felt very dry.  Bob played his 11th hole of golf but I stayed in the car - it was too gritty for me!  The soil, there, was very fine & off-white, rather like cement dust - yuk!

Approximately 10km from Eucla, we saw very white formations to our right & decided that they must be sand dunes.  Five kilometres later, the ocean became visible.

The golf hole at Eucla, "The Nullarbor Nymph", was a long way from the highway, down an unmade road.  It was part of an actual golf course, shared with a gun club, which was something of a worry!  Everywhere was brown & what remained of the meagre grass cover, crunched beneath my feet!  There were signs of rabbits & kangaroos, but what on earth did they live on?

Back on the highway, a bloke on a bike was cycling out of Eucla - unbelievable!

We drove on to the WA/SA border, where the next hole was called "Border Kangaroo".  Bob played there & we had lunch before setting off again.  As we left, we passed the cyclist we'd seen earlier - wow, he had stamina!  According to a signpost at Border Village, we were currently 17,517kms from London - since we'd already driven further than that, on this trip, we worked out that we could just as easily have motored back to the UK (had someone thought to build some bridges over the ocean!)

Just outside Border Village, we reached the sea - lovely to see it again & exciting to look down on such a pristine area of coastline.  I doubt that many people would have trodden that remote & inaccessible beach, nor would they have chosen to picnic by the sea in the middle of the Nullarbor Desert!  This was the region known as the Great Australian Bight - again, something that I'd only ever marked on a map, before.

As we continued on, we were passed by a large group of bikers, riding in two parallel lines - quite an impressive sight; we half expected them to do some kind of "roadside cabaret act".  From then on, we saw several more, periodically & guessed that they were riding to a 'meet' somewhere.

Now, there were truly no trees & a strong wind gusted across the landscape, trying to push us back!  We tried to shelter in the wake of a big vehicle ahead of us but dropped back for fear of being too close (whilst towing a caravan, we need a significant amount of breaking space).

At Nullarbor/SA, we had quite a shock, time-wise - we'd 'lost' two & a half hours & it was already 6pm rather than 3.30pm, as we'd thought!  The wind was still howling a gale &, although there was sunshine & blue sky, it was quite cold.  Bob went to play his last hole of the day, the "Dingo's Den", but I stayed in the car, out of the wind (coward!)  This was a Par 5, over 538m - a long walk in such blustery conditions.  I could see Bob, way out in the distance, & felt that it would be a difficult hole for him; he finally managed it in 7.  We then settled in for the night, since it was so much later than we'd imagined.

Tues. 16th Oct., 2012 - Norseman into the Nullarbor Desert

As we left Norseman, our American friends came to say goodbye & to wish us a safe journey.  I left with some trepidation, as I thought of all the hazards that could crop up.  However, I decided to be positive & trusted that all would be well.  A road sign warned of straying emus, kangaroos & camels, so I hoped that we would manage to avoid all of those!  The Eyre Highway would take us 1,215kms across the Nullarbor from Norseman, in WA to Ceduna, in SA.

After approximately 100km., we reached the turn-off to Fraser Range Station, where Bob stopped to play another hole of the golf course.  Once again, it was dry!  The hole was called "Sheep's Back" & was surrounded by emus that wandered all around it as we approached.  A mum, dad & two chicks strolled past, totally unconcerned by our presence.  Two little wallabies watched from the rocks nearby as Bob prepared to tee off.  The tee & the green were both made from astro-turf, as no natural grass appeared to grow anywhere, despite the fact that we were on a sheep station (didn't see any sheep, either!)



Fancy a coffee?





 We rejoined the main highway & were saddened to see numerous dead kangaroos on the verges.  We were surprised at the thickly wooded areas on either side of our route, since the Nullarbor's Latin name suggested that there would "no trees".  Bushes & scrub provided some undergrowth but there were also large areas of bare, red earth.

Bob  parred the "SkyLab" hole at Balladonia in three, which pleased him.  The hole is so named because it is where part of the American SkyLab Space Station fell to earth.  Now, I knew what was meant by "flies in the outback" - the place was alive with them & they all seemed to be fighting for access to my eyes, nose & ears!  What objectionable things they are - they definitely constitute a plague on the earth.



We had 183km to drive to our next stop, Caiguna, & crossed a Royal Flying Doctor airstrip, in the road, soon after setting off.  Amazingly, we also passed a cyclist, who was either very brave, or extremely foolhardy, depending upon how you look at it! 



We were now driving on one of the longest straight stretches of road in the world - not even a kink in it for 146km!  At this stage, the landscape became more as we'd expected it to be - trees were scarcer, their place taken by low, scrubby bushes that were almost grey, rather than green.

We had lunch at Caiguna, then Bob played another hole - he's crossing them off almost more quickly than he does on his home course, in Bury St Edmunds!

 The sky had been overcast but was almost cloudless by this time.  A snake crossed the road - we hoped it would have more luck than the numerous dead kangaroos that we'd seen.  The Eyre Highway certainly was the road of death - it was littered with the corpses of hundreds of animals.  The crows must be the best fed creatures in Australia - they never have to wait long for a meal!

At Cocklebiddy, Bob played his last but one hole for the day.  I accompanied him for a little bit of exercise, as it was quite a pleasant spot & the breeze was deterring the flies.

Last hole of the day was "Brumby's Run", at Madura, where we arrived at 4.50pm.  The sun was low, casting a lovely soft light over the landscape & two enormous eagles hovered overhead, probably looking for roadkill.  Some cheerful galahs arrived on the scene & I felt it was time to join them - we'd been on the road for over 8 hours & had covered 539kms.

 However, Bob wanted to free camp & so we drove another 26kms to an overnight parking area.  After cooking a vegetable & egg curry, we went to bed at 8.30pm & slept like babies - total darkness & fresh air sure do the trick!  Just before retiring, we looked at the night sky, which was ablaze with a myriad of stars - lack of light pollution makes such a difference.





Mon. 15th Oct., 2012 - Kalgoorlie to Norseman

We left Kalgoorlie just before 9.30am which was quite early enough simce we were only intending to travel as far as Kambalda & Norseman, the venues where Bob would play the next three holes of his Nullarbor game.

Just after 10am., we arrived at Kambalda Golf Course, which looked very brown!  The fairways consisted of gravel & grit, whilst the "greens" were just earthen scrapes, which had to be raked before attempting to putt.  I think the best that I can say about it, is that it afforded me the chance to have a little exercise whilst accompanying Bob as his official photographer.  It reconfirmed that water certainly can be more precious than gold.  This sure was desolate country & caused me to have even more admiration for the early pioneers & prospectors, whose courage & determination were second to none.

At the Norseman Town Hall, we were surprised to see the most beautiful rose garden - a real oasis of colour amidst its arid surroundings.  We soon found the local caravan park which, like its counterpart in Kalgoorlie, was also devoid of grass.  The other worry was that we seemed to be the only customers - where were all the other caravanners?  It seemed rather like a ghost town.

Norseman, the famous horse that pawed the ground & exposed gold in the town that was named after him.

Bob set off to play another two of the holes included in his game of golf.  I took advantage of what might be my last opportunity to use a laundry for a while (didn't want to carry dirty clothes around for too long).

By early evening, a few more people had arrived, among them our friends from Washington DC.  We joined them for a glass of wine & a chat before settling down for the night.

Sun. 14th Oct., 2012 - Exploring Kalgoorlie

Halleluja - the grey clouds had gone, the wind had become a gentle breeze & the sun was shining!  Even our gritty site seemed less forbidding.

Armed with cameras, we set out to explore Kalgoorlie, which turned out to be an interesting town, full of history & fascinating architecture.  Jacaranda trees were coming into bloom, their lovely lavender blossom adding colour to the streets.  We'd never seen so many grand hotels all clustered together within a limited area.  They illustrated times gone by & seemed very old, until I realised that they were all built around the time of my father's birth.  It's hard to accept that those we've known & loved have already become part of history.

 There was an old-style sweetshop that sold many delights remembered from our childhood & a couple of establishments advertising 'wares' with which we were totally unfamiliar - mysterious places called "Langtrees" & "Questa Casa", the latter of which offered conducted tours & still plied its original trade!



Liz with Paddy Hannan the man who found the gold in Kalgoorlie

Having walked down both sides of historic Hannan Street, we moved on to Hammond Park, a lovely green area where a Sunday market was in progress.  It was colourful & very well attended, the beautiful weather allowing people to browse amongst the stalls, as well as to relax on the grass & under the trees. 

Bob dropped me back at the caravan park before driving to the golf course to play the first two holes of his Nullarbor experience.  The heat had tired me, but Bob seems to find energy from somewhere the moment he holds a golf club in his hand.

Later, we drove back into town to enjoy a very reasonably priced roast dinner at one of the pubs, then spent the rest of the evening with Anne & Jack, a pleasant couple from Washington DC, who had arrived at the site next to ours.

Sat. 13th Oct., 2012 - Esperance to Kalgoorlie

We got up at 6am & were actually ready to leave by 8am - pretty good for us!  We had 399km to go to Kalgoorlie.

Our Swiss friends had arrived & were waiting to be joined by some friends who had also had starter motor problems.

Inland from Esperance, the majority of the land was arable - huge fields of wheat covered the landscape & we saw some enormous silos where the grain would be stored.

We were on a roadtrain route (thank goodness it was Saturday!) & the railway line ran parallel to the road.

Large white areas cropped up in the landscape fairly frequently - we guessed that they were salt pans.

A black snake lay in the road, the first I'd seen, although Bob had noticed several.

Our route stretched ahead interminably, long & straight as far as the eye could see.  The railway was equally persistent & both road & rail would doubtless continue in this manner, all the way to Kalgoorlie.  Good preparation for the Nullarbor!

About 70km from Norseman, the farming finally petered out & we found ourselves in an area of mixed woodland & scrub.  Gone were the beautiful wildflowers, apart from a few flowering bushes & suddenly the railway line disappeared too.  So long as the road continued, we'd be OK!  The rail track did catch up with us later on, after its detour to who knows where.  A train passed during our coffee stop - it was definitely as long as the ones in Port Hedland & seemed to go on for ever!

Norseman looked an interesting place - an historic gold mining town with some attractive features, not least of which were the corrugated iron camels, made to commemorate the camel trains that once operated regularly in the town.

By about 1.30pm., we'd made it to Kalgoorlie, the town that I'd marked on my map of Australia as a schoolgirl, more years ago than I care to admit!  The sky was heavy with threatening grey clouds, a wild wind was blowing & the environment appeared grim & gritty!  After the beauty of Esperance, it was hard to settle into a spot that was dusty & totally devoid of any grass.



Kalgoorlie

   However, Bob was anxious to find the newly completed golf course (an 18 hole championship grass one, which is anticipated to become one of the world's top 10 desert courses) & so we set off in search of it.  What a contrast - unlike our caravan park, it was covered in lush, green grass that was lovingly tended & a professional competition was in progress.  It was here that Bob would play the first two holes of the Nullarbor Links Course, its epic journey covering the world's longest golf course - 1,365km!  He is due to start at 4pm tomorrow.

Having arranged the golf, we drove to two lookout points.  The first of these gave us a panoramic view all over the town & showed how water is brought approximately 600km uphill from Perth (an amazing feat of engineering that has ensured the town's life-line.)  From the second lookout, we were able to gaze down into the Super-Pit, a man-made wonder that can actually be seen from space!  It is a massive gouge out of the earth's surface, where trucks the size of houses move hundreds of tons of rock in the hope of extracting a few ounces of gold from each load.  It is the richest square mile of gold-bearing earth in the world & yet, water can be more precious!  The layers of rock, that have been exposed by the mining, are a wonder to behold - the patterns & colours show the geological complexity, not to mention the beauty, of our earth.  As we looked, a controlled explosion occurred at the base of the pit, giving the miners access to even more of the rock.  The wind threatened to blow us off our lookout point & so we returned to the car & made our way back to the caravan.  It had been an awe-inspiring experience that will cause me to regard my humble wedding ring with a little more wonder & respect.



Super Pit