Cocklebiddy to Kalgoolie

Got an early start as we had a loong way to go. We had thought to only go to Norseman but Sheridan talked us into going all the way to Kalgoolie by starting early and taking a long break in Norseman then going the final 180kms.

It wasn't

as dry and sandy as I expected it to be and there was a lot of vegetation.These were the only wild animals that we saw, there were lots of signs warning of emus, kangaroos, camels and wombats.Can see three emus just off the top left hand corner mirror.

It was a long drive thankfully the weather stayed quite cool. We had lunch in Norseman and just got going again, roadworks slowed us down so instead of two hours it took almost three.

I was surprised by the trees as we got closer.

 Some had red bark or trunks.

Got to the caravan park that Sheridan had booked us into and backing up into the site (we were to go alongside a motorhome) two people got out of it and came over, both wearing hats. The woman said "Would you like to share a beer with me?" It was only our friends from Canada! They had been in contact with Sheridan and arranged with her to meet us in Kalgoolie! As far as we knew they were home in the snow.

The last two days have been a talk fest even though they will be here and will travel with us for almost all of March.

Nullabor plains

We left here this morning and Sheridan wanted to call into each look out.

This was the first one.

and the second one

I expected it to have less vegetation but it was like this all the way.

We pulled up at the quarantine place near Border Village and finished up the rock melon, binned a couple of tomatoes and half a cucumber. Warren had heard that the inspection could take up to two hours, either it has changed or we got a good lady. She checked the fridge in the car and had a quick look in the back, I had opened the pantry so she looked in there and the van fridge and freezer and then asked where we kept the potatoes and onions. Damn, I had forgotten the potatoes so handed over about four small ones. She told me that if i'd had cooked them, it would have been alright. Probably took five to six minutes all up.

Made it!

Fuel can be an issue and Warren had been noting down the best places to fuel up but I think South Australia has been experiencing good prices for the month that we were there. Streaky Bay was $1.02, then we filled at Nundaroo for $1.14, Nullabor was $1.50, gave that a wide berth, didnt need fuel anyway. Border Village was apparently expensive ($1.16) but we had been advised to fuel up at Eucla just thirteen kms inside WA but at $1.43 we moved on to the next place where it was the same price, had to bite the bullet and buy fuel. Stopped the night at Cocklebiddy, $25 for the caravan park but fuel was $1.52 for diesel and $1.62 for unleaded. Expecting to pay higher prices from now on.

Nullabor Road house

This is where we are camped tonight. Dropped into Ceduna on the way, our jockey wheel had become very stiff and hard to wind as we didnt want to be in a spot where it no longer functioned, we bought another one. $39 to set minds at rest is not a great deal of money. We kept going as we had had to past a couple of caravans that that been going much slower than us and another one that seemed to be creeping all of the road, fortunately he was tending to go more left than right but we didnt want stones thrown up plus his top speed was around 72. We didnt want to have to pass them again.

We headed for Nundroo Roadhouse to fill up and have lunch.

There was a bar at the Nundroo Roadhouse and these models, fashioned out of beer cans had pride of place on the bar, the plane was in a display cabinet.

Here are the vans

It was a nice 27 degrees. I had been dreading travelliang across the Nullabor because of the heat but so far all good. The temp did get to 33 around 2 pm but only for a short time then dropped back to 30, we pulled up here around three. 

Had been concerned about where or not we needed to book a spot but a question put to a couple of forums assured us that there was no need.

$30 a night and one dollar for a shower, there is no water supplied for the vans but thats not a drama.

Streaky Bay

A day of rest today but we did fit in a nice drive around the bluff.

This is called Halley's Bluff and had a nice wooden deck down to the water. Cant believe the colour of the water, so blue!

Did some shopping bought some tinned stuff as apparently cant take fresh fruit and vegetables into WA.

This is our site, right on the foreshore. We went for a swim this afternoon, it was about 25 degrees and I did think that I would just put a toe in to say that I had been in but it was so nice. We ended up swimming and snorkling until about 5.30pm. I had to try my new rashie shirt and reef shoes, they work a treat!

Cowell to Streaky Bay

Today was another travel day as we had the extra days in Point Turton. We were heading to Elliston as Warren had read somewhere that the cornish pasties at the bakery in Elliston were good. He even marked it on out map so of course we had to go there.

I had packed morning tea though to have on the way, I used to pack it (MT) in our wheely insuled bag but found it too big, so I used a plastic shopping bag but the flask and everything was too loose. This morning I decided to use one of the plastic buckets that we bought at Bunnings (they would be really handy, hadnt found a use for them yet). The flask stood up, the cups alongside, two sachets of coffee, a spoon and a container of biscuits, altogether in one handy carry hold all. All was left for Warren to grab was the milk for the car fridge.

Anyway we stopped on the road from Cleve to Lock, not a bad road quite wide and bitumen, not one car, truck, caravan or even a horse passed on the road while we were stopped, it was magic and very very quiet.

Ninety minutes later we pulled into Elliston and I reminded Warren it was after twelve on a Saturday. He looked at me in disbelief, surely they would not be closed! The grocery shop alongside was but luckily the bakery was still open and had one pastie left, we took that and a steak and kidney pie and shared them at the foreshore. Lovely little place with clear blue skies and deep blue sea, a very nice 24 degrees.

Streaky bay was much the same when we got there after another hundred or so kms

Heading into the Unknown.

I feel like I need some creepy music now. Once Warren and I drove past Port Pirie it is all new territory to us. We have nor been more west than that. Warren has flown into Perth but not by road.

It was interesting to go through places that we remembered having to place on maps when we were at school. PT Pirie, Pt Wakefield, Pt Augusta Whyalla, it was great to go through, didn't have time to stop.

A highlight of the day for me was stopping in a rest spot just outside Whyalla, making lunch, we were alongside a train line and we saw a train coming but it was only the engine, we stood up and waved wondering if he would even see us. He saw, he waved and then he pulled the cord, no-one else around but us, small thing but made my day.

We drove on to Cowell, nice part just outside the town. Its like a bush part with string bark trees for shade, we are members of this park chain and only need to pay $26 for the night. Great looking pool which we used this afternoon, very nice.

Heading West tomorrow.

Port Germein

We packed early today as we awake and had a fair way to go. We don't hurry when we are packing up and we have discovered that if we do we will forget to do something so its pretty leisurely and we were ready to pull out by 8.30 am. Last thing before leaving,  is a lights check. Blinkers, yep check, tail lights yep check, brakes, brakes? what was he doing? there was a yell from the front. Oh dear he had been testing the brakes but there was no lights happening.

Out comes the tool box etc etc, he was fiddling while I was looking up the nearest Auto electrican or RACQ (RAA in sth Aussie). Give it another go, yep working thank goodness but then no blinkers. Not a problem as he then knew what the problem was, took the connector apart again and tightened all the wires and yes then we had lift off or at least could go. So much for our early start, left around 9.30 am which is our usual time.

Morning tea was at Port Germein or Port Germie as the GPS says it. As I discovered the other day it has the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, it says it is 1536 metres long, wikipedia says 1.67kms, whatever it is, its a loooong way.

We didnt have time to walk it so we walked to the jetty start and took a photo. There is about 200 metres of dirt before getting to the actual jetty, possibly where the confusion lays.

This is an automatic tide indicator and was in use up until 1986

Visiting the toilets I saw a mural on the outside wall.

I am amazed at these murals besides the fact that they are well done, the other thing that I realized today that impresses me about them is there is no graffiti on or around them, how fantastic is that?