Across the Nullarbor: Part 3

As we left the border, refuelled and rested up, we had another big drive ahead of us. Our crossing of the treeless plain that is the Nullarbor National park, and hopefully, reaching civilisation once more.

The reality of what we would be driving through for most of the day became quickly apparent.

What was new to us however, was just how close to the coast we were! We had seen a few signs for view points as we drove along and feeling slightly suspicious from our previous “photo opportunity” moments but our curiosity getting the best of us, we decided to pull over and see for ourselves.

We decided to press on with our journey (not before snapping a quick picture of Syd again)

The next few hours took us further across the Nullarbor and out through the other side, with only a couple of stops along the way to refuel and let us all cool down a little.

Before too long we were even able to start to see hints of civilisation once again, farmland and a couple of small settlements popped up.

All of a sudden we were back on the coast once more and pulling into Ceduna: the unofficial end of the Nullarbor and Eyre Highway. With a quick stop at the quarantine checkpoint, the friendly inspector (and first person we’d talked too for a good few hours) waved us through and we breathed a sigh of relief at having finally reached civilisation.

We had a quick wander round the town centre and restocked on a few items (and some more fruit and veg) before stretching our legs with a walk along the waterfront.

Our campsite for the evening was just outside of the town and right on the beach, the sea breeze was a truly welcome break from the stifling heat we had experienced in the last few days.

There was still a little light left in the day and so once we’d set up camp – ie; parked the car – the sound of the waves was calling too us and we decided to follow the nearby dune walk onto the beach.

As the sun began to set we headed back to our campsite to prepare for dinner. The site had a BBQ area and camp kitchen that we made the most of.

With the Nullarbor behind us but still plenty of time to make our way across the rest of Australia, we decided to head down the coast and explore the Eyre Peninsula. Our stop for the night was in Coffin Bay, a lovely little seaside town with nice walks and a nice caravan park for us to rest our heads.

With the relatively short 4 hour drive ahead of us we hit the road and headed south.

Having the luxury of more time to make our way to the campsite we stopped at a couple of little towns to have a break and a walk about.

We stopped at a gas station to fill up and I popped inside to get some cold drinks (and a hot coffee for James.)  It turned out the gas station also doubled as the local information centre and so when I followed the signs to the facilities through to a back room, I was giving a bit of a fright.

We decided to have another stop on a seemingly deserted piece of road, with a beautiful lake just off to one side. Another of the famous “photo opportunity’ signs popped up and so we figured it would be a perfect spot to get a good view of the lake. It was a short walk up a hill and gave excellent views over the plain.

What we were not anticipating however, was the incredible view from the cliffs we were apparently walking along!

Our final stop before we arrived in Coffin Bay was an all important lunch stop.

A lovely little community run park and free campground was just off the main road and a perfect spot for another picnic.

We hit the road once more and finally we had arrived at Coffin Bay, we parked up and settled in before following signs for the Oyster Walk, a lovely pathway that goes along the waterfront and by some of the sweet houses in Coffin Bay.

One of the highlights on our walk was when we came across this little oasis of fun.

We headed back to the campsite to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and enjoying dinner.

We had a couple of guests join us on the campsite around dusk too! Kangaroos become a lot more active at dusk when it’s cooler and they must have decided the campsite is a perfect shortcut to their own dinner venue.

The next morning was actually a little rainy and a far cooler 16 degrees and so we took the excuse to indulge in a little porridge before hitting the road.

Our final night stop before hitting the civilisation of Adelaide would be just beyond Port Augusta, and the official end of the Eyre Highway.

Wrapping up in something slightly warmer: a jumper. We hit the road once more and started to wind our way back up the coast and off the Peninsula. Before we got too far however, we stopped in at Port Lincoln to refuel and pick up some last little bits for our last camp dinner for a couple of days.

Heading on and further up towards Port Augusta, James spots a sign for a Mangrove Walk. Excitement and enthusiasm grips us as we swerve into a little town in the middle of nowhere and screech up to the coastal walk. We have a spot of lunch and decide to embark on this well signposted and eagerly anticipated short walk out of nowhere. Who doesn’t love a mangrove?! They’re the marshlands DisneyWorld right?

The walk was actually a welcome break from our journey and we continued on our way, revitalised in the sea air.

Luckily by the time we reached our last stop just beyond Port Augusta, the sun had come back out and we were able to soak in some rays while we cooked dinner in a truly bush camping setting.

At great surprise to us, Baroota Campground also doubles up as a rodeo and equestrian centre and while there were no horses while we stayed. The area definitely had a horsey feel to it, with the amenities blocks built from what would normally be a stable block, it meant we had a lot of room in the shower!

The owners were also lovely and came over to our campsite in the evening to check on us and make sure we had anything we needed. Certainly a good spot for our last night on the road before Adelaide!

Hatti x