Kalgoorlie, Norseman and through the Nullarbor

The car has been serviced and checked through, so I am on my way south toward Norseman, where the highway across the wide expanse of the plains og the Nullarbor intersects with the north - south highway from Kalgoorlie to Esperance. I am again fascinated by the colouful display of tree trunks of the Salmon Gums growing along the highway, except for a long stretch of road where all trees are dead due to a bush fire. Only the undergrowth has re-grown, the ghostly whites of the dead trees in contrast. I re-fuel at Norseman and make my way into the Nullarbor Plain.

The Roundabout at Norseman with the tin camels

Often I have heard the Nullarbor referred to as a desert, a place where you might expect to see lots of sand and dunes along the way, but nothing is further from the truth when I see instead a mixture of scrub, trees and in parts vast expanses of grassland. The scenery is everchanging with the blue scrub and the flat yellow savannah grasslands. Not a sand dune in sight anywhere.

I pull up at a bush camp along the way as I see two other couples with caravans pull in. Its a little windy and as it gets dark all traffic on the highway ceases and for a while there is perfect stillness, the stars bright in all that darkness, the Milky Way making its way right across the sky as well. One of the two campers has turned on his generator to supply power to his caravan, so there is now a steady hum of the motor a short distance away. Quite a number of cars with tents arrive even after dark with a number of Japanese chatting on while they setup their tents in the glare of their headlights of their cars. After everyone is settled the quiet sets in again, even the generator is turned off. It is now 8.00pm, me tired from a long drive ready to turn in.

It turns out to be quite a cold night, me not used to those cold nights wake in the early hours feeling cold. Yes, I do have a secong doona which I retrieve and now I am as snug as a bug in a rug, nice and warm again. I am ready to leave at daybreak on a cold morning, lots of fog on the ground as the sun is just rising out of the mist.

Sunrise in my bush camp

Quite a sight, if only I didn't have to drive directly into the sun, as I am heading east.

Into the rising Sun

I am going slowly, stop a few times to take some pictures, also to allow the sun to rise further to make driving easier for me. An hour later I pull up by the roadside and finally make some breakfast, the day having warmed up so I can shed my long-sleeved jumper.

Early morning mist in the Nullarbor

I finally cross the border to South Australia from Western Australia, just after midday with the notion to find a camping spot soon.

View from the top of Eucla Pass on the border to SA

Unfortunately, the one I have earmarked on my map has been closed off with a trench dug right across the roadway. The next campsite is deserted so I decide to drive on to Nullarbor Roadhouse as I am also in need of a shower and fresh clothes.

Looking across the great plain

There is also a time adjustment to be made, South Australia being in a different time zone so I have to advance my watches by one and a half hours against WA time.